The latest buzz among industry leaders is that the first consolidated, worldwide interactive multimedia industry show, the IMA Expo scheduled for Sept. 17-19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, is the place to be for doing business in the diverse and rapidly growing $18 billion multimedia industry.

The exhibits, companion events, workshops and innovative conference programs at IMA Expo '96 will take up more than 200,000-sq-ft of Javits Center. The Expo includes such highlights as The ideasbrewing@nyc Cafe (produced in conjunction with the Writer's Guild of America), the DV Showcase, and the IICS Interactive Summit Awards Winners Pavilion, as well as new product debuts and company announcements, all of which are creating unprecedented industry excitement.

More than 20,000 Qualified Attendees Strong

The Expo's focus on interactive multimedia tools, technologies and techniques, as well as its 50 conference sessions and over 150 expert speakers and panelists, will attract professionals from around the world. Conservative estimates project more than 20,000 qualified multimedia developers representing emerging and established companies from around the world.

In IMA President Philip Dodds' words, "Top exhibitors such as Adobe, Apple, IBM, Intel, Macromedia and Microsoft will be instrumental in making the IMA Expo a place where alliances and partnerships can be formed, where the latest in multimedia tools, technologies and techniques can be seen, and where new ways of examining the industry are presented."

Top industry professionals expected to visit the Expo come from such companies as 7th Level, agency.com, Analysis & Technology, Anderson Consulting, Broderbund, CNN, Disney Interactive, Houghton Mifflin Interactive, ITC, mFactory, N2K, Rocket Science, Silicon Reef, Simon & Schuster, Studio Archetype, Wanderlust Interactive, and Wilson Learning Multimedia, and will take in more than 120 exhibits and keynote addresses by Macromedia Chairman and CEO, Bud Colligan, and Against All Odds Productions President, Rick Smolan.

Strategic Partnerships

The partnership with 13 of the world's leading associations representing over 15,000 multimedia professionals provided the show with an early and powerful attendee base. The partnering associations include: Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Association (AIMIA), Bay Area Multimedia Technology Alliance (BAMTA), DMMV, European Multimedia Forum, International Digital Imaging Association, International Interactive Communications Society (IICS), Interactive Television Association, MIDI Manufacturers Association, Multimedia Development Group (MDG), New York New Media Association, Optical Publishing Association (OPA), Optical Video Disc Association (OVDA) and Swiss Interactive Multimedia Association (SIMA).

The IMA Expo has also been enhanced by partner conferences. Some of the key partner conferences are:

* The Strategic Multimedia Conference developed by Frost & Sullivan to present a forum of industry experts that focuses on key strategic, marketing and technical issues, as well as provide an exchange of views with the players who are shaping the future of the multimedia industry.

* The International Multimedia Lounge sponsored by Planet Technologies to provide a place for multimedia developers from Europe, Asia, and South America to meet their North American counterparts. Developers and distributors will meet investors; co-production and distribution agreements will be signed; and partnerships and mergers will take place.

Special Events

The IMA Expo '96 is also rounding out attendees' multimedia experience by offering a variety of special events throughout the show's three-day run. Here are some of the exciting events scheduled:

* The ideasbrewing@nyc Cafe, moderated by the Writers Guild of America, is a unique place where attendees can hear the latest buzz, discuss hot topics, or just relax. The "menu" will consist of one formal, featured panel discussion per day, and a series of cafe guests from the conference sessions and industry.

* The DVD World Summit will present the latest on the upcoming DVD and DVD-ROM market launch from senior executives of leading DVD manufacturing and technology companies, including Jan Oosterveld, President of Philips Key Modules, and Alexandre Balkanski, President and CEO of C-Cube Microsystems.

* Expo attendees will get a sneak preview of the latest digital video technology from the creators themselves at the DV Showcase. The Showcase will unveil exciting technical demonstrations and new product announcements that will revolutionize the way interactive content is created.

* Gold and Silver winners from the 1995 International Interactive Communications Society (IICS) will be showcased at the IICS Interactive Summit Awards Winners Pavilion. The Pavilion will feature the best of the competing multimedia productions.

Conference Program

For the first time under one roof, attendees and exhibitors can enjoy a provocative and compelling conference program that addresses all of the key issues facing the interactive multimedia industry. The conferences, designed along three tracks -- business, technology and design -- examine applications developed for both corporate and consumer audiences.

Conference programs are specifically designed for creators of every type of interactive multimedia who are developing applications for both consumer and corporate audiences. Conference sessions -- moderated by industry leaders such as Lightspeed Media President Troy Bolotnick, Wall Street Journal Interactive Editor Neil Budde, mFactory CEO Hamish Forsythe, Metawire CEO Byron Wagner and MediaPlay President Ferhan Cook -- will deliver up-to-the-minute multimedia industry information and educate attendees on: identifying their best business opportunities and how to take advantage of them; understanding the capabilities and maximizing the features of the tools and technologies most useful to their business; and improving the design of their products.

A variety of workshops are also available to IMA Expo participants introducing them to the interactive media marketplace, emerging technologies and trends in design for new media. Workshop sessions will emphasize specific technologies, such as Intel's MMX and Microsoft's emerging interactive platforms, while how-to sessions will focus on a wide variety of areas, including DVD mastering and replication. The workshops also offer a two-part IMA Multimedia Boot Camp session that will introduce newcomers to multimedia.

General Sessions

Expo attendees will also get fresh perspectives from these keynote speakers on the creative process involved in successful interactive multimedia products:

* Macromedia Chairman and CEO Bud Colligan will address the tools and software that are driving the new media and WWW communications revolution. As the leader of a company that develops and markets the preeminent set of design tools for multimedia, graphics, video and web publishing professionals and enthusiasts, Colligan will present a session, "State of the Industry: Business," that will focus on the broader issues that are setting the tone for the interactive multimedia and online publishing industries.

* Against All Odds Production President/Founder Rick Smolan will present "Another Day in the Life of Rick Smolan," providing insight into his production of "24 Hours in Cyberspace" -- the largest one-day online event -- and his experience producing a snapshot of life on the Web as well as sharing his perspectives on the future.

Aggressive Marketing

Worldwide support coupled with a highly-visible marketing campaign, has generated a level of interest that makes the IMA Expo '96 a must-see for every interactive multimedia industry professional.

"The IMA Expo's unique blend of Web-based marketing, that includes hot links to exhibitor Web sites, a direct mail campaign that delivered more than 600,000 marketing pieces, as well as an advertising campaign that feature profiles of multimedia industry leaders, has already created 7 million impressions and will continue to attract a great deal of attention to this show," says Dodds. "Our exhibitors are enjoying the benefit of the Expo's grassroots approach to targeting quality attendees. By forming unique partnerships -- such as the IDG Alliance and the Association Alliance -- we are providing a fertile environment for new business ventures in interactive multimedia development."

 

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