How Digital Media is altering the US Political scene

A Presentation by Digital Media VIP

This exclusive invitation-only event features presentations and discussions of how digital media is altering the way campaign contests are waged and covered from the November state/local elections to the 2008 presidential and congressional campaigns.

Audience, Participants and Members:

Gathering of political officials/staff, pundits, campaign officials/staffs, columnists, bloggers, media executives, digital media experts, marketing and campaign managers who are involved in utilizing the digital media world and understanding its effectiveness.

Admission Criteria - Members, Guests, Honorary, Event Organizers, Sponsors. Event organizers strive for a diversity of viewpoints, positions and communications expressed in a collegial environment. We allocate space for visitors, professors, and executives, and others who explain their interest in contributing to the discussions.  Space is very limited for this event.

Digital Media Executives at prior events always welcome. To allow for the availability of seating for students or waiting list, please let us know if you are unable to come to the event by RSVP@digitalmediavip.com. See RSVP tab on navigation bar to the left (or above) to reserve your place and tell us you're coming.

Digital Media VIP: A little on where we came from...

In 2003 a few people came together to network in Washington, DC, driven by Peggy Miles.   She wanted to bring together the best and the brightest in all sectors of digital media to learn from each other.  Her goal was to make the community networking and meetings a bit diverse than the usual business card exchanges.   The focus was on discussion and making sure that everyone contributed in the group to  learn about new developments and ideas in and around the industry. 

The lively, fun and informational discussions often focus on how to help the community and industry as well as the careers and businesses of all.  The group includes a large number of innovators, so expect to hear about the newest company, project, gizmo, gadget, or thing to hit the interactive world.  The gatherings continue throughout the world in the corner coffee shop or on the convention floor.  The membership invites others that they would like to meet and join with the group, as as such, Digital Media VIP brings together the who's who in the new media anywhere world.

 
As always, the makeup of the participants are a bit diverse, necessary to embrace the ecosystem from management to technical to content to advertising to get a big picture view of the marketplace. It doesn't matter the industry or whether you're in media and entertainment.  Any individual or company can become a digital media webcaster, communicator, program developer.  

The national/international gatherings are morphing as the events happen, and we'll see how this develops as the advisors and members suggest and recommend new participants or new places to meet.  If this is your first visit to the website, it's likely you're here because you were recommended by a member to join us.  They typically invite executives, leaders, innovators and those they find fascinating to join us.  Welcome!

Just a few of the initial crew that came together in DC in 2003:

Lou Josephs, wrote a stellar report on webcasting for EBU...he'll explain his new feats.

Tom Des Jardines, founder/CTO of Lightningcast sold his company to AOL advertising.com.  First with Internet Broadcasting Ad Insertion Campaigns.

Skip Pizzi - Microsoft Windows Media Guru, Policy, also the writer for RadioWorld who is always globe-trotting.  You often see him speak at industry conferences. 

Thomas Edwards -  PBS - streaming pioneer and now "digitally contenting" the US, and HD streaming over the public Internet, as well as their next generation networks.  Long live www.thesync.com, his first company that webcast teh Jenny Cam.  Rememer that?   He's leaving soon for his new position at Fox.  Congratulations.

Andy Butler - The guru of DTV anything, past NABer Past SBE President/Fellow.. working at PBS to build their new digital operations center for the nation's largest TV network.

Eric Manchester - AOL Broadcast Operations Center...with mega big events he can't say a thing about, but wants to!  But now, he's at Time Warner Cable, to mess with their streaming and multimedia programs. 

Ted Kelly - VP of Wordspace (global satellite radio provider), Program Director at XM Radio - works for Worldspace, does mornings...was VP for CBS Radio.

Rick Ducey - CEO of SpectraRep - now the datacast expert of the entire world, and previous NAB friend to all that know him.  He also consults to his parent company - BIA.

Bob Bender who has moved on to work with his family was with  Newsplayer.com and had licenses with ITN and Reuters! He brings us a content piece! Yahoo.

Brad Pumphrey - founder EastBay Media, past - Government slant. He used to work for Digex, Cidera, (ISP-TV)...and others.
Jose Vega - A job many of us envy. He works for the United States International Broadcasting Bureau on streaming, etc. and in his spare time you'll find him hard at work here:  http://www.globaltechcorps.org, http://www.geekcorps.org/, Institute, http://www.ustti.org/

Billy Sabatini - Worldspace (global satellite company) was was with KCBS LA, was one of the creators of national format "Arrow", ran an award winning website for the station there. he's programming for around the world and more for XM and Worldspace.  If you want to listen to radio in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabi to a remote village in China, he's working on content to get to these places and more. 

 
But that was only the start...the meetings gathered executives from the networks, Associated Press, America's Most Wanted , ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Turner, TV/Net productions, Cablevision, Recording Studios, Recording Artists, Time Warner, Nielsen, Newspapers, Publishers, magazines and all the areas that are moving into the new media world of audio and video anywhere.  We  have executives who join us that have set up the interactive media programs for a number of companies o or projects, from medical facilities, financial communities, non-profits, universities and podcast networks around the world.  

We'll be glad to add you to this list if you send us a note about when or where you joined us at an event or meeting. Till we see you on the Net or in person...

Best wishes for your future success.

peggy@digitalmediavip.com and roger@digitalmediavip.com 

RSVP questions at rsvp@digitalmediavip.com. 

If you are registering, select the RSVP tab on the navigation bar so we can reserve your space. 

Members, of course, we have to have a blog and do, so let us know what's new with you.