These events are monthly on the 1st Wednesday of every month.

Where:
Norwood Club
241 W 14th Street @ 8th, NY, NY, 10011

Speakers bios below

Evening Agenda
6:00pm
Registration and networking
7:00pm
Introduction and statistics
Begin Present Feedback
7:15pm
DEMO: Kimber Myers – Director of Partnerships – GetGlue: GetGlue is a leading social network for entertainment, with 1.3 million users, 170 million data points and a 90 million daily reach through Facebook & Twitter. Users check-in and share what they are watching, listening to and reading with friends; get fresh recommendations and exclusive rewards from GetGlue partners.
7:20pm
Demo Q&A’s
7:25pm
10 Innovative Online Properties
7:30pm
5 Local Tech Companies
7:40pm
INTERVIEW: Paul Kontonis – Vice President/Group Director, Brand Content -Digitas : To discuss how webvideo needs to change to deliver real ROI. Read this recent article by Paul: “Content, Content Everywhere — But Is It Safe To Drink? We Need A Marketplace For Web Video” http://bit.ly/npFCj0
8:10pm
Interview Q&A
8:20pm
5 Students You Should Know
8:30pm
Case Study: Matt Mason – Director of Innovation – Syrup: Matt will be presenting a case study on Speedo outlining why the best way to tell a story in many places at once is to build a strong foundation through strategy and planning first.
8:45pm
Q&A
8:50pm
Wrap Up
9:00pm to late
Networking

Speakers Bios

Paul Kontonis
Vice President/Group Director, Brand Content
Digitas

As Vice President, Group Director, Brand Content for The Third Act:, a unit of Digitas, Paul leads the development of original and partnered digital brand content entertainment offerings across Digitas client teams. Working in partnership with creative, media and client relationship leaders, The Third Act: team is responsible for leading digital content strategy development, sourcing digital content creator partnerships and crafting digital brand content offerings that are borne out of insight and drive business results. The Third Act: is also the creator behind Digital Content NewFront, an annual event that brings together content creators, distributors, talent, and brands to harness creative media opportunities in original online video and online brand content.

Paul is an interactive media and brand content veteran and Chairman of the International Academy of Web TV (IAWTV). He has executive produced over 25 original web series including successful online branded entertainment for Warner Bros, Armor All, Experian, Holiday Inn Express, Phillips Van Heusen and IZOD IndyCar. Prior to the Third Act: Paul was the Senior Vice President of Branded Entertainment of MATTER, an Edelman Entertainment and Sports Marketing Company.

In early 2007, Paul co-founded For Your Imagination, a pioneering web video studio that developed, produced and promoted original web series. Through his strategic leadership, the studio was selected by TVWeek in 2008 as one of five web video studios most likely to succeed. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer of btldesign, a full service marketing communications agency, developing interactive solutions for Global 100 brands. Paul’s interactive experience began as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SenseNet, a Web application development agency, and as the Director of Business Development for Silver Shock, a boutique interactive agency.

Paul appears in a number of publications and digital media books including the Documentary Filmmakers Handbook, and is a speaker at several industry conferences and seminars annually.

Twitter: @kontonis

Matt Mason
Director of Innovation
Syrup

Matt Mason is Director of Innovation at Syrup, where he leads the agency’s planning department and drives strategic thinking for the agency’s flagship clients.

Prior to joining Syrup, Matt authored business bestseller The Pirate’s Dilemma, the first book in the history of the world to hit the number one spot on Amazon’s economics/free enterprise bestseller list, and the rap bestseller list, at the same time. It has since been published in ten countries and counting, and in 2008, he was voted Pirate of the Year by BusinessWeek.

Mason began his career as a pirate radio and club DJ in London, going on to become founding Editor-in-Chief of the seminal music magazine RWD. In 2004, he was selected as one of the faces of Gordon Brown’s Start Talking Ideas campaign, and was presented the Prince’s Trust London Business of the Year Award by HRH Prince Charles.
He has written and produced TV series, comic strips, online videos and records. His journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer Music Monthly, Dazed & Confused, Adweek, VICE, Complex, Libération, and other publications in more than 20 countries. He has spoken on the subjects covered in the book all over the world. He lives in New York City, and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of PopTech.

Kimber Myers
Director of Partnerships
GetGlue

Kimber is currently the Director of Partnerships at GetGlue, the leading social network for entertainment check-ins. She manages relationships with major companies in every media sphere, including NBC, FOX, HBO, Showtime, Xbox, USA, AMC, 20th Century Fox, and Def Jam.

GetGlue rewards users with stickers, giveaways, and discounts for checking-in to partnership properties, and Kimber has created fan-centric sticker packages for Glee, Psych, Sara Bareilles, Xbox Kinect, the Golden Globes, and more. Before joining the team at GetGlue, Kimber worked in film/TV coverage and book publishing, and she continues to write for Indiewire-hosted blog The Playlist. She lives in New York.