- Media Fireside 8 December 10:40 - 11:00AM
The Comfort Crisis in Media
Once defined by bold bets on new ideas and voices, media today has grown cautious amid consolidation, short-term metrics, and technological disruption. In this discussion, we ask how the industry can rediscover its edge, reinvigorate risk-taking, experimentation, and creative ambition. As leaders navigate shifting funding models, technological disruptions, and the rise of independent creators and citizen journalists, this discussion explores what it takes to build companies, and cultures, that lead rather than follow in media.
Forum Stage - Technology Panel 8 December 11:00 - 11:30AM
A Blueprint for Building Iconic Media Brands
As legacy publishers and digital platforms expand across borders, the question is no longer just how to grow, but how to belong. For global media brands, this means pairing editorial excellence with strategic innovation, turning reputation and reach into lasting relevance. From licensing and partnerships to data-driven audience insights and regional storytelling, companies are rewriting their global playbooks to balance commercial ambition with cultural authenticity. AI now sits at the center of this transformation, powering translation, personalization, and creative experimentation while reshaping how media companies connect with audiences and partners alike. This session explores how trusted brands are blending technology, storytelling, and business strategy to scale influence across markets.
Forum Stage - Technology Fireside 8 December 12:25 - 12:45PM
Alexis Ohanian on ‘Re-turning’ the Web
Alexis Ohanian helped launch one of the internet’s most influential communities and is now reimagining the future through his firm Seven Seven Six. In this fireside, he shares where the creator economy is heading, how AI is reshaping value and ownership, and what lessons from building Reddit still matter to media leaders today. Expect insights on the next global hubs of innovation and what trends will define 2026.
Forum StageModerator
- Media Fireside 8 December 12:45 - 1:10PM
The New Priorities of News Media
News publishers stand at a pivotal moment: advertising in decline, search collapsing, and AI reshaping both content and discovery. This address explores the new priorities emerging worldwide, mastering direct reader relationships, activating first-party data, adapting to platform decline, and reinforcing brand as the anchor. Learn how publishers can focus on what they can control and confidently navigate a disrupted media ecosystem.
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Panel 8 December 1:00 - 1:30PM
How Creators Are Building the Next Entertainment Giants
The entertainment industry is being reshaped as digital creators evolve into founders of full-scale media enterprises. Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast) generated $473 million through Beast Industries in 2024 alone, with that figure expected to nearly double in 2025 through ventures like YouTube, Amazon Prime's Beast Games, and consumer brands such as Feastables and MrBeast Lab. What does this movement mean for the future power structure of entertainment?
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- Creator Economy Fireside 8 December 1:15 - 1:35PM
When the Messenger Becomes the Movement
Creators are no longer just entertainers, they’re powerful drivers of public opinion and social change. UNESCO notes their growing role in shaping global information flows, while Pew reports that one in five Americans, and over a third of young adults, regularly turn to creators for news. As their reach expands, what are pathways to ensuring such influence remains ethical, accurate, and inclusive?
Impact Stage - Music Fireside 8 December 1:55 - 2:10PM
Bridging Cultures Through K-Pop
As President of HYBE x Geffen, Mitra Darab is leading one of the most ambitious cultural collaborations in modern music—bringing the precision and innovation of K-pop to a global audience. In this spotlight conversation, she reflects on her journey from working with icons like Madonna and Tom Petty to building HYBE America, where artistry meets global strategy. Through her lens, we explore how the HYBE model—rooted in creativity, discipline, and community—is redefining what it means to launch and sustain worldwide superstars.
Forum StageSpeakers
- Technology Keynote 8 December 2:10 - 2:20PM
The AI Avatar Era with HeyGen
For knowledge-based creators, brands, and media leaders, presence has never mattered more or been harder to scale. In this session, Wayne Liang, Co-Founder of HeyGen, reveals how AI avatars are helping storytellers and public figures expand their reach across languages, platforms, and audiences. From on-camera creators localizing content overnight to news anchors and brand ambassadors multiplying their impact globally, HeyGen is redefining what it means to show up in the media age.
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 8 December 2:35 - 3:00PM
Performing for a Cause or Standing for One?
Celebrities have long sparked social change, from Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS activism to Billie Eilish’s climate advocacy and Emma Watson’s fight for gender equality. A 2024 Journal of Consumer Culture study found that 51% of Gen Z are more likely to support a cause endorsed by a celebrity they follow, valuing authenticity and relatability. How can public figures stay visible, credible, and accountable, while authentically driving lasting impact?
Impact Stage - Technology Panel 8 December 2:40 - 3:10PM
Intellectual Property at the Edge of Innovation
AI, blockchain, and immersive digital worlds are testing intellectual property rights. As industries rethink ownership, rights, and value, this session examines how to protect creativity and ownership while enabling the breakthroughs that will define the next decade of innovation.
Academy StageSpeakers
- Creator Economy Panel 8 December 2:40 - 3:10PM
Taste as a Cultural Bridge
Every dish tells a story of roots, memories, and creativity. In this session, Abir El Saghir and Abu Julie share how food content has evolved into a cultural bridge, connecting audiences through shared taste and emotion. From traditional recipes to viral trends, they explore how creators use flavor as a form of storytelling, turning kitchens into global stages where culture, creativity, and community come together.
Explore by InstagramSpeakers
- Picture Keynote 8 December 3:25 - 3:40PM
The Future of Streaming Monetization Models
As audiences fragment and attention becomes the ultimate currency, streaming platforms are rethinking how value is created and shared. This session explores the next phase of digital entertainment, from evolving subscription models and ad-supported hybrids to strategic collaborations between tech, media, and creators. What will define profitability in an era where engagement, not just viewership, drives growth?
Central StageSpeakers
- Picture Panel 8 December 3:30 - 4:00PM
A Spotlight of the Women Rewriting Cinema
A new generation of women actors is redefining what it means to lead, on and off the screen. Through bold choices and authentic performances, they are reclaiming narratives once written for them and turning personal truth into universal resonance. This conversation explores how today’s actresses are expanding the emotional range of global cinema, challenging conventions of power and representation, and opening new paths for women whose stories shape how the world sees itself.
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Moderator
- Music Fireside 8 December 4:00 - 4:15PM
The Universal Language Connecting a Divided World
At a time when words divide and algorithms amplify differences, music remains one of the world’s last true bridges, uniting billions through shared rhythms and emotion. This session’s focus is on music’s enduring role as a global connector, exploring how sound becomes story, how emotion becomes economy, and how artists become ambassadors of something greater than entertainment. Audience members learn how data, digital platforms, and live experiences can bring us closer rather than further apart. Music may be an industry, but it is also a common language. It’s one that still has the power to rebuild trust, empathy, and belonging in a fractured age.
Explore by Instagram - Music Panel 8 December 4:15 - 4:35PM
Crafting Connection For Icons Through Live Storytelling
As algorithms shape attention and screens mediate emotion, the world’s most influential artists are turning to technology to reconnect with audiences. This session brings together creative directors and producers behind shows for artists like ABBA, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift to explore how cutting edge technology can deepen human connection. Through real examples they show how innovation and intimacy can coexist and how technology can still bring people together through story.
Explore by Instagram - Media Fireside 8 December 4:20 - 4:35PM
Stories with an Agenda
Storytelling has long helped societies navigate power, policy, and crisis, informing, connecting, and challenging. Yet today, narratives are increasingly weaponized: 62% of Americans, according to a 2020 Pew study, cite social media as a major source of false information. How can we reclaim storytelling as a force for trust, inclusion, and impact, while guarding against manipulation?
Forum StageSpeakers
- Technology Keynote 8 December 4:35 - 4:45PM
How AI is Transforming Content Consumption Behavior
A new generation is growing up with AI as their primary interface to the world. From personalized feeds to multimodal searches and generative storytelling, algorithms are no longer curators, they are shaping what we watch, read, and believe as co-creators. This session explores how AI-native behaviors are redefining attention, creativity, and trust, and what media must do to evolve their formats, distribution, and ethics for an audience that expects intelligence to be built in.
Forum StageSpeakers
- Creator Economy Fireside 8 December 4:35 - 4:55PM
Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern
Before the rise of bite-sized content and algorithm-driven storytelling, there were creators who built worlds through patience, curiosity, and craft. In this conversation, award-winning chef and storyteller Andrew Zimmern reflects on his journey from kitchens to global screens, tracing how food became his medium for cultural connection and understanding. Through the lens of Bizarre Foods, he shares what it means to be an “original creator” in a pre-social-media era, the lessons learned from decades of travel and storytelling, and how today’s creators can rediscover depth, empathy, and intention in a world addicted to speed.
Explore by InstagramModerator
- Creator Economy Fireside 8 December 4:55 - 5:10PM
Viral Economics
Money moves fast, but information moves faster. In an age where creators explain markets better and quicker than economists, stories about inflation, jobs, or crypto can go viral overnight and influence real impact. This session explores how content creators are reshaping the way people understand, react to, and participate in the global economy, where one viral moment can shift perception, influence policy, and redefine trust in institutions.
Explore by Instagram - Gaming Fireside 8 December 5:10 - 5:25PM
From Melodies to Multiplayers
As Imagine Dragons’ longtime manager, Mac Reynolds has helped build one of the world’s most successful music brands. Now, he and his brother Dan Reynolds, the band’s frontman, are channeling that same creative and business savvy into gaming with Night Street Games and recently launched the beta of Last Flag, a multiplayer game. In this chat, Mac shares how he made the leap into interactive IP and explores where the worlds of music and gaming intersect, overlap, and diverge.
Explore by Instagram - Picture Fireside 8 December 5:25 - 5:40PM
Stories That Cross Borders
Cinema has the power to travel, and few storytellers do it with more conviction than Mohamed Diab. In this session, he explores how Arab filmmakers can create stories that are both deeply local and universally human. From Cairo to Hollywood, Diab shares his creative philosophy on crafting films that challenge perception, carry cultural weight, and speak a language that transcends borders.
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Moderator
- Picture Fireside 8 December 5:35 - 6:00PM
A Meet & Greet with Barış Arduç
An exclusive opportunity for fans and industry guests to meet acclaimed Turkish actor Barış Arduç in person. Known for his captivating performances and global fan base, Barış joins Bridge Summit for an intimate meet and greet where attendees can connect, take photos, and share a moment with one of the region’s most celebrated stars.
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 9 December 10:00 - 10:15AM
The Price of Influence in a Platform World
Content creators shape culture and discourse, yet many face unstable incomes, opaque moderation policies, and limited protections. With influence often fleeting and livelihoods uncertain, how can policy, technology, and investment help build a fairer creator economy that values originality, safeguards expression, and shares power more equitably?
Explore by Instagram - Media Fireside 9 December 10:00 - 10:20AM
The Changing Face of Conflict Journalism
Encrypted apps like Signal and WhatsApp have become lifelines for journalists and citizen reporters in conflict zones, enabling secure, real-time reporting. But as nearly 75% of people now consume news via smartphones, and citizen journalism grows on platforms like X, the line between credible reporting and unverified content blurs. How can we better equip those on the frontlines to uphold truth in a decentralized, high-risk media environment?
Academy StageSpeakers
- Picture Fireside 9 December 10:00 - 10:30AM
Mastering Your Craft in a World Obsessed with More: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Priyanka explores the personal mindset shift that redefined how she approaches her work. In a culture that rewards volume, speed, and constant output, she shares how intentionality and discernment allowed her to seek different ways to elevate her craft. This conversation unpacks the discipline of saying no, the power of intentional focus, and how doing fewer things—with depth and meaning—leads to greater creativity, influence, and long-term excellence.
Forum Stage - Marketing Keynote 9 December 10:30 - 10:40AM
Gaming Beyond Reality
Gaming is evolving from a separate virtual realm into the operating system for how new generations live, learn, and create. As on-device AI and world models deepen machines’ spatial understanding, gaming becomes a persistent layer blending digital and physical worlds. This session explores how spatial computing, XR, intelligent agents, and world-building tools are reshaping interaction and identity, especially for the UAE, where major investments signal a new era of presence, participation, and programmable reality.
Central Stage - Creator Economy Keynote 9 December 10:35 - 10:45AM
Turning Views into Value: Cracking the Code on YouTube Monetization
YouTube is one of the most democratized, yet most misunderstood, platforms in the creator economy. In this session, Donna Budica, Co-Founder and COO of TEN2 Media, shares how her company’s partnership with Google is helping artists navigate the platform’s complex monetization ecosystem and turn audience vewership into tangible value. Drawing from her cross-industry experience in music, media, and tech, Budica explores what it really takes to launch a sustainable, transparent digital career in an era where data, distribution, and authenticity build the pillars of long-term success.
Explore by Instagram - Music Panel 9 December 10:45 - 11:05AM
How to Go from Zero to a Million Streams
Behind every breakout artist, songwriter, and producer is a blueprint. In this session, music executives break down what it really takes to go from zero to a million streams. From storytelling and distribution to publishing, touring, and fan discovery, they share the playbook for scaling talent and building sustainable careers in today’s attention economy.
Explore by Instagram - Media Fireside 9 December 11:00 - 11:20AM
Purpose Over Production: How Independent Media Wins Hearts
How do you build trust, loyalty, and influence without the machinery of a media empire? Faisal and Munairah share the story of Sard, an experiment turned movement built by a small team fueled by passion, creativity, and love for the craft. This session reveals how values and voice can outperform budgets and algorithms in shaping the Arab media narrative.
Impact Stage - Media Panel 9 December 11:40AM - 12:00PM
Turning Legacy into a Launchpad for Sports Innovation
Legacy, passion, and expertise are powerful currencies, but only if transformed into platforms that back and scale new ideas. The sports tech investment industry stands at an inflection point where heritage meets innovation. How can investors and founders convert legacy into leverage and turn passion into profitable, next-generation ventures?
Central Stage - Technology Presentation 9 December 11:45AM - 12:00PM
Unlocking Growth: AI for Business, Economy, and Society:
Opportunities for growth are closer than ever with AI. Join Google for a deep dive into how this powerful technology is becoming accessible to everyone, driving long-term efficiency and competitive advantage across MENA, with responsibility at its core . Discover the untapped potential of AI to enhance efficiency, create new opportunities, and address today's major challenges.
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 9 December 11:50AM - 12:10PM
Gen Z, Gen Give: Philanthropy Through Youth and Story
Generation Z is reshaping philanthropy, blending personal storytelling with the reach of digital platforms to drive meaningful change. Rather than relying solely on donations, they use tools like TikTok and Instagram to amplify causes, build communities, and spark grassroots action. How might this shift toward participatory and transparent giving redefine the future of social impact?
Impact Stage - Technology Fireside 9 December 12:00 - 12:15PM
The Next Chapter of Connection
As technology redefines how we see, share, and connect, what comes next for human interaction? Join Hussein Freijeh for an intimate conversation on the evolution of social platforms and the role of augmented reality in reconnecting us to our surroundings, our communities, and ourselves.
Forum Stage - Media Fireside 9 December 12:10 - 12:30PM
The Disappearing Job Map of Media
By 2035, PwC projects automation will reshape nearly a third of media jobs, changing how content is created, distributed and monetized. Traditional roles are shrinking while new ones like AI prompt engineers, generative optimization experts and misinformation analysts are emerging quickly. This session focuses on what skills and strategies media professionals need to stay relevant, create value with new tools and build careers that remain essential as technology rewrites the industry.
Academy StageModerator
- Marketing Keynote 9 December 12:50 - 1:05PM
Creating a Magnetic Brand
After shaping Duolingo’s global voice and redefining how brands connect with audiences, Zaria Parvez now brings her storytelling approach to DoorDash, applying lessons from one success story to a new frontier. In this 10-minute talk, she shares insights on the media and communication trends to expect for 2026, what it means to start over after success, and how creativity, adaptability, and team cultures sustain brand growth when the old playbook no longer applies.
Academy StageModerator
- Media Panel 9 December 1:10 - 1:40PM
Memes as a Media Business
Memes have evolved from inside jokes to infrastructure, shorthand for how culture communicates, trades attention, and builds identity. What began as internet humour now drives audience behaviour, politics, and brand value. In this session, the architects of today’s meme networks unpack how they’ve scaled communities into businesses: from managing millions of followers to producing longform shows, podcasts, live activations, and brand IP. Together, they explore the transition from meme pages to media empires — and what that says about the future of storytelling, fandom, and cultural authority.
Central Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 9 December 1:45 - 2:05PM
What Happens When Creators Become Policymakers?
In 2024, YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou and Spanish influencer Alvise Pérez were elected to the European Parliament, marking a conversion of digital virality into political authority. Their rise, fueled by massive online followings and anti-establishment narratives, reflects a growing appetite among younger voters for alternative forms of representation. How will this new wave of leadership reshape democratic institutions, accountability, and public trust?
Explore by Instagram - Media Fireside 9 December 1:50 - 2:10PM
The End of Media's Philanthropic Whiplash
For decades, media funding has surged and collapsed in cycles, spiking around elections or crises, then evaporating when attention fades. The result is a fragile ecosystem where vital storytelling depends on the mood swings of philanthropy. In this session, H.R.H. Princess Lamia Bint Majed Saud AlSaud joins Matthew Bishop to explore how the media industry can break free from this pattern. Drawing from her leadership at the intersection of business, media, and philanthropy, Princess Lamia offers insights on building sustainable, purpose-driven media ecosystems, where long-term investment, inclusion, and impact take precedence over fleeting attention.
Forum StageModerator
- Creator Economy Fireside 9 December 2:05 - 2:20PM
Can Creators Save Hollywood?
A new wave of creators is blurring the line between cinema, design, and storytelling and Max Reisinger is at the forefront. In this session and exclusive Camps Studio showcase, Max explores how cinematic thinking drives the next evolution of the creator economy, where visuals carry emotion, stories build brands, and creators design entire worlds around their vision. Through the lens of Camps Studio, he reveals how film-inspired storytelling can transform creativity into culture and community.
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Moderator
- Music Panel 9 December 2:20 - 2:40PM
Brothers in Rhythm
Music, street art, and social media now move to the same rhythm. In this session, Raphaël and Aurélien Froissart explore how sound and digital culture have reshaped the identity of modern street art. From viral murals to collaborative digital experiences, they reveal how artists are using rhythm, visuals, and platforms to turn city walls into global stages.
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- Media Keynote 9 December 2:20 - 2:30PM
Silly Putty, Serious Constraints
Limitations spark breakthrough ideas. In the search for rubber, Silly Putty, a favorite children’s toy, was accidentally created—an unexpected result born from strict constraints. This talk uses that story as a lens for understanding how boundaries sharpen thinking, accelerate clarity, and lead to more resonant storytelling. You’ll learn practical ways to turn constraints into creative fuel and elevate the ideas you bring into the world.
Central StageSpeakers
- Marketing Panel 9 December 2:40 - 3:10PM
Designing Stories That Think
A practical session where Amro Maskoun, Patrick Daoud, and Yara Bou Monsef show how storytelling has moved from art to narrative architecture designing not just what people watch, but how they feel, decide, and trust. We’ll break down the psychology of attention, go beyond going viral, and share simple frameworks you can use right away over spectacle, and ethics as a growth engine.
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- Marketing Fireside 9 December 3:20 - 3:40PM
The Future of Storytelling at Scale
An intimate fireside discussion exploring how global entertainment giants localize storytelling to connect with diverse audiences. It dives into the intersection of creativity, data, and culture revealing how brands sustain iconic IPs while building authentic local voices that shape the next era of global entertainment.
Central StageSpeakers
- Marketing Keynote 9 December 3:40 - 4:00PM
LinkedIn Leadership: Why Every Company is a Media Company
Executives as brand and marketing channels — increasing number of companies leaning into exec presence (ex: PayPal hiring a content strategist for their CEO) Companies launching editorial teams and/or hiring editors to produce quality content — Anthropic, OpenAI, Lyft, Experian, loads of others
Central Stage - Creator Economy Panel 9 December 4:00 - 4:20PM
The Weight of Being Seen
Fame brings followers, but it also brings hate. In a world where creators are constantly exposed to public judgment, managing online hate has become an essential part of the creative journey. This session dives into how creators can protect their mental well-being, set boundaries, and maintain authenticity while facing criticism and negativity. Through honest stories and practical reflections, it explores what resilience looks like in the digital age, and how to stay grounded when the noise gets loud.
Explore by Instagram - Media Panel 9 December 4:10 - 4:40PM
Navigating Journalism in a Changing News Business
As digital platforms, AI, and new business models redefine the news industry, this conversation explores how media can sustain credibility, adapt to disruption, and continue shaping informed societies. Anchored in the tension between speed and depth, it examines how the profession can reinvent itself for a world where traditional gatekeepers are fading but the mission of truth-telling remains unchanged.
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 9 December 4:20 - 4:40PM
Creators as the New Broadcasters
Alan Chikin Chow turned 60-second sketches into a 94-million-strong global community. His rise captures the next chapter of the creator economy, where authenticity fuels scale, and fandoms evolve into ecosysteAs creators become studios and storytellers become brands, what does it take to build influence that lasts beyond the algorithm?
Explore by InstagramModerator
- Media Fireside 9 December 4:40 - 5:00PM
The Threshold of Truth
In a polarized media landscape, journalism is torn between objective reporting and rising demands for advocacy. A 2023 Knight Foundation/Gallup poll found that only 9% of Americans see little political bias in the news, with Edelman reporting that 59% believe journalists intentionally mislead to advance agendas. As audiences seek truth and impact, where should media draw the line, and how can it rebuild trust without losing relevance?
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Panel 9 December 5:10 - 5:40PM
The Rise of Intelligent Virality
Three creators redefining entertainment share how knowledge became content and content became movement. This session unpacks the storytelling, structure, and emotion behind making art, science, and history accessible and viral, without losing integrity or substance.
Explore by Instagram - Gaming Fireside 9 December 5:40 - 6:00PM
The Game That Plays You
We think we play games. But what if games are the ones playing us? This session dives into how modern games learn your behavior, control emotion, and predict your next move. It’s a wake-up call for creators and players who live inside systems that know them better than they know themselves.
Explore by Instagram - Technology Presentation 9 December 11:30 - 11:45PM
Yang Lan: The Future of Art Is Felt, Not Just Seen
Technology is transforming art from something we observe into something we experience. Through AI, immersive environments, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, a new generation of creators—especially in China—is redefining how emotion, culture, and innovation intersect. In this conversation, Yang Lan, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Sun Media Group, explores how technology is reshaping creative expression and audience connection, turning art into an emotional language that transcends medium, geography, and generation.
Forum Stage - Gaming Fireside 10 December 9:30 - 9:50AM
Creating a Sport That Goes Viral
World Cup and Champions League winner Gerard Piqué has redefined what it means to play, watch, and experience sport. As the mind behind the Kings League, he merged competition, entertainment, and creator culture to captivate millions worldwide. In this conversation, Piqué unpacks how digital communities, storytelling, and innovation can turn a game into a movement, and why the future of entertainment may belong as much to creators as to athletes.
Forum Stage - Technology Fireside 10 December 10:30 - 10:50AM
Building with Heartware, Not Just Hardware and Software
As technology races ahead, reshaping economies, borders, and attention itself, what’s often missing is the “heartware”: the human capacity for purpose, dignity, and trust. This session calls for a recalibration. It explores how media, AI, and new financial models intersect and can be used to build more humane architectures for the future. From media ecosystems shaping perception in war zones to digital identity frameworks that can re-establish economic agency, we ask: Are our current models of progress neglecting the soul of society? What does it take to realign our innovation engines with collective wellbeing?
Forum Stage - Media Fireside 10 December 10:30 - 10:50AM
Preparing Youth for a World of Infinite Information
In today’s information-saturated world, media fluency is as essential as reading or math. Yet a 2024 News Literacy Project survey found that only 39% of U.S. teens receive formal media literacy education, and just 18% can accurately distinguish news from ads, opinion, or entertainment. As students navigate increasingly AI-driven and conspiratorial media ecosystems, how can schools equip them to think critically, discern truth, and shape the digital world they’re inheriting?
Academy Stage - Technology Presentation 10 December 10:50 - 11:20AM
How To Tell Your Best Stories Ever
What happens when the ancient craft of storytelling collides with the most powerful creative tools ever built? A KAIRO Talk powered by Google, this presentation shows how AI expands creative possibilities while keeping storytelling fundamentally human. Through an AI-generated short film and a behind-the-scenes breakdown, the speakers show how ideas move from insight to strategy to fully realized worlds using today’s AI tools. Mood boards, characters, storyboards, and cinematic choices can now be created in minutes, yet still depend on human taste and imagination.
Academy Stage - Media Keynote 10 December 10:50 - 11:20AM
Gary Vaynerchuk: AI Won’t Wait, Neither Should You
Gary Vaynerchuk is always one step ahead, listening closely to the signals to spot major shifts before they hit the rest of us; e-commerce, social media, blockchain, and now AI. The edge goes to those who learn the tech faster and double down, without losing their empathy. In a world racing toward automation, humanity is your competitive advantage. Squeeze the moment while you still can!
Forum StageSpeakers
- Music Panel 10 December 11:05 - 11:25AM
Sounds That Speak Every Language
Aziz Maraka and Faia Younan didn't change their sound to fit the world, they made the world listen. This session explores how language, rhythm, and storytelling can transcend borders when rooted in authenticity and emotion. Through their journeys, Aziz and Faia reveal how staying true to one’s identity can create global resonance and how genuine expression turns local sound into a universal language.
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- Music Panel 10 December 11:40AM - 12:10PM
The Future Sounds Like This
Behind every breakout artist, songwriter, and producer is a blueprint. In this session, music executives break down what it really takes to go from zero to a million streaFrom storytelling and distribution to publishing, touring, and fan discovery, they share the playbook for scaling talent and building sustainable careers in today’s attention economy.
Explore by InstagramSpeakers
- Media Fireside 10 December 11:50AM - 12:05PM
How Stories are a Force of Change
This session bridges economics, geopolitics, and the mechanics of narrative in examining how storytelling shapes markets, public trust, and social behavior. Drawing on George Soros’s reflexivity and Robert Shiller’s narrative economics, we explore how viral beliefs influence everything from capital flows to voting patterns. In a world shaped more by tropes and emotions, not just data, how can a full-spectrum of leaders, from those in government to entrepreneurs, recognize, harness, and respond to stories that fuel action?
Forum StageSpeakers
- Music Keynote 10 December 12:10 - 12:25PM
This Is How I Reimagined Music with AI
What happens when imagination meets technology? In this keynote, King Willonius shares how he used artificial intelligence to reimagine the art of music creation. By feeding the machine with his own experiences, emotions, and creative experiences, he demonstrates how AI turns into a true collaborator rather than a tool. This session reveals a new way of composing where human memory and machine intelligence create sound that feels both personal and limitless.
Academy Stage - Music Fireside 10 December 12:10 - 12:55PM
Building the Future of Artist Independence
After two decades producing some of the biggest pop hits from Sabrina Carpenter to Teddy Swims and One-Direction, Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Julian Bunetta has witnessed both the magic and the business pressures behind the music industry’s biggest Artists. In this intimate fireside conversation, he shares how those experiences inspired him to launch Notebook, a private space where artists can connect directly with their superfans, own their creative journey, and build lasting, independent careers.
Explore by Instagram - Technology Panel 10 December 12:25 - 12:45PM
Reprogramming Humanity in the Age of AI
As artificial intelligence reshapes the creative landscape, what remains uniquely human? Osama and Sarah explore the next evolution of the creator economy, where intuition, empathy, and ethics emerge as our most advanced technology. This session redefines creativity as a human operating system built to adapt alongside intelligent machines, not against them.
Academy Stage - Technology Keynote 10 December 12:35 - 12:45PM
The New Language of Work is Visual
In a world where everyone is a storyteller, from marketers and founders to educators and finance teams, communication has shifted. In this keynote, Canva’s Head of EMEA, Duncan Clark, explores how the rise of creator culture, AI, and visual-first platforms has reshaped the way we work, collaborate, and tell stories. From TikToks to team updates, from brand storytelling to business decks, visual content powered by AI is now at the heart of how we work.
Forum Stage - Music Keynote 10 December 12:55 - 1:10PM
Programming Music for the Creator Economy
Music is fast becoming the programmable layer of the creator economy, shaping culture, commerce, and community all at once. Tobias Hoss, SVP Operations at Lunar X, reveals how a lean team of three built one of the fastest-growing music divisions in the industry, generating over 100 million monthly streams. Through AI-driven curation, data-led discovery, and partnerships spanning Warner Chappell to global creator IP, Lunar X turns music into an engine for storytelling and scalable influence.
Explore by Instagram - Marketing Presentation 10 December 1:00 - 1:30PM
One Million Dollars in Sales... Zero Ads
Attention is the new currency, and everyone is fighting for it. The challenge isn’t selling a product anymore; it is earning a moment. In this comprehensive session, Salah Abo El Magd dives into the mindset and methods behind capturing attention in a world that scrolls at the speed of thought. He explores how brands create meaning, stories move faster than ads, and how drawing on emotion drives decision and action. This is selling redefined for a generation that no longer buys what it is told; it buys what it feels.
Academy Stage - Marketing Panel 10 December 1:10 - 1:30PM
Making Education Content Go Viral
What does it take to make people care about gravity, microbes, or calculus? For David Goldenberg, Creative Director at MinuteEarth, and Creator Gohar Khan, the answer is storytelling that makes learning entertaining. This session explores rebranding the experience of education, stopping the scroll. Audience members learn the tips, tricks, and best practices for building and engaging audiences that still work in today's fast moving, fractured information environment.
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Moderator
- Technology Fireside 10 December 1:25 - 1:40PM
Rewriting the Social Contract in Code
As economic life shifts further into the digital realm, we face a once-in-a-century opportunity to rethink the social contract beyond politics alone, through protocols. This session explores how digital identity, programmable finance, and tokenized incentives are reshaping how we belong, earn, and thrive. With voices from crypto to institutional investors, we ask: Can the ledger be more just than the law?
Forum Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 10 December 1:30 - 1:50PM
From Kitchen To Culture
A fireside with Chef Shaheen on how a creator turns taste into trust and trust into a system that scales. We’ll unpack a simple creator equation Format → Hook → Cadence, then map how community love becomes real offerings, partnerships that fit, and routines that keep the craft sharp. Clear, practical style.
Explore by InstagramSpeakers
- Media Keynote 10 December 2:30 - 2:50PM
A Satirist's Survival Playbook
For comedians like Ahmed Albasheer, laughter has never been just entertainment. It’s been an act of defiance. From surviving assassination attempts to building one of the Arab world’s most influential political satire shows, Albasheer has turned humor into resistance, reflection, and reform. In this intimate conversation, he unpacks the price of speaking truth through comedy, how satire can still thrive under censorship and conflict, and what the next generation of storytellers can learn about courage in an age where jokes can shake regimes.
Forum Stage - Media Panel 10 December 3:20 - 3:40PM
Building a New Backbone for Journalism
In a fragmented information landscape where politics is both a content and commodity, the role of a journalist is being fundamentally rewritten. Veteran broadcaster Chuck Todd and award winning correspondent turned tech startup founder Jane Ferguson, reflect on how platforms, algorithms, and polarization are reshaping the craft of reporting, and what it will take for political journalism to remain credible and relevant in an era of speed, spectacle, and suspicion.
Forum Stage - Picture Panel 10 December 4:10 - 4:30PM
Presence Is the Actor’s Invisible Chemistry
Presence is the actor’s invisible chemistry, the fusion of emotion, awareness, and truth that makes fiction feel real. In this conversation, we explore how stillness, conviction, and empathy can dissolve performance into presence, transforming the craft of acting into a quiet form of alchemy.
Forum StageSpeakers
Moderator
- Media Fireside 10 December 4:50 - 5:10PM
Building a Legacy That Speaks for Itself
Arsène Wenger is more than a name in football; he's a philosophy. In this session, he reflects on how staying true to vision, values, and discipline can build a personal brand that lasts far beyond results or headlines. Through lessons from decades at the highest level, Wenger shares how authenticity, integrity, and consistency create influence that endures long after the final whistle.
Forum StageModerator
- Media Fireside 10 December 5:10 - 5:25PM
Hollywood in the Agentic Era: How Talent Representatives are Evolving to Serve and Protect Artists
AA candid conversation with Chris Jacquemin, Head of Digital Strategy at WME, the world’s preeminent talent agency, on how the agency is responding to AI and ongoing technological disruption on behalf of its clients. Chris will discuss the potential advancements, such as lowering the barriers to entry and streamlined workflows, as well as the need for artist protections. Chris will break down past evolutions, including how YouTube unlocked new formats and career paths, and look at the next wave and how we should prepare. Chris will also share how WME evaluates technology partners for its clients. Attendees will leave with guidance on what’s really happening in Hollywood around AI, and how to prepare for the future.
Forum StageModerator
- Music Panel 10 December 5:25 - 5:45PM
Own Your Audience and Rewrite the Rules
Grammy-winning artist Wyclef Jean and creator-economy pioneer Jaeson Ma break down how artists can finally take control in a system that hasn’t kept up. They’ll talk frankly about the broken economics of streaming, why the future belongs to those who own their fan relationships, and the tools that put creators back in charge of monetization and community.
Forum Stage - Gaming Fireside 10 December 5:45 - 6:00PM
Worlds Without End
Where did building the Metaverse go wrong? How can we take AI and machine learning from hype to productivity at scale? And how can we empower creativity in connected virtual spaces that people actually want to inhabit? Brendan "PLAYERUNKNOWN" Greene, creator of the global hit game PUBG, shares his vision for the next era of gaming: planet-sized virtual worlds where millions of users play, create, and share infinite new experiences.
Forum Stage
Agenda
Check out the sessions and connections that will shape the future of media, content and entertainment, bookmark your favourites, and don’t miss the future-shaping moments.
What They Say About BRIDGE
“A landmark gathering that will unite media professionals, policymakers, cultural creators, and global influencers.”
“A gateway for knowledge exchange.”
“A game‑changer for the global media industry”
“We are proud to take part in the inaugural edition of BRIDGE Summit”
“We're excited to partner with BRIDGE to create meaningful opportunities for creators and innovators”
