GDC's Game Advertising Summit Adds Speakers

The organizers of the GDC Focus On: Game Advertising Summit, due to take place on June 9th at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel, and focusing on "video game publishers and developers, corporate marketing executives, and advertising agency professionals" who are driving the in-game ad market, has announced several additions to its program. In particular, the Summit's in-game advertising firm panel now sports Mitch Davis, CEO, Massive, Inc.; Jon Epstein, Board of Directors, Double Fusion; Chris Gilbert, President & CEO, Adscape Media; and Justin Townsend, CEO, IGA Worldwide, all discussing how the various companies differentiate their solutions, the first time that executives from the major in-game ad companies have appeared together on the same panel. In addition, a newly added session on research into in-game advertising presented by Emily Della Maggiora, Interactive Entertainment Vice President, Nielsen, has been added, in which Della Maggiora will "review the challenges and potential solutions to creating a universally accepted currency for in-game advertising." The Summit will also feature a keynote address by Kevin Browne, General Manager, Xbox New Media and Franchise Development, Microsoft, assessing where we've been, current practices in the market, and the challenges both "sides" face with in-game advertising, as well as an analyst session with Julie Ask, Research Director, JupiterResearch, and Michael Cai, Director, Broadband & Gaming, Parks Associates, exploring the facts and stats that affect in-game advertising. Also present at the Summit, which is presented by the CMP Game Group (which also owns Gamasutra.com) is a high-profile developer briefing on the in-game advertising in Electronic Arts' Fight Night: Round 3 by Kudo Tsunoda, Executive Producer on that title, and a look at publishers and how they see the inherent opportunitites of in-game advertising with Dave Anderson, Senior Director, Business Development, Activision; Sarah McIlroy, Director In-Game Ads & Promotions, Midway; and Dave Miller, Director, Global Brand Management, THQ. More information and registration information on the Game Advertising Summit is available at its official site.