KidScreen Summit 2011, taking place from February 15 to 18 in New York City, is adding new sessions to its four-day event designed to help delegates fully understand current market needs, opportunities and challenges within the global kids entertainment business.

Confirmed for the Channel Team Spotlights are Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and France Télévisions. The new format will put the teams behind these kids networks on the Summit stage to map out their content strategies and partnership processes.

Nickelodeon Consumer Insights VP Jane Gould will get the Summit’s Kid Insight track underway by sharing the findings of a new study called The State of Play, which looks at the impact that new technologies and millennial parents are having on play patterns and products.

Understanding 6-8s, meanwhile, will provide an inside look at six- to eight-year-olds, exploring how the cognitive, social and physical development they’re going through has an impact on the media and entertainment choices they make.

Brand and consumer products successes will also be the focus of a number of sessions, including Tron Revisited: A Consumer Products Case Study; Trend Forensics with SillyBandz and Decoding Character Brand Success, a presentation exploring the character equity behind some of the biggest kids entertainment hits currently in the market.

And in breaking down social networking trends, Modern Marketing Moves will look at how new digital techniques that can help create stronger and more engaged connections with parents and kids.

The Real Deal will foster an open discussion on how to secure the best possible financing options in a competitive environment; and Just Say Si will explore kids content opportunities in the US Hispanic marketplace.

The new sessions join staple Summit features such as Speed Networking, Ask an Expert, Speed Pitching and the annual Pitch It! competition.

Last year, KidScreen Summit welcomed nearly 1,500 attendees from 43 countries around the world. And more than 350 kids TV buyers and investors were at the event looking for new content and partners. More information about the Summit is available at summit.kidscreen.com