Press Releases

nextMEDIA - Monetizing Digital Media
Wraps Two Days of Keynotes and Presentations

Measuring Engagement is Key to Successful Monetization

Toronto, ON [November 20, 2008] -nextMEDIA - Monetizing Digital Media (http://www.nextmediaevents.com) wrapped yesterday in Toronto, Ontario, concluding two days of keynotes and presentations focused on the new economy of reputation, attention and customer engagement. The sold-out conference was attended by many key executives from the broadcast, advertising and new media industry and featured an outstanding line-up of speakers with representatives from 42 Entertainment, eBay Canada, Google, Molson Canada, MySpace Canada, NBC Universal, Rogers Media, and YouTube.

"Attendees walked away from this year's event understanding that advertising, branded entertainment, e-commerce, licensing and pay-per-use all have a role to play in the successful monetization of digital media," said Mark Greenspan, Director of Digital Content at Achilles Media. This notion was reinforced by several speakers including Lori Schwarz of Interpublic Emerging Media Lab and Nick Johnson of NBC Universal.

Engagement was the buzzword of the event with opening keynote speaker Shelly Palmer delivering a spirited talk on the currencies of attention, intention, fame, respect, and passion. His call for an industry-standard metrics for engagement pointed at a way forward as companies look for ways to monetize their digital content. Day Two keynote, Susan Bonds, CEO of 42 Entertainment, also focused on engagement, but countered that standardized metrics are not the holy grail of monetization.

nextMEDIA is considered the premier digital media event in Canada, attracting a vibrant mix of content producers, media executives and digital entrepreneurs to locations in Toronto (Monetizing Digital Media) and Banff, Alberta (The Future of Digital Content). nextMEDIA Toronto now incorporates the annual Canadian New Media Awards (CNMAs), which were held on Tuesday, November 18th at CiRCA. Please visit the CNMA Website < http://www.cnma.ca/index_e/finalists> for a complete list of this year's finalists and winners. nextMEDIA is also extending its programming online through nextMEDIAsource (http://www.extmedia-source.com), a news aggregator targeted at the Canadian new media community.

nextMEDIA - The Future of Digital Content returns to the Fairmont Banff Springs, June 5 - 7, 2009. Event tickets go on sale in the New Year.

Visit the nextMEDIA - Monetizing Digital Media Website <http://www.nextmediaevents.com> for links to speaker presentations, video coverage and other resources.

About Achilles Media:
Achilles Media is an international events management company serving the broadcast, new media and innovation sectors. Achilles Media Ltd. events include: The Banff World Television Festival, The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX), History Makers - International Summit of History & Current Affairs Producers, Just Comedy - The Business of Funny, and nextMEDIA Events. Bringing content, people and technology together for a better and more prosperous future. For information, visit http://www.achillesmedia.com.

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Erin Whittaker
Marketing Manager
Achilles Media Ltd.
Tel: (416) 921-3171 x: 234
E-mail: ewhittaker@achillesmedia.com