NewFronts West 2019 to feature presentations from leading digital media companies

New York NY, USA—IAB, the national trade association for the digital media and marketing industries, today announced the initial line-up of presentations, discussions, and debates to take center stage at the second annual Digital Content NewFronts West, a two-day media marketplace and conference to be held at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, on September 11 and 12, 2019. The current roster includes ART19, Digitas, Facebook, Fuse Media, Jukin Media, LiveXLive, SoulPancake, Unity Technologies, and Vevo, which will be showcasing the latest in original digital programming opportunities for today’s brands—ranging from video series to podcasts to AR experiences. BBC News and Tubular Labs will also take the spotlight, providing relevant research as insights partners of the event.

With guidance from the first-ever NewFronts West Advisory Board—comprised of senior executives from 20th Century Fox/Disney, Amazon, CAA, Digitas, Digital Media Management, Greycroft Partners, Grey West, GroupM, The Honest Company, Horizon Media, Rufus Worldwide, Universal Studios, WEVR, and Zenith U.S.A.—NewFronts West has been designed to meet the needs of the Los Angeles market and support its evolution as a digital marketing hub. The event will combine marketplace presentations with conversations with leading marketers, media buyers, creative talent, celebrities, publishers, platforms, and technology innovators. Many of these sessions will focus on the NewFronts West theme “Relationships Matter. Take a Stand.,” investigating how relationships between brands, media partners, and consumers are affected when companies and consumers take a stand.

Highlights will include:

• No Neutral LIVE – Ross Martin, CEO of the brand strategy firm Blackbird and the author of the LinkedIn interview series “No Neutral,” will discuss why brands are taking big stands with Tressie Lieberman, Vice President of Digital Marketing and Off-Premise at Chipotle, and Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and General Manager at Mattel.

• The Work: The View from Cannes – Scott Donaton, Global Chief Creative and Content Officer at Digitas, who served as the 2019 Cannes Lions Entertainment Jury President, will moderate a discussion with Sarah Colamarino, Vice President, Corporate Equity at Johnson & Johnson, and Brendan Gaul, Global Chief Content Officer at UM Worldwide, that will look under the hood at how the mission-driven “5B” campaign delivered results and won the Entertainment Lions Grand Prix.

• Silicon Beach Startup Showcase – Cutting-edge startups from the Los Angeles area will offer a preview of the technology and solutions that they are building for the media and advertising sector.

The two-day program will also feature a number of other industry luminaries:

• Matt Belloni, Editorial Director, The Hollywood Reporter
• Scott Bishoff, Vice President of Media, 20th Century Fox/Disney
• Deanna Brown, President, Billboard-The Hollywood Reporter Media Group
• Mac Hagel, Executive Vice President, Managing Director, West, Publicis Media
• Natalie Jarvey, Digital Media Editor, The Hollywood Reporter
• Doug Neil, Executive Vice President of Digital Marketing, Universal Pictures, NBCUniversal
• Kristin Scheve, Senior Vice President, Media Director, Head of West Coast Media, Digitas
• Susan Schiekofer, Chief Digital Investment Officer, GroupM

In addition, for the second year in a row, IAB has partnered with the Streamy Awards, a leading awards platform for online content creators around the world, to celebrate the winners of the Streamys Brand Awards on stage during NewFronts West. The Streamys Brand Awards are accepting submissions now through August 16, 2019 at www.streamys.org/submissions.

“Hollywood is known as the center of the entertainment world—it’s a place that understands and values storytelling,” said Patrick Dolan, President, IAB. “This is why we are bringing the NewFronts back to L.A., connecting content creators and brands to explore how to tell stories that speak to the causes and issues that consumers care about in these polarizing times. Do marketers need to walk a fine line or dive into the deep end? We are excited to have leaders from Chipotle, Johnson & Johnson, Mattel, and other brands on stage to discuss and debate.”

“Los Angeles has long been an epicenter for entertainment and automotive, but it has been growing rapidly in other areas. These categories have very specific needs that differ from other markets,” said Autumn White, Executive Vice President, Digital, Managing Partner, Horizon Media, and a member of the NewFronts West Advisory Board. “NewFronts West 2019 can help provide the L.A. digital space with fuel to continue growing and elevating as the market changes and expands.”

Additional presenters and speakers are expected to join the agenda. For more information, please visit www.iab.com/newfronts-west.

About Digital Content NewFronts
The Digital Content NewFronts are an annual series of events committed to building valuable relationships between brands and the creators of original digital content. The NewFronts founding partners—Digitas, Hulu, Google/YouTube, and Verizon—selected IAB to oversee and operate the events. As video streaming, connected TV, and OTT have become mainstream and users are experiencing their own personal primetimes, the NewFronts have become a critical industry marketplace, providing vital forums which introduce advertisers to the latest in innovative programming opportunities.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership is comprised of more than 650 leading media companies, brands, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.