Michael Eisner to Headline at Variety Entertainment & Technology Summit

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Michael Eisner will headline the ‘Keynote Conversation’ at Variety’s Entertainment and Technology Summit on Oct. 18 at the Loews Santa Monica Hotel.

For four decades, Michael Eisner has been a leader in the American entertainment industry. He began his career at ABC, where he helped take the network from number three to number one in primetime, daytime and children’s television. In 1976, he became president of Paramount Pictures, turning out hit films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Terms of Endearment. This string of critically acclaimed and blockbuster films led the studio to become number one in box office and profitability in both theatrical movies and network television production.

In 1984 Michael assumed the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company and, in the ensuing 21 years, transformed it from a film and theme park company with $1.8 billion in enterprise value into a global media empire valued at $80 billion. For almost thirty years, companies that Eisner managed were either number one or number two at the motion picture box office.

In 2005, Michael founded The Tornante Company, a privately held company that invests in, acquires, incubates, and operates media and entertainment companies.

In October 2007, Eisner’s Tornante acquired sports card and confection giant The Topps Company.

Through Tornante, Michael also created Vuguru, a new media studio that produces world class content for the Internet and emerging digital platforms. In 2009, Michael secured a partnership with and investment from Rogers Communications of Canada that enabled Vuguru to be spun off from Tornante. Vuguru is expanding rapidly with the company planning 15 new series in 2011 and 30 new series in 2012.

In July 2008, Viacom’s Nick at Nite licensed the US distribution rights to Glenn Martin DDS, Tornante’s first television series which Michael developed via a newly formed division – Tornante Animation. The stop-motion comedy series, which debuted in August 2009, was renewed for a second season of 20 episodes and is also being licensed by CityTV (Canada), Sky (UK), Foxtel (Australia), LAPTV (Latin America), Sky Uno (Italy), and numerous other distributors around the world.

Michael’s third book, WORKING TOGETHER: Why Great Partnerships Succeed, profiles several successful partnerships in the business world and beyond, including Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Bill and Melinda Gates, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti, Joe Torre and Don Zimmer, and others.

The Variety Entertainment and Technology Summit, co-located with Digital Hollywood, is a priority attend for anyone following how quickly film and TV are becoming transformed by evolving consumer tastes. As today’s audience demands content on growing numbers of platforms and devices, Variety’s Summit promises to keep Hollywood and their technology partners on the cutting edge of the revolutionary intersection of their businesses.

Additional speakers will include Mitch Singer, chief technology officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment and president of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem; Chris Homeister, senior VP/general manager of the Entertainment Business Group at Best Buy; Matt Jacobson, head of market development at Facebook; Matt Diamond, CEO of Alloy Media + Marketing; Doug Neil, senior VP digital marketing at Universal Pictures; and Hardie Tankersley, VP of innovation at Fox Broadcasting.

Others participants at Variety’s Entertainment and Technology Summit include Michael Kassan, CEO/chairman of MediaLink LLC; Linda Yaccarino, executive VP/general manager of Turner Entertainment Sales and Marketing at Turner Networks; Danielle DePalma, VP of digital marketing at Lionsgate; Brent Weinstein, head of digital media at United Talent Agency; Russ Schafer, senior director product marketing, connected TV, at Yahoo; Jason Harris, president of Mekanism; Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, director of interactive video services product management at Verizon FiOS TV; Jarrod Moses, founder, president and CEO of United Entertainment Group; and Paul Kontonis, VP and group director of branded content at Digitas and The Third Act.

For further information on sponsorship and speaker opportunities, please contact Linda Buckley-Bruno, director of publishing at Variety.