Big Names in Entertainment Descend on Banff World Media Festival

7th June 2012 | Becky Lomax

News Regions: Banff

Dates

June 10-13, 2012

Cost

$895 per day, $1,750 for four days

Highlights

Keynote speeches by industry leaders, including Kids and Animation keynote speech by Stuart Snyder, COO of children’s media at Turner Broadcasting System

Insider Tips

Rookies can get tips on how to navigate the festival and connect with other first timers via special forums and networking options.

The Scoop

The Banff World Media Festival caters to the business side of media, including television and Internet. In its 33 years, it has become a place to pitch new ideas to decision makers in the industry and get the handshake to go ahead with projects. The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel hosts the festival, which packs four days with events.

Ed Asner, Hollywood Icon

Ed Asner discusses media issues before an audience at last year’s Banff World Media Festival. Photo by Kempton/Flickr.

More than 150 development executives from worldwide television and digital media companies show up to network and garner potential working partnerships. Face-to-face meetings with producers and developers can be pre-booked, and territory briefings can bring you up-to-date on specific markets.

The festival also offers a chance to mingle with producers, advertising agencies and media buyers. Keynote speakers, panel discussions, classes, strategy sessions and case studies tackle the critical issues in the television and digital media industries. You can even see groundbreaking technologies that will change media.

Lisa Kudrow

The Banff World Media Festival draws big names in the entertainment industry such as Lisa Kudrow. Photo by Kempton/Flickr.

But it’s not all networking and high-powered handshakes. A comedy night adds a chance to laugh, and the presentation of The Rockies (the nickname for the Banff World Media Awards) honors top industry professionals at a gala. Past award winners include Bob Newhart, Martin Short, Tracy Ullman, Kelsey Grammer and David Attenborough. This year, Larry King will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Of course, you can always pair up attendance at the festival with a little recreation in Banff. Hiking and mountain biking are available just on the outskirts of town, and you can swing the clubs on the Banff Springs Hotel’s championship golf course.

You can get a peek at the event through the comments of past Banff World Media Festival attendees: