2024 CFO SUMMIT AGENDA

Monday, March 18
  • 3:00 – 5:00 – Registration Materials Pickup (Welcome Lobby)
  • 5:30 – Informal meet up at FastBreak lower level bar (Stop by, meet up and see other attendees, have beer, soda or wine.)
  • 7:00 – Dinner on Own  
Tuesday, March 19
  • 7:30  Breakfast and Materials Pickup
  • 8:15 – Welcoming Remarks – Ralph Bender, CFO at Manship Media and CFO Summit Chair and Joseph Annotti, MFM Pres & CEO
  • 8:30 – The Impact of the Changing Political Landscape on the Media and Entertainment Industry – Shahira Knight, Managing Principal, Policy and Government Relations, Deloitte US
    • This session will provide an overview of the political dynamics of the current Congress; expectations about the policy and legislative agenda; and possible impacts on the media and entertainment industry.
      • CPE: 1/Management Services/Overview
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Ability to discuss the political dynamics of current Congress
        • Understand how the dynamics of the current Congress impact the media and entertainment industry.
  • 9:30 – CFO Roundtable – The always popular roundtable discussion where senior financial executives can talk shop in and informal and off-the-record environment..
    • Moderators: Sam Bush, Saga Communications and Marie Tedesco, Beasley Media Group 
    • The always popular roundtable discussion where senior financial executives can talk shop in and informal and off-the-record environment. Join your colleagues for a discussion about strategic priorities for the media industry with topics including (but not limited to) technology, automation, human capital, defining workplace culture, trends, metaverse, and cybersecurity. 
      • CPE: 2/Specialized Knowledge/Advance
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Discuss how changes in the media industry have changed responsibilities of industry CFOs;
        • Identify minimum two ways to serve your company more effectively.
  • 10:30 – Refreshment and Networking Break
  • 10:45 – CFO Roundtable (continued) 
  • 11:45 – Networking Lunch
  • 1:00 – Navigating the Shift from Expense Management to Revenue Optimization and Growth – Jack Myers, President and CEO, MediaVillage/The Myers Report and Bill Zengel, SVP, Association of National Advertisers
    • The B2B sector has witnessed significant changes over the past decade. As decision-making dynamics shift, CFOs must reevaluate traditional models, especially Peter Drucker's emphasis on decentralization, to adapt to the future-centric approaches demanded by today's fast-paced environment. Traditional media company advertising sales and marketing budgets have been reduced annually since 2018 and Only 5% - 15%of ad sales, marketing and research budgets are invested in revenue growth. It’s time to realign, reallocate and redirect budgets to reflect new marketplace realities —to refocus on growth vs. investments in transactional commoditization. Jack explains how investments in growth can be funded through budget reallocation rather than incremental investment.
      • CPE: 1/Specialized Knowledge/Overview
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Discuss how changes and realigning budgets will help refocus on growth
        • Identify how CFOs are reevaluating traditional industry revenue models.
  • 2:00 – Generating Impact with A.I.  – Brajesh Jha, SVP & Global Business Leader for Data and AI, Genpact
    • For media companies to reap the benefits of generative AI, they must first navigate mountains of data before they can understand, embrace, and use this ground-breaking technology responsibly. This discussion will take a deep dive into Genpact’s approach to driving generative AI adoption to deliver efficiencies, transform experiences, and support business growth. The session will help senior finance leaders move beyond the hype of gen AI with examples of how to modernize corporate financial planning and forecasting functions, automate AP helpdesks, and reimagine cash remittances.
      • CPE: 1/Information Technology/Overview
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Discuss how driving generative AI adoption to deliver efficiencies, transform experiences, and support business growth
        • Identify how to understand, embrace, and use this ground-breaking technology responsibly.
  • 3:00 – Refreshment and Networking Break
  • 3:30 – Human Resources Update: Non-Compete Agreements, Pay Transparency, and AI’s Impact on Employment Decisions – Mark Konkel, Partner, Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP
    • This is a time of sweeping change—and challenge—in the laws that regulate the workplace. New pay transparency laws allow employees to see more about what they and their peers are paid, and employers to see less about what employees are paid elsewhere, depriving employers of competitive information.  Agreements that limit former employees’ ability to compete against a company are under widespread attack, making a uniform “national” approach almost impossible. And regulators are targeting employers using algorithmic tools in employee recruitment, selection and performance management. This session will identify the employment law trends that will have the greatest impact on employers in 2024 and beyond, and will identify the pitfalls and opportunities for employers in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.
      • CPE: 1/ Personnel/Human Resources/Overview
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Discuss how laws that regulate the workplace
        • Identify how employment law trends that will have the greatest impact on employers in 2024 and beyond.
  • 4:30 – Day 1 Adjournment
  • 5:30 – Networking Reception and Dinner (Room: Champions Gate Lobby Level)
Wednesday, March 20
  • 7:30  Breakfast 
  • 8:30 – The Top Five Technology Discussions Dominating the Boardroom – Tracy GilliamChief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder, Futuri Media and Jay O’Connor, President, TopicPulse, Futuri Media
    • The media landscape is rapidly evolving, and with it, the technological challenges and opportunities CFOs must grapple with in the boardroom. Tracy Gilliam, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder at Futuri —a pioneer in audience engagement and sales intelligence technology for broadcasters— and Jay O'Connor, President of TopicPulse at Futuri – which develops AI-driven solutions for broadcasters, publishers, and content creators – will guide attendees through the pivotal tech trends set to reshape media in the coming months. This enlightening session promises to merge the worlds of technology and media finance, equipping attendees with the knowledge to lead confidently into the future.
      • CPE: 1/Management Services/Overview
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Discuss pivotal tech trends set to reshape media.
        • Explain how merging media finance and technology will help better lead in the future.
  • 9:30 – The Power of Retention – Drew Marich (COO) and Jim Ambach (CTO), Grokker, Inc.
    • With organizations facing economic headwinds, enterprise leaders are challenged to optimize current spend while still setting up their companies for future growth. Finance leaders in particular face the most difficult choice: cut costs or cut culture. You can say YES to both. Our experts will share data from the world's leading employers who focused on retention with employee wellbeing at the core of their retention strategy and saw immediate ROI in turnover cost savings.
      • CPE: 1/ Personnel/Human Resources/Overview
      • Learning Objectives:
        • Understand how to optimize current spend while still setting up their companies for future growth Explain how merging media finance and technology will help better lead in the future.
        • Ability to understand how a good retention strategy will show a ROI in turnover cost savings.
  • 10:30 – Closing Session Wrap-up
  • 11:00 – Summit Adjournment 

See you next year on March 12-14, 2025 at The Karol in Clearwater, FL