A couple of announcements from the upcoming New York Anime Festival. First the announcement of a number of web guests, and also an ICv2 conference:
Pop culture publishing and consulting company ICv2 has announced its first ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga: “Inside the Otaku Generation” at New York Anime Festival (NYAF), the new event being launched by the organizers of New York Comic Con.
NYAF will bring together more than 120 exhibitors, and will feature the latest in anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, as well as the best of anime-influenced comics, animation, and film from around the world. NYAF will be held on December 7-9, 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.
The ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga: “Inside the Otaku Generation” will be held on Thursday afternoon, December 6, 2007 at the Javits Center, on the eve of NYAF.
“Anime and manga are a multi-billion dollar business in the U.S., with television programming, graphic novel and DVD sales, top-selling tabletop and videogames, and other licensed products all driven by the otaku (fans) that lead pop culture and technology adoption curves,” said ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp about the Conference. “Understanding the ‘otaku generation,’ the powerful group of young consumers that are driving this phenomenon across multiple categories, can help anyone that wants to reach this audience and ride the wave of Japanese and Japanese-influenced content that’s sweeping the globe.”
Confirmed panelists include top executives from anime and manga companies; from intellectual property houses; digital content, anime and manga, and youth marketing experts; and trade buyers. Among the many notable panelists and moderators are Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, Senior Editor for Original Global Manga Development, Tokyopop; Larissa Faw, editor of Youth Markets Alert; Gen Fukunaga, President and CEO of Funimation Entertainent; Kurt Hassler — Co-Publisher, Yen Press, former buyer Borders Group; Al Kahn–Chairman and CEO, 4Kids Entertainment; James Killen, Graphic Novel Buyer at Barnes & Noble; Christopher MacDonald — Editor in Chief, Anime News Network Editor; Daniel Marks — Sr. VP of Strategy and Business Development, Viz Media; Kevin McFeeley — VP Affiliate Sales and New Media, Anime Network; Dallas Middaugh — Associate Publisher, Del Rey Manga; Lawrence Neves–Editorial Director, Pokemon USA; Jeremy Ross — Director of New Product Development, Tokyopop; and Jill Snider, Senior Brand Manager, Funimation Entertainment.
Publishers; home media producers; toy and game companies; consumer product marketers; licensing professionals; programmers and studios; writers, artists, and other creators; retailers and distributors; and librarians and educators can all increase their understanding of this important pop culture phenomenon at the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga..
VIZ Media, LLC has signed on to support this important event for the future of anime and manga. “We’re grateful for the key support Viz is providing for the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga,” Griepp said of the relationship.
Tickets for the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga are now on sale on the NYAF Website.
