M16 Game Marketing Conference Announces Speakers

Worldwide association of entertainment marketers, promoters and designers Promax/BDA has announced the lineup for the previously announced MI6: Marketing Interactive '06, a conference specifically designed for video game marketers, alongside the inaugural Senet Awards for game marketing, to take place this June in San Francisco. Particularly salient spakers include Steve Allison, Chief Marketing Officer at Midway, alongside Helene Juguet, Director of Marketing at UbiSoft, and Doug Scott, Director of Sports Entertainment & Lifestyle Marketing, Electronic Arts, and film director Wes Craven will also be making an appearance. Other confirmed speakers include Robin Kaminsky, Head of Global Brand Management, Activision; Mona Hamilton, VP of Marketing, Midway; Julie Shumaker, National Director of Sales & Video Game Advertising, Electronic Arts; Kevin Carroll, Katalyst (Nike, Starbucks, Philadelphia 76ers); Mike Benson, SVP Advertising and Promotion, ABC Entertainment; Geoff Calnan, Chief Creative Officer, The Cimarron Group; Brent Magid, President, Frank N. Magid Associates; Geoff Keighley, Writer, Entertainment Weekly, Host Spike TV; Cindy Hauser, Executive Creative Director, The Ant Farm. Dale Hopkins, COO, G4 Television will serve as Conference Chair for the event. On the conference's original announcement back in February, Microsoft's Director of Xbox US Subsidiary William Nielsen said: "As a marketer, I'm thrilled to be involved in the formation of an event that will give credit where it has been long overdue. We have events and awards that recognize the contributions of the game designers, the platform manufacturers, the software developers, and the retailers, it's high time we recognize the role that marketing and promotion plays in the success of interactive entertainment." "We have seen a growing crossover and migration of our Promax/BDA membership with the interactive gaming industry, and agree that its time to recognize the divergent needs that this growing sector of professionals has," said Promax/BDA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Chabin. "The value of their contributions shouldn't be squeezed into other events or programs, but deserves to be in its own very illuminating spotlight." Scheduled to take place June 27 and 28, 2006, at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center, The W Hotel and other locations, MI6 will offer its participants professional development and education through special keynote addresses, seminars and workshops.