NATPE president and CEO Rick Feldman on Tuesday outlined plans for the 2007 convention, which will feature a keynote address from Wired magazine editor-in-chief Rick Anderson and utilize the theme of “Evolve and Prosper.”
Feldman says the selection of Anderson reflects the direction of the television business and the constantly-increasing importance of content delivery through new media technologies.
“It is a mini-statement to people about where NATPE is going and where the business is going,” Feldman says.“The ice is definitely melting and everyone knows the world will look a lot different in a few years.”
The convention, held January 15-18 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, will kick off Monday with the NATPE Mobile++ event for the third consecutive year, with InfoSpace signed on as the presenting sponsor.Achilles Media is producing and organizing the one-day event.
Also that day, NATPE’s educational foundation will once again host a one-day television seminar for university professors, and this year for the first time will make the event open to international participants to attend.
On Monday evening, producers Stephen Cannell, Harry Friedman, Anthony Zuiker and NBC Universal executive Bonnie Hammer will be recipients of the fourth annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards.
Among other events is a Wednesday night roast of the recently retired Dick Robertson.
The conference also this year has expanded the selling time on the floor for an hour on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Feldman, who this years attends his 30th NATPE conference, also says registration in all areas is pacing up from the 2006 event.
