SIGGRAPH Business Symposium Presents Leaders and Visionaries to Address Industry Direction

In its second year, the SIGGRAPH Business Symposium provides an intimate, interactive forum for open, frank conversations among leaders and executives in the visual effects, gaming, and media arenas as they explore the present and future of the industry. SIGGRAPH 2012 welcomes visionary leaders and experts from a broad spectrum of the computer graphics industry, including animation, education, motion pictures, gaming, and visual effects, to this year’s Business Symposium in Los Angeles, 5 August 2012.

This full-day event is an exclusive opportunity for attendees to gain high-level, experiential vantage point insight from the producers and executives who have all forged unique paths to their current roles and now design the industry’s direction. The day begins with breakfast and round-table discussions of the day's agenda. Possible topics include visual-effects production, marketing, international law, education, business development, and other areas related to the industry's current issues. The morning session provides a foundation for the day – an opportunity to hear from leaders on the global stage what they experience from their particular perspective, followed by featured speakers Carl Rosendahl and John Textor, both visionary leaders who influence the direction of our industry in vastly different manners.

Throughout the day attendees will join in-depth discussion and have ample time to interact with their peers before the afternoon session closes. The Symposium provides a look into newer business models from some of the people and companies defining the future.

Planned participants include:

Featured Speakers

Carl Rosendahl, Founder Pacific Data Images, Venture Capitalist, Co-Director, Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center-Silicon Valley

John Textor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Digital Domain Media Group

Morning Session: The Business of the Business: The State of the Union in 2011-2012

Will Cohen, Managing Director/Executive Producer for Mill Film and Mill TV

Patrick Davenport, Vice President Creative Operations, Method Studios

Mark Driscoll, President, Executive Producer and Co-Founder, Look Effects Inc.

Hael Kobayashi, Executive Director, Creative Innovation, University of Technology Sydney

Lee Berger, President, Rhythm & Hues' Film Division and CEO, East Grand Films

Habib Zargarpour, Creative Director, Microsoft Studios

Afternoon Session: Show Me the Money!

Jonathan Garson, Vice President, Worldwide Marketing & Franchise, Pixar Animation Studios

Shannon Blake Gans, Co-Founder and CEO, New Deal Studios

Ondraus Jenkins, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development, Bungie, Inc.

Sara Cardone, Vice President, Global Strategy and Business Development, SDI Media

Sanford Rosenberg, Managing Director, Discus Ventures

Gregg Lukomski, CEO and Founder, Slide Rule, Inc.

Roundtable Discussions

Don McGowan, General Counsel, The Pokémon Company International

Gregg Lukomski, CEO and Founder, SlideRule, Inc.

Shannon Blake Gans, Co-founder and CEO, New Deal Studios

Hael Kobayashi, Executive Director, Creative Innovation, University of Technology Sydney

Jonathan Garson, Vice President, Worldwide Marketing & Franchise, Pixar Animation Studios

Patrick Davenport, Vice President Creative Operations, Method Studios

Moderator for the Day

Don McGowan, General Counsel, The Pokémon Company International

Registration for the SIGGRAPH Business Symposium is now available. Attendance for this event is intended to accommodate approximately 200 people interested in and committed to defining the industry.

The SIGGRAPH Business Symposium sold out in its inaugural year in 2011. For more details, visit the SIGGRAPH 2012 web site.

About SIGGRAPH 2012

SIGGRAPH 2012 will bring thousands of computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to Los Angeles, California for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from Sunday, 5 August through Thursday, 9 August 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2012 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 7-9 August 2012. More details are available at http://s2012.siggraph.org/ or on the SIGGRAPH 2012 Facebook and Twitter.

About ACM SIGGRAPH

The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques www.siggraph.org is an interdisciplinary community interested in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Members include researchers, developers and users from the technical, academic, business, and art communities. ACM SIGGRAPH enriches the computer graphics and interactive techniques community year-round through its conferences, global network of professional and student chapters, publications, and educational activities.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for lifelong learning, career development, and professional networking.