More related content on the BRIDGE
- Technology Fireside 10 December 10:40 - 11:00AM
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 - Music Panel 8 December 4:05 - 4:25PM
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 Panel 8 December 1:00 - 1:30PM
Fighting for Depth in a Shallow Media World
In a landscape driven by clicks, speed, and algorithmic reward, depth is becoming a lost art. “Churnalism”, the recycling of online content, has replaced original reporting, leaving audiences skeptical and disengaged. With just 32% of Americans expressing trust in the media (Gallup), the challenge is clear: how can journalism reclaim substance in a digital age built for brevity? This session explores how newsrooms, platforms, and creators can harness technology to restore depth, context, and credibility in an attention-fractured world.
Academy Stage - Creator Economy Panel 9 December 4:10 - 4:40PM
Creators Go From Lights, Camera, to Business
The creator economy is transforming media, with top creators now rivaling traditional studios in both revenue and cultural influence. In 2024, MrBeast’s empire generated over $470 million across YouTube, Amazon Prime, and consumer products. As creators become the next generation of media moguls, what best practices define who rises to the top?
Explore by Instagram - Picture Panel 8 December 1:30 - 2:00PM
An Era of Reinvention for On-Demand
Streaming platforms face a reckoning with plateauing subscriber growth slows and content costs climb, studios and OTT services are rewriting their playbooks, prioritizing profitability, partnership, and purposeful programming over scale at all costs. This conversation examines how on-demand models are evolving in the MENA region and beyond, from the economics of live sports and premium storytelling to localization, data-driven distribution, and hybrid monetization. Together, they explore what it will take to sustain relevance in an era where every viewer—and every minute—matters.
Central Stage - Technology Keynote 10 December 12:25 - 12:35PM
The New Language of Work is Visual
In a world where everyone’s 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
