Rob Davis, Partner, Interactive Marketing Director/Leader, Interactive Video Practice
OgilvyInteractive, New York
John Brauer, Media Analyst, Nielsen Online

Bob Werber, Online Product Development Manager, Penton Media
Omid Jahanbin, Director of Product Design & Creative Strategies, Cygnus Business Media 
Michael Kushner, Director Streaming Media, Nielsen Business Media

Francisco Aliwalas, Pinatubo Films Inc.

Francisco Aliwalas, Pinatubo Films Inc.

Francisco Aliwalas is a Manhattan based producer and award-winning filmmaker. For the Travel Channel series, 5 TAKES, he had been the Director, Videographer, and Series Producer for four seasons. He was also the host/producer of YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE for that network. In the realm of music videos, he directed, shot, and edited nine which have rotated on various MTV channels around the world. Francisco has made web content for R.J. R. Reynolds, New York Post, Camel, Current TV, Google Travel, Ford Models, General Electric, Hartz, Leblon Cachca, and Idealist. Two of his latest documentaries, as the Director of Photography, have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Hot Docs in Toronto. Recently, he won Best Picture, Director, and Editor at MTV World's 72 Hour Short Film Shoot-Out and his series for Conde Naste’s Concierge.com titled 24 Hours in…won Best Online Video Series as voted by Magazine Publishers of America. His reel can be viewed at www.FranFilm.com.

Allison Arden, VP/Group Publisher, Advertising Age

Allison Price Arden is Vice President/Publisher of Advertising Age and Creativity, overseeing the business and editorial strategies and operations for those media brands across all platforms, including print, online, video and conferences.

 Advertising Age is the world’s leading brand of news, information and data on advertising, marketing and media. Creativity is the definitive showcase of brand-driven creative work
Throughout Allison’s tenure at Advertising Age, she has held the roles of Associate Publisher and General Manager, Interactive for Advertising Age and Creativity.  In those roles, she helped drive the evolution of Advertising Age and Creativity’s digital product line, including Adage.com, Creativity-Online.com (formerly AdCritic.com), the expanding video line-up such as 3 Minute Ad Age, Creativity Top 5, as well as other vertical initiatives including Madison+Vine, Ad Age China, MediaWorks, TalentWorks and Ad Age Digital.

Since coming to the Advertising Age in 1996 as a Sales Representative, Allison quickly moved onto the management team in the roles of Advertising Director for Advertising Age and Creativity, as well as Director of Business Development and Custom Programs.
Prior to Crain Communications, Ms. Arden worked for Miller Freeman Inc where she worked on Cadence Magazine and launched 3D Design Magazine and its website as National Sales Manager in 1995.

Ms. Arden is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the proud mother of Max, 7 and Maya, 4.  In 2005, Allison, along with a team of eight Ad Age colleagues, completed the ING New York City Marathon, and is currently training to run again in 2008. Ms. Arden also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation (AAF), on the Executive Council of Internet Week New York, and on the Board of Directors of Advertising Women of New York.

Ellis Booker, Editor, BtoB and Media Business

Ellis Booker is the editor of BtoB, “the Magazine for Marketing Strategists.” The only publication devoted exclusively to the intersection of business marketing and business strategy, BtoB is published monthly by Crain Communications Inc. and reaches an audience of more than 45,000 readers through its print addition, daily and weekly e-mail products and online at www.btobonline.com. Ellis is also editor of BtoB Media Business, “the Magazine for Business Publishing Executives.” He is a frequent speaker and panelist and also manages the editorial side of BtoB’s multi-city NetMarketing Breakfast series.

Rob Davis, Partner, Interactive Marketing Director/Leader, Interactive Video Practice
OgilvyInteractive, New York

Robert John Davis (please call him Rob) is a 15-year interactive industry veteran known for championing progressive new experiences and leading them to market. He is an Interactive Marketing Director with OgilvyInteractive in New York, and also is leading the new interactive Digital Video Practice.

Rob is expert in today’s web/VOD/mobile video space, including the new marketing opportunities video technology offers. As an unabashed proponent of new technology, Rob is currently intrigued with strategies that push the convergence of Web 2.0 experiences (social media participation, video/image sharing, blogging) with device-oriented interaction (phones, PDA’s, iPhones, game platforms).  Rob is well known for his interactive video leadership, including the development of the world’s first mass-audience interactive TV game show, MTV’s webRIOT, which pioneered "2 screen" iTV. Rob is a founding member of the ATAS interactive Emmy program and a former iTV advisor to the American Film Institute. His interactive TV client roster includes NBC, TBS, History Channel and GSN. After earning his BA at the University of Scranton in 1990, Rob entered a brief career in TV production, garnering numerous credits on national sports programming.

In 1993 he earned an MS in TV/Radio/Film from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Rob was the recipient of the NewChannels award for most-valuable graduate student in 1993, and was later inducted into the alumni professional gallery “wall of fame” for his achievements in interactive entertainment.

Gordon Hughes, President/CEO, American Business Media

Gordon Hughes joined American Business Media in July 1994 as president, and in May 2000 he took on the title of chief executive officer as well. Hughes has 25 years of advertising experience under his belt. During his tenure at American Business Media, he has repositioned the association from a traditional publishing group to a global organization of business information providers. Today, American Business Media is the authoritative voice of business media and information companies.

Hughes has recharged the business media industry's influence in Washington, D.C. Under his leadership, American Business Media has won major victories before the Postal Rate Commission. In addition, Hughes developed a number of initiatives to raise the visibility and stature of business media. These include the Business Information Network (BIN), an ad tracking system for business media print publications; the prestigious Creative Excellence in Business Advertising (CEBA) Awards; and the Timothy White Award for editorial courage and integrity.

Prior to joining American Business Media, Hughes was president of the Marketing Division of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. He also served as vice president of marketing for CBS Stations Division. While at CBS, he won two Emmy Awards as a producer of major sports and entertainment events, as well as the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Broadcast News Award. Earlier in his career, Hughes was vice president and station manager at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, and director of sales at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

Omid Jahanbin, Director of Product Design & Creative Strategies, Cygnus Business Media

As Director of Product Design & Strategy at Cygnus Business Media, Omid works extensively with the publishing, custom marketing and expo divisions to deliver high-quality digital products for the company’s more than 30,000 advertisers and marketers.  By staying aware of the latest trends and technologies gaining acceptance, Omid has developed a creative innovation strategy to expand the opportunities in which Cygnus can serve its customers.  During his time with Cygnus, Omid has also overseen the redesign of over 50 dynamic-content websites, over a hundred e-mail products, new advertising units, webcasts and Minisites. 

Foreseeing the increase of internet connections and bandwidth, Omid established the Cygnus Video Network or CVN, a first foray for the company into video, comprised of 45 video channels across 14 vertical markets, each delivering a variety of video programming from training to in-depth product analysis.  Implementing a hybrid content strategy which accepted video from all source, Omid also established rapid on-site production centers for tradeshow or field filming, editing and live transmission. Due to the success and expansion of the network, Omid recently developed a partnership and recent migration to top-tier provider, Brightcove.

Working to inform and empower marketers, publishers and technical staff, Omid developed a continuous training and education program to educate on tiered marketing opportunities and technical developments on many of Cygnus’ products, including Minisites, new advertising units and the Video Network. 

Omid has previously spent over a decade defining and improving his Blended Content Strategy for Media (BCSM), starting with Washington Post Newsweek Interactive, where he managed products for the new media team for community news.  Overseeing a process he developed, from initial requirements, to development, unit testing and post-launch analysis established dynamic hyper-local, highly-customizable news media websites and content delivery--of which included the company’s first strategy into mobile devices. 

Michael Kushner, Director Streaming Media, Nielsen Business Media

Michael Kushner has held various sales and business development positions at companies such as Frost & Sullivan, Forbes, Inc., Freedom Technology Media Group and Reed Elsevier.  In these roles, Michael's responsibilities included but were not limited to the development of profitable new business models in such areas as events that serve as magazine brand extensions; securing sponsorships for web-based and face-to-face interactive forums; the creation of a monthly live webcast series for multiple magazines; developing branded Virtual Conferences and Expos; and working with editorial, sales, marketing and website staff to help pull it all together. Michael currently is Director Streaming Media for Nielsen Business Media, a part of The Nielsen Company. NBM is a leading market-focused provider of integrated information and sales and marketing solutions including 40 publications, over 135 trade shows and conferences, and 195 digital products and services

Jonathan Shar, General Manager, CNNMoney.com

Jonathan Shar is General Manager/SVP of CNNMoney.com. He oversees the business operations of the Web site, including product development, traffic and audience development, business development, operations, and the overall P&L. He also serves as the chief business-side liaison with our partners at CNN.

A 12-year veteran of Time Inc., Jonathan was most recently Vice President, Consumer Marketing for the Sports Illustrated Group, where he oversaw the consumer franchises for Sports Illustrated, SI for Kids and Golf magazines.  He was also responsible for ancillary products and audience development for SI’s digital properties.  Jonathan is no stranger to the Fortune|Money Group, having served as Fortune’s Consumer Marketing Director from 2001-2002.  Prior to Fortune, Jonathan held various roles in the Consumer Marketing division. In 2000, he was a recipient of the prestigious Time Inc. Presidents Award.

Shar earned his BA in Economics from Tufts University and his MBA from the University of Michigan. He was born in Philadelphia and raised in Durham, New Hampshire. Currently, he resides in Chappaqua, New York with his wife, Marla, and three children, Noah, Jessica and Emma.

Jim Spanfeller, President/CEO, Forbes.com

James J. Spanfeller is president and CEO of Forbes.com, home page for the world’s business leaders. He also oversees the company’s affiliated properties, which include ForbesAutos.com, ForbesTraveler.com, Investopedia.com, RealClearPolitics.com, RealClearMarkets.com, RealClearSports.com, Clipmarks.com and the Forbes.com Business and Finance Blog Network.

Prior to joining Forbes.com in 2000, Jim was president of the Consumer Magazine Group at Ziff Davis Media, Inc. Previously, he was publisher of Inc. magazine and also held senior positions at Playboy Enterprises Publishing Group and Newsweek.

In 2007 and 2008, Jim was recognized by BtoB/Media Business in its annual “Who’s Who In Business Publishing.” In 2006, BtoB/Media Business named him “Top Innovator in Business Publishing,” and he was also inducted into min’s first-ever Digital Hall of Fame. That same year, Forbes.com landed #4 in BtoB magazine’s annual “Media Power 50” list. In 2005, BtoB/Media Business named Jim “Top Interactive Executive for General Business Publishers,” as part of their Top Innovators in Business Publishing awards, and BtoB named him one of their “Top 25 Newsmakers.” 

Jim is currently treasurer of the Online Publisher’s Association (OPA) and is chairman emeritus of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). In 2006, he was named to the boards of Freedom Communications, Inc. and Viewpoint Corporation. He also served on the board of directors of the Magazine Publishers Association in 1999-2000.

Bob Werber, Online Product Development Manager, Penton Media

Bob Werber has worked for over 15 years in B2B publishing. After focusing on technology ad sales at CMP Media, he helped launch The Industry Standard magazine for IDG. More recently, he has focused purely on online B2B publishing, holding marketing positions at TheDeal.com and InsideHigherEd.com. In 2007, he joined Penton Media’s growing online product development team to work on 12 websites in the agricultural and trucking sectors. He has an economics degree from Union College.