NEW YORK, March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Understanding the relationship between America’s diversity and new technology in today’s expanding media ecosystem is a core focus of Horowitz Research’s 15^th Annual Cultural Insights Forum, which will be held on March 25 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. The Forum is a pioneering research- and insights-driven event recognizing multicultural consumers’ value for and influence on the media, entertainment, and technology industries. This year’s closing sessions will address equal access to broadband and digital services, diversity in the workplace and minority ownership in media and tech, and how new technologies will impact media consumption, particularly among early-adopting multicultural audiences.

Clayton Banks, Co-Founder of Silicon Harlem, a venture to transform Harlem into a hub of technology and innovation, will kick off the technology track with a Broadband Civil Rights mandate. Banks’ presentation will provide areas of focus for the media and tech industries to ensure broadband and digital equality across all consumers.

Following Banks’ presentation, Kedma Brown, VP, Director of Integrated Production and Head of Diversity, Saatchi & Saatchi; Monica Diaz, VP, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellness, ESPN; and Richard Gay, EVP, Strategy and Operations, Viacom Music Group; will share the stage for a high-level discussion about why closing the diversity gap in media and technology is a top priority and what the industry can do to move this goal forward. This session, sponsored by the Digital Diversity Network, will be moderated by Nicole Aguirre, CEO of Worn, a digital agency specializing in content, design, and production.

To close out the day, Rob Stoddard, SVP, Communications and Public Affairs for the NCTA will moderate “The Next Wave: The Growing Intersection of Media, Technology and Our Everyday Lives,” featuring expert panelists Zenita Henderson, Senior Manager, Global Marketing, ARRIS; Anthony Iaffaldano, VP, Marketing, Undertone; Shruti Jain, Senior Analyst, Service Provider Marketing, Cisco; John Lim, CEO, Life in Mobile; and Jim Spare, President & COO, Interlude. This panel will examine how new technologies, like 4K TVs, virtual reality, and interactive video, are shaping the way companies approach advertising, content, mobile strategy, and interactivity.

Additional panels and sessions will cover:

• New research on the multicultural, multiplatform Millennial;
• Perspectives from traditional and new networks and distributors on how OTT is changing distribution deals, consumer expectations, and business opportunities;
• Best practices and success stories for reaching and engaging America’s diverse audiences through programming, marketing, and new media;
• Advertising and marketing case studies highlighting multicultural best practices.

This year’s event is made possible by sponsors ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Comcast, TV5MONDE, NUVO TV + FUSE, TV One, and Cine Sony Television. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

All attendees will be eligible for a raffle for a trip for two to Paris, courtesy of French Broadcaster TV5MONDE.

For more information about the Forum and to register: www.culturalinsightsforum.com or contact Stephanie Wong: (914) 834-5999, stephaniew@horowitzresearch.com.

Contact: Liz O’Donnell
lodonnell@double-forte.com