The IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association), the trade organization representing the video and computer game industry’s category-leading retail companies, today announced that Yair Landau, the vice-chair of Sony Pictures Entertainment and President of Sony Pictures Digital, will deliver the keynote address at the 2004 IEMA Executive Summit – the association’s annual conference.
"Many of the six hundred attendees are leaders in the broader entertainment category, which includes games, music and movies," said Hal Halpin, president of the IEMA. "We’re very excited to have Yair provide our members and exhibitors with his insights for the future of packaged goods entertainment and the convergence of digital technologies. IEMA members generally are market share leaders in entertainment and will appreciate the perspective of a true visionary in the field."
Mr. Landau oversees Sony Online Entertainment, Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Digital Networks, applying creativity and technology to develop and deliver the next generation of entertainment. Prior to the formation of Sony Pictures Digital, Mr. Landau served as executive vice president of corporate development and strategic planning, where he was responsible for creating and negotiating the structure and strategic integration of all SPE initiatives, including the motion picture, television, home entertainment and interactive divisions.
The IEMA Executive Summit is the invitation-only executive-level event in which the games industry cements sales and marketing plans for the calendar year. The Summit is being held this year at the Hyatt Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada from July 19th – 22nd. In attendance will be executives from IEMA members such as Wal-Mart, Target, Electronics Boutique and Circuit City, as well as senior management from other vendor companies including Microsoft, Nokia, Electronic Arts, and Take Two Interactive.
"The days of entertainment segmentation are truly behind us," said Yair Landau. "Integration of music, movies, games and television continues to evolve as the rule, not the exception. This evolution of entertainment allows for a very rich retail environment – creating new and exciting ways for both the content provider and the retailer to meet and satisfy the consumer."
Mr. Landau’s keynote remarks are expected to explore technology, entertainment and the consumer marketplace and will reference how upcoming titles from Sony Online Entertainment, specifically "Everquest II," the next generation of massively multiplayer games, exemplify this fusion.