Thanks to the inimitable Ben Weintraub, from Merit Software, I produced events on VR and AR producing at Temple Emanu-el and the Wharton Club in New York in December, 2018, and March, 2019, respectively. Both sessions were sponsored by the VR/AR Association’s New York chapter, of which I am an advisor, and current co-chair of the Storytelling Committee.

Michael Owen, CEO of MediaCombo, and Dex Smither, director of Verizon envrmnt, presented at Temple Emanu-el on December 16, 2018, and joined me again, along with Cortney Harding, CEO of Friends with Hologram, at Wharton Club New York, on March 26, 2019. The events, ‘Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Producing the Future,’ discussed various use cases regarding immersive experiences for brands, public institutions, and for the emerging 5G ecosystem, which Dex Smither explained flawlessly.

Many thanks to Richard Abeeku Mills-Robertson, from Greenberg Traurig, for hosting the Wharton Club New York event.

Ben Weintraub (seated) gets virtualized while (left to right) Chris Pfaff, Dex Yee, Michael Owen, and Dex Smither watch, after the ‘Producing the Future’ event at Temple Emanu-El

Chris Pfaff welcomes the audience at Temple Emanu-El, for the ‘Producing the Future’ event, 12.16.18

Chris Pfaff, Dex Smither, and Michael Owen, setting up for the ‘Producing the Future’ event at Temple Emanu-El, 12.16.18

Michael Owen demonstrates MediaCombo’s AR installation at the Morgan Library, at the ‘Producing the Future’ event at Temple Emanu-El, 12.16.18

Dex Smither discusses 5G, and its significance in the streaming AR and VR ecosystem, at the ‘Producing the Future’ event at Temple Emanu-El, 12.16.18

Dex Smither answers a question from the audience at the ‘Producing the Future’ event at Temple Emanu-El, 12.16.18

Dex Smither discusses Verizon envrmnt’s work at the ‘Producing the Future’ event at Wharton Club NY, at Greenberg Traurig, 03.26.19

Michael Owen, Dex Smither, Richard Abeeku Mills-Robertson, Chris Pfaff, and Cortney Harding, after the ‘Producing the Future’ event at the Wharton Club NY, at Greenberg Traurig, 03.26.19

Chris Pfaff, Ben Weintraub, and a guest at the Wharton Club NY event, ‘Producing the Future,’ at Greenberg Traurig, 03.26.19

The 10th edition of the National Sports Forum, held at the MGM Grand Convention Center in Las Vegas, from February 10-12, 2019 was a gathering unlike any other in the sports-tech world: professional and amateur sports teams, leagues, and associations meeting with some of the industry’s most innovative start-ups. The fraternal atmosphere made for an unparalleled showcase of the solutions that the U.S. sports industry is deploying to expand the fan experience.

To this end, BCaster joined as a sponsor of the event, and showcased its platform for real-time licensing and monetization of photos and video content, enabling automatic user-generated content (UGC) uploads for sports brands, teams, leagues, and sportscasters. BCaster demonstrated its app during the Budweiser data at the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, February 10th, in an event at the venue’s Jack Daniels Lounge, where participant content was uploaded in real-time to displays in the lounge.

Chris Pfaff moderated a well-attended session on Monday, February 11th – ‘Turning Fans to Dollars with User-Generated Content’ – that featured Sean Callahan, founder of SportsGeek; Dante Simpson, CEO of ESPAT Media; John Durbin, senior vice president of marketing and business strategy, Pegula Sports and Entertainment (Buffalo Bills and Sabres), and Patrick Hooper, director of digital, San Jose Sharks.

The ‘Turning Fans Into Dollars with User-Generated Content’ panel at the 10th edition of the National Sports Forum: (left to right) Patrick Hooper, director of digital, San Jose Sharks; Dante Simpson, CEO of ESPAT Media; Sean Callanan, founder, SportsGeek; Chris Pfaff, moderator, and John Durbin, vice president of marketing, Pegula Sports and Entertainment, February 11, 2019

Ron Seaver, founder and president of the National Sports Forum, thanks BCaster for its sponsorship, at the opening ceremony of the 10th edition of the National Sports Forum, Las Vegas, February 10, 2019

BCaster’s session on fan engagement was a hit with the National Sports Forum attendees

Fan content was uploaded in real-time to monitors in the Jack Daniels Lounge at the T-Mobile Arena, at the National Sports Forum in Las Vegas, February 10, 2019

From left to right: (back row) Josh Keiles, vice president of business development with the National Sports Forum; Dante Simpson, CEO of ESPAT Media; Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek; Patrick Hooper, direct of digital, San Jose Sharks; (front row) Sanni Kivipelto, head of customer success, BCaster; Pekka Parnanen, founder at MAD-Partners, at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, during the National Sports Forum, February 10, 2019

Sean Callanan (with microphone), founder of SportsGeek, discusses extreme fandom during the ‘Turning Fans to Dollars with User-Generated Content’ panel at the National Sports Forum, at the MGM Conference Center, February 11, 2019

The sixth edition of Media Honeypot, held on February 14, 2019 at the Sofia Future Farm on Sofiankatu in Helsinki, provided a comprehensive view of the European media start-up landscape, and its investors, in a full day of sessions, pitches, and speed-meetings. The value of having major European media houses, from Axel Springer to Bonnier and Schibsted, and leaders of the mobile gaming scene, including Small Giant Games’ Timo Soininen and Next Games’ Teemu Huutanen, as well as ventures from Belarus to London, is clear: the next big thing in media innovation is more likely to emanate from Europe than from North America.

I led a panel, ‘AI in Media,’ that featured panelists from various sides of the AI media spectrum: blockchain media distribution (Cedric Monier, CEO of iKAST.io); media curation (Romain Eude, CEO of Utelly), and AI service provisioning (Laura Avonius, founder, Fragity). The discussion of how AI can enable new services demonstrated the depth of European media start-up leadership in AI.

As always, Media Honeypot founder Heikki Rotko created an atmosphere of congenial spirit, capping the day off with a sauna session at Löyly, followed by a late-night session at the famous Kaarle nightclub.

Chris Pfaff, Heikki Rotko, chairman/founder of Media Honeypot, and Vinay Solanki, head of Channel 4 Ventures, at Löyly, Helsinki

Chris Pfaff listens to a pitch from holler.live founding partner Iva Sakarova in the Media Honeypot Deal Room

Two views of a selfie: Romain Eude, Utelly; Cedric Monier, iKAST.io; Chris Pfaff, and Laura Avonius, Fragity, after the ‘AI in Media’ panel

Cedric Monier (center), CEO of iKAST.io, discusses the implementation of AI with blockchain media distribution on the ‘AI in Media’ panel

Romain Eude (left), CEO of Utelly, discusses Utelly’s use of AI for media curation on the ‘AI in Media’ panel

Laura Avonius, CEO of Fragity, discusses media firm’s use of AI for data refining, on the ‘AI in Media’ panel

Two long views of the ‘AI in Media’ panel

Chris Pfaff (right) discusses the ‘AI arms race’ in the media industry on the ‘AI in Media’ panel

Credentials and coffee at Media Honeypot 2019