In an era when creative work stretches across platforms, formats, and constant demands for attention, the question facing artists and industry leaders is no longer how to keep pace but how to build work that lasts. BRIDGE Summit 2025, running from December 8—10 in ADNEC Abu Dhabi, brings together Ethan Tobman, Svana Gisla, Cathy Hackl, Mac Reynolds, and Arsène Wenger, along with creators, producers, investors, and executives shaping that future.
Performance, fandom, and storytelling in a shifting industry
As part of the summit’s agenda, diverse sessions will examine how artists and creators use live storytelling, creator-driven filmmaking, and direct fan relationships to build connections and long-term careers.
In the panel discussion ‘Crafting Connection for Icons Through Live Storytelling’, award-winning production designer and creative director Ethan Tobman joins producer Svana Gisla to highlight how top-tier artists use technology to preserve emotional connection in large-scale productions. Tobman, known for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and films such as The Menu and Room, and Gisla, who produced ABBA Voyage and On The Run with Beyoncé and Jay-Z, will examine how immersive design and visual storytelling can keep performances personal, even when viewed by millions.
The fireside chat ‘Can Creators Save Hollywood?’ shifts the lens to the creator economy, where Max Reisinger, Co-founder and CEO of Creator Camp, shares how a new generation of creators is using cinematic storytelling to shape culture and community. Through Creator Camp’s global network and theatrical work, he shows how Gen Z filmmakers are blending digital fluency with film-driven ambition, and why story, structure, and audience connection matter more than ever.
Grammy-nominated producer Julian Bunetta will reflect on how decades spent behind the scenes of chart-topping hits led him to launch Notebook, a private platform for superfans. In the fireside chat ‘Building the Future of Artist Independence’, he will break down how musicians can build lasting careers, connect directly with listeners, and retain control over how their work is shared and supported.
In the panel ‘The Future Sounds Like This’, music journalist Tomás Mier joins Rawan Al Dabbas, Regional Director at IFPI MENA, and Jennifer Bowder, a Los Angeles-based music licensing executive with more than 16 years of experience in creative pitching, licensing, marketing, and bespoke production, to break down how emerging artists and producers can build visibility, grow their audiences, and develop long-term careers. They will also highlight what it takes to turn talent into sustainable careers, from publishing and music licensing for film and TV to storytelling, fan engagement, and cross-platform promotion.
Gaming as culture and creative frontier
The international event will also host focused sessions that shine a light on how gaming is becoming a central medium for storytelling and social interaction, driven by advances in immersive computing, AI, and new forms of interactive IP.
In the keynote ‘Gaming Beyond Reality’, tech futurist and Future Dynamics Co-CEO Cathy Hackl will examine how gaming is evolving into a foundational layer of digital life. Drawing on her work in spatial computing, world-building tools, and AI, she explains how on-device intelligence and immersive design are transforming how people live, learn, and connect, and how these developments are shaping media, creativity, and cultural participation.
Mac Reynolds, longtime manager of Imagine Dragons and CEO of Night Street Games, shares how years of building one of the world’s most successful music brands shaped the launch of Last Flag, a multiplayer game inspired by the simplicity of childhood play. In the fireside chat ‘From Melodies to Multiplayers’, Reynolds will reflect on the shared logic between music and games, and why interactive IP may be the next step for entertainment storytelling.
Legacy, influence, and entertainment as strategy
Targeted sessions during the summit will examine how legacy, capital, and cultural influence shape new ventures, support soft-power strategies, and guide long-term leadership.
In the panel ‘Turning Legacy into a Launchpad for Sports Innovation’, Horst Bente and Christoph Sonnen reflect on how family history and entrepreneurial instinct can power the next generation of sports ventures. Bente, a private investor and a third-generation descendant of adidas founder Adi Dassler, and Sonnen, a former extreme sports athlete and co-founder of LEAD Sports & Health Tech Partners, will deliberate on how investors and founders can turn legacy into bold ideas, support long-term innovation, and build ventures that reflect clear values as well as commercial goals.
Sandy Climan, CEO of Entertainment Media Ventures; Jane Turton, CEO of All3Media; and serial entrepreneur Brent Montgomery, founder of Wheelhouse, will lead the panel ‘Entertainment as a Bridge Between Nations’, to discuss how media can act as soft power. With experience spanning studios, distribution, and investment, the speakers examine how entertainment, from Hollywood to TikTok, can shape perception, export values, and foster understanding between nations. They will offer insight into how cultural influence is built, sustained, and used strategically in a competitive global media environment.
In the fireside chat ‘Building a Legacy That Speaks for Itself’, Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, reflects on the principles that defined his decades-long career in football. He shares how discipline, integrity, and long-term thinking helped shape not only Arsenal’s identity but also his current work advancing global youth development through FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme. The session explores what it takes to lead with purpose and leave behind systems that continue to deliver results.
Chris Jacquemin, Head of Digital Strategy at WME, explores how talent agencies are evolving to support artists in the era of AI and technological advancements. In the fireside chat ‘Hollywood in the Agentic Era’, he explains how earlier changes, such as the rise of YouTube, opened new career paths, and how emerging tools like generative media and Web3 could change how artists are represented and supported.
Streaming, influence, and staying power
Furthering the discussions, key sessions track platform effects on user behavior, the pressures on creators to stay relevant, and the shift in streaming models as engagement becomes the main measure of value.
Content creators Rima Alosta and Fawaz Hamad will lead the fireside chat ‘The Game That Plays You’, a session that challenges the idea of control in today’s gaming environments. Alosta, who runs the region’s largest female-led gaming channel with over 8 million YouTube subscribers, and Hamad, a popular streamer known for his dynamic on-screen presence, explore how games and platforms now monitor behavior, influence emotion, and predict user choices. The session explores what it means to create and play inside systems designed to know you better than you know yourself.
The fireside chat ‘Five Decades On: Yousra’s Secret to Staying Timeless’ features the iconic Egyptian actress reflecting on how she has remained at the center of Arab entertainment for over forty years. From landmark collaborations with Youssef Chahine to her role as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Yousra discusses how to adapt to new mediums, take creative risks, and stay rooted in purpose. The session explores what lasting success really demands in a constantly shifting industry.
Roman Shimansky, CEO of Yango Play, outlines how platforms are rethinking how value is created and shared in the keynote ‘The Future of Streaming Monetization Models’. As audiences fragment and attention becomes harder to hold, he explores the shift toward hybrid models that blend subscriptions, advertising, and strategic partnerships. The session examines what profitability looks like in an era where engagement, not just viewership, drives growth.
These talks form part of a 300+ session program that underscores BRIDGE Summit’s scale and ambition.
Registration is now open via the official BRIDGE Summit website www.bridgesummit.com/en/ and through the BRIDGE App, the event’s unified digital companion connecting participants to schedules, speakers, and real-time updates.
