DAY 1 - Monday 10 November 2008

13.00 Opening Remarks

13.10 The Changing CE Landscape
The conference kicks off with a look at how the consumer electronics industry is having to adapt to encompass the increasing influence of the IT world, and the internet in particular.
Sarah Carroll, Director of Continuous Services, Futuresource Consulting

13.30 SESSION STRAND 1: DIGITAL TV BROADCASTING

Session Moderator
Graeme Packman, Principal Consultant, Futuresource Consulting

Keynote
The UK has a highly competitive digital TV broadcasting market, with digital terrestrial broadcasting now leading satellite in terms of households served. Cable is some way behind, but still accounts for a healthy percentage of overall penetration. This keynote will highlight the challenges that are still to be faced in the transition from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting in the UK, something that will not be completed until 2012, and is further complicated by the likely introduction of terrestrial HD services within the next two years.
Richard Lindsay-Davies, Director General, Digital TV Group

14.00 Broadcast Platforms Panel
To ensure they achieve maximum coverage in today's highly competitive multi-channel environment, broadcasters are increasingly delivering their content on multiple platforms – including the internet for both simulcasts and ‘catch-up services'.
Jose Luis Garate, Business Development Manager, SES Astra Iberica
Andrew Kearney, VP TV Products, UPC Broadband
Andrés Armas Portela, Managing Director, Impulsa TDT

15.15 Coffee Break

15.45 Broadcast Devices Panel
Europe's multi-platform environment creates a complex situation for TV and set top box manufacturers and their suppliers, who are faced with either creating expensive multi-format pan-European devices or the complex logistical issues, and costs, of servicing different countries' technical requirements. New services such as ‘walled garden' internet-delivered programming are also requiring a change to the traditional design architectures.
Simon Heape, Senior Marketing Manager TV Pan-Europe, Toshiba
Andre Bertrand, Advanced Marketing Home Entertainment Group, STMicroelectronics
Jean-Claude Sachot, Director Set Top Box Product Management Group, Thomson

16.45 Displays for the B2B Market: a Parallel Universe
While display manufacturers continually seek to reduce the variations in their consumer ranges in order to drive down cost, customisation is the name of the game for the B2B market. This presentation examines how the key vendors in this sector and their partners are tackling a wide range of customisation issues whilst at the same time maintaining their competitive edge.
Mike Fisher, Head of Professional and IT, Futuresource Consulting

17.05 Counterfeiting, Trademark and Design
The fast-moving world of consumer electronics faces huge annual losses through counterfeit goods, trademark violations and design infringements. This presentation provides an insight into the challenges faced by companies operating in the CE industry and outlines some of the steps that can be taken.
Katharine Stephens, Joint Head of Intellectual Property Department, Bird & Bird

17.30 Close of Day 1

18.00 Cocktail Reception


DAY 2 - Tuesday 11 November 2008

09.00 Welcome Back

09.15 SESSION STRAND 2: CONNECTIVITY, NETWORKING AND STORAGE

Session Moderator
John Bird, Principal Consultant, Futuresource Consulting

09.15 Keynote
Panasonic's business has for many years embraced consumer electronics, IT and storage, so the company should be well-equipped for this era of increasing convergence. One of Panasonic's key visionaries – who has been closely involved with the launch of the Blu-ray Disc, amongst other achievements – provides some insights into the future for the consumer electronics industry.
Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Vice President, Corporate Development & General Manager, Panasonic

09.45 Online Services Panel
A growing number of TVs, set top boxes and other CE devices are being fitted with a network connection that enables them to access the internet directly, bypassing the PC. This is providing exciting new opportunities for content owners, service providers and those who provide the enabling technologies.
Richard Bullwinkle, Corporate Strategy, Macrovision
Fergal Kelly, VP Media Solutions, Ioko
David Whittaker, Director of Business Development and Advanced Technologies, NDS

10.30 Coffee Break

11.00 Connected Devices Panel
Digital home networks seamlessly integrated with the internet have been discussed for years, but they are a complex proposition to implement, and not only for consumers. Numerous incompatible standards in all aspects of networking – from connectivity to file formats to digital rights management – make the creation of a ‘plug and play' home network a significant challenge for all sides of the industry.
Johan Craeybeckx, CTO, Testronic Labs
Steve Carter, Director EMEA Technical Customer Management, Consumer Solutions Division, Seagate Technology
Adrian Northover-Smith, Digital Development Manager, Sony UK
Frank Simonis, Chair of the Europe Promotions Group, Blu-ray Disc Association

12.00 Futuresource presentation
To round up the morning’s discussion on Networking, Connectivity and Storage, Futuresource will present some views of market development and the competitive landscape, drawn from its ongoing global research programs. John Bird, Principal Consultant, Futuresource Consulting

12.30 Lunch

14.00 SESSION STRAND 3: MOBILE CONVERGENCE

Session Moderator
Simon Bryant, Principal Consultant Consumer Electronics, Futuresource Consulting

14.00 Session Intro
As a preface to the ‘Mobile Convergence' session, Futuresource assesses the potential for the growing range of handheld devices vying to become the main mobile platform in the future.
John Bird, Principal Consultant, Futuresource Consulting

14:10 Keynote
A leading mobile operator's perspective of the changing needs for handsets and other wireless hardware that is being driven by new multimedia offerings such as music, video and mobile television, as well as location-based services.
Juan Latasa, Head of Strategic Projects, Vodafone

14.30 Content on the Move
Portable Media Player (PMP) functionality is now being added to a whole range of devices, including mobile phones, games consoles and the new generation of Ultra-Mobile PCs. Can these devices compete with dedicated PMPs, or even ultimately replace them?

14.50 The User Interface
As technical complexity increases it becomes ever more critical to ensure that user interfaces are simple and intuitive. A leading European cross platform design agency provides some insights into how this can be achieved.
Chris Liu, Managing Director, Fjord

15.10 Panel Discussion: Engaging the Consumer
A group of speakers from the preceding sessions will discuss the challenges of getting the convergence message across to mainstream consumers.

15.40 Coffee Break

16.10 SESSION STRAND 4: 3D

Session Moderator
Bill Foster, Senior Technology Consultant, Futuresource Consulting

16.10 Panel: Adding a New Dimension to TV and Video
3D has become a major driver for Digital Cinema and there is no question that, with more than two-thirds of its revenues derived from post-box office sales, Hollywood will be looking for an early uptake of 3D in broadcasting and home video. However, a handful of movies each year will not drive the market on its own and additional content will need to come from other sources.
Ami Dror, EVP of Business Development, XpanD
Manuel R. Gutierrez Novelo, President and CEO, TDVision
Colin Smith, Technical Producer, ITV Future Technologies

17.20 Closing Remarks

17.30 Conference Close