Schedule

 

February 12-13, 2013

Look for a more comprehensive schedule in December. But until then get a sneak peek at who is speaking and what’s being talked about below:


Keynote:  Victor Lee, VP, Digital Brand Marketing, Hasbro                      
Digital Marketing Should Not Be A Pasta Spoon 
Pasta spoons serve only one purpose; why should your marketing channels do the same?  With the increase in channels, ways to reach consumers and the speed in which consumers get information, it’s important to create marketing programs that not only reach your target consumers but also serve another business purpose.  Hear how Victor and Hasbro created multi-channel programs that re-ignited fans for iconic brands such as My Little Pony, Transformers, Monopoly, Furby, Nerf and Playskool.

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Keynote:  Colt Tippton, Director of Ideation & Strategy, Discover Bay Games
Appcessories are Changing the Way Kids Play
Discovery Bay started as a traditional maker of board games in 2006. Last fall, it began selling an iPad hardware accessory, a controller for Atari arcade iPad app games such as Centipede and Asteroids. Colt Tippton, Discovery Bay’s Director of Ideation & Strategy, will share how the company is bringing together digital devices and the physical, “toyetic” play with tactile accessories to games for all ages – from Atari arcade to Thomas the Train.

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Keynote:  Caroline Hu Fluxer, Co-Founder, Duck Duck Moose

Quality Design: Key to Success
Duck Duck Moose, the startup behind a series of educational apps for children, has closed $7 million in Series A funding led by rock start venture capitalists Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Stanford University also invested.  Duck Duck Moose has seen over 2.4 million downloads of its paid apps. Caroline Hu Fluxer, Co-Founder, Duck Duck Moose will share details on how Quality Design are the keys to success in the digital space.

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Market research: Trends, Number$ and Forecasts

Youth & Parentals: YouthBeat will share fresh-from-the-field data on youth and parents and tech. Amy will decipher the myth from the truths when it comes to research that suggest that “all kids have tablets,” that kids spend 8+ hours a day on screens, etc.
•    Amy Henry, VP of Youth Insight, C&R Research

Toy Number$: Toy Industry Financial Analyst Gerrick Johnson will share the latest numbers on Hasbro, Mattel, MegaBrands, JAKKS, Toys R Us and more.
•    Gerrick Johnson, BMO, Harris Bank Financial Analyst

Online and Virtual Worlds: Play is still very important to kids. Come hear form Nic, who has spent years providing analytics and trends on virtual worlds and digital marketing for global brands he is ready to talk numbers and share his charts with you.
•    Nic Mitham, CEO, KZero

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Monetization Strategies to Maximize Customer Acquisition, Retention and Revenue
From billing engines and analytics platforms, how do you monetize the digital kid consumer.  This session focuses on how to acquire new online paying players, monetization strategies, learn how to create digital games and apps that maximize revenue. Retain players over the long-term: keep players engaged, paying and generating revenue. From freemium, subsciption revenue to advertising and selling digital items, this session provides the details on how to generate revenue online and via mobile apps.

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Keynote:  Kent Johnson, CEO, Highlights for Children, Inc.
The “Hidden Pictures” of Keeping Brand Central and Letting Technology Follow
Kent will discuss how Highlights has put the child and the brand first and how the technology will follow where logical. He will share how Highlight has taken it’s iconic “Hidden Pictures” magazine segment to tablet and web, as a stand alone iPhone app, a game promoting “social play”, appcessories, and now more recently as a multi language, multiplatform app.

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Keynote:  Jeff Gomez, CEO, Starlight Runner Entertainment
Multiplatform storytelling via “Transmedia”
Learn how to build on character and taking brands to the next level.  This session will discuss how to maximize value of entertainment properties and consumer brands by planning large-scale expansion across various media platforms – online, narrative, toys, clothing, accessories, mobile.

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Keynote:  Craig Sims, VP Global Licensing, Spin Master
Pulling out all the Stops: Building a Brand with New Partners and Utilizing Social Media
Craig shares his experience, tips and industry insider know-how in an exciting keynote focused on how to grow your business. He shares how Spin Master is pulling out all of the social media stops to promote its new entry with a heavy presence on Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. He also discusses Spin Master’s relationship with Cartoon Network Enterprises, and the strategy behind building a North American licensing program around the new property La Dee Da.

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A Voyeuristic Peak:  Industry Experts Discuss The Best Toy Fair and Digital Products and Coming  2013 Trends
It’s a tradition that has been going on for years behind the scenes at Toy Fair – and you never new it was happening.  In the wee hours of the last day of Toy Fair, leading independent industry experts, journalists, pundits, and analysts convene in a quiet corner of the Javits convention center to discuss what they saw, what products will be breakout run away successes and what will not. Now, for the first time, a light is cast on this discussion and you, the conference goer, has a front row seat to witness this private debate and discussion first hand.  Watch from the bleachers as the as the industry’s leading pundits in the toy and digital media space share their insights in what’s hot, what is trending and where it’s all going.
•    Jinny Gudmundsen, Kid Tech Columnist, USA Today
•    Scott Traylor, Chief KID, 360KID
•    Reyne Rice, Toy Trends Specialist
•    Others TBA

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Just the Kids Please:  An On Stage Focus Group with 100% Real Children
Industry leaders in toys and digital technology can only guess what kids really want until you go directly to the source – kids themselves.  In this Digital Kids Conference closing tradition and attendee favorite, we invite kids onstage to discuss their preferences, purchasing habits, and more.  We (and you the audience) quiz them in detail: Here, we ask the kids themselves onstage. How many electronic devices do you own? How many YouTube videos have you created? Have you made a digital film? What is more important to you in gaming (for example: Graphics? Storyline? Platform?) Come hear the kids share what they like and don’t like. Who pays for it and how?

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Additional Sessions To Be Announced