Veteran cable executive Lauren Zalaznick, author Frans Johansson, digital and gaming executive Chris DeWolfe, and designer Scott Thomas will keynote PromaxBDA: The Conference 2015, the association said Thursday.
The quartet join previously announced speakers Doug Herzog, Tig Notaro, and Chip Kidd to round out the headliners for the annual gathering of the global entertainment marketing industry, set for June 9-11 at the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.
“We are excited to welcome a diverse group of keynote speakers to address our equally diverse membership at this year’s PromaxBDA: The Conference,” said PromaxBDA President and CEO Steve Kazanjian in a statement. “With our business changing so rapidly, we are committed to delivering up-to-the-minute strategies and innovation to our membership. The Conference brings a tremendous shared energy and passion together for three days of inspiration and gives our members everything they need to create what’s next.”
During her 12 years in the executive suites of NBCUniversal’s entertainment cable brands, Zalaznick used her marketing savvy and programming instincts to transform Bravo into the powerhouse pop culture brand viewers recognize today. She had an early eye for the growing importance of digital platforms, helping form NBCU’s Integrated Media group in 2007. Zalaznick was also pivotal to the growth of the company’s “Green is Universal” sustainability initiative, whose annual on-air green week is now a regular sight for viewers.
Since leaving NBCU in 2013, she has moved into the realm of digital publishing, founding The LZ Sunday Paper, a newsletter of content curated by Zalaznick that “exposes and recirculates interesting content that is about, and very frequently by, women in business.”
Johansson is the author of the international bestseller The Medici Effect about how great ideas happen, and the follow-up The Click Moment, on harnessing serendipity to stand apart. He advocates looking to other cultures and disciplines—science, art, business, politics and fashion—for innovation inspiration.
DeWolfe is best known as co-founder and former CEO of MySpace from 2003 to 2009. He is now CEO of SGN, a cross-platform developer and publisher of games on Facebook, iOS, and Android, such as Cookie Jam, Book of Life: Sugar Smash, Panda Pop, Panda Jam, and MindJolt.
Thomas, who goes by SimpleScott, is the founder of Simple.Honest.Work, which proudly declares it is not an agency or a design firm. Scott was the National Design Director for Obama for America in 2008, and has since worked with the White House, Fast Company, Apple, IBM, HP, Nike, Patagonia, Levis, the Alliance for Climate Protection, and Craigslist.
PromaxBDA: The Conference 2015 will take place June 9-11 at the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE; PromaxBDA is the publisher of Brief and Daily Brief.
Tags: