As parent company Google delves deeper into products for under 12s, YouTube’s Head of Family/EDU Malik Ducard will provide insight into new opportunities for producers to engage families in his keynote address at Kidscreen Summit, taking place from February 23 to 26 in Miami, Florida.

As of today, the complete conference program for Kidscreen Summit 2015 is now available online (http://summit.kidscreen.com/2015/agenda/), offering more than 65 keynotes, panel discussions, presentations, debates and networking sessions, led by a roster of industry leaders. Some highlights include:

KEYNOTE: Press Play on Fun
Online and mobile video viewing rates continue to skyrocket pretty much everywhere, and YouTube has a rock-solid grip on this audience.  Today, YouTube is home to millions of families across the globe who seek out content that entertains, educates and inspires their children.  With parent company Google currently revamping several of its products for kids 12 and under, YouTube’s Head of Family/EDU Malik Ducard  will talk about new opportunities for producers to engage families like never before. ​

Meet the President: Cartoon Network’s Christina Miller
Christina Miller is now leading the charge at one of the world’s biggest children’s broadcasters, having taken the reins at Turner for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang. Balancing business and creative strategies as she carves a new path for the network is no easy thing, but Miller is definitely up for the challenge. In this one-on-one session, she’ll discuss the influences that have shaped the way she approaches content and commercial enterprise, as well as providing a first peek at what’s on deck at Cartoon Network and where she sees the future of kids TV heading.

Close-Up With the Maker of Maker
Disney paid in excess of US$500 million earlier this year for Maker Studios, whose Family business unit is one of the largest multi-channel networks in the children’s entertainment industry. Meet Michael Ross, the man in charge of Maker Family, and find out more about the challenges and successes that have shaped his unique perspective and approach to content.

Can They Build It? A Case Study of the New Bob the Builder
Join HIT Entertainment and research outfit Dubit as they present the challenges they faced in reimagining Bob the Builder for modern preschoolers in a changing media landscape. Dubit will unveil research that influenced HIT’s plans for Bob V2.0, drawing on quantitative and qualitative data gleaned from interviews of more than 1,800 children in the UK and US. And HIT will offer insights into how this research influenced its relaunch strategy for Bob, and how other children’s entertainment makers can do likewise.

VOD: The Shape of Things to Come
The producers who best understand the capabilities of emerging media platforms will be able to optimize their content most effectively―and create the deepest engagement for the biggest audiences. While this may sound simple, deciding what this optimization looks like is anything but. For starters, some claim this generation has abandoned “consumable” narrative media in favor of “shareable” social media, while others like Netflix contend VOD will usher in a new age of totally immersive long-form epic storytelling. So which direction to choose? Our panel of kids media pros will have plenty of opinions on the shape of things to come.

Kidscreen Summit 2015 will be held at the the Miami InterContinental in downtown Miami.

Last year, the event welcomed nearly 1,700 attendees from 47 countries around the world. Close to 450 kids TV buyers and investors were at the event, looking for new content and partners. The 2015 Summit will continue to offer an unparalleled opportunity to keep abreast of important issues and trends in the fast-moving international kids entertainment industry, generate business and revenue opportunities, and network with leading decision-makers.

For more information, visit the event website at http://summit.kidscreen.com/2015/.