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Jan 19, 2024: Creator extraordinaire Angela Santomero takes center stage in the CMA's Red Chair

A new addition to the event program, this signature conversation series now in its 12th year is produced by the Children’s Media Association and has featured some of the most influential figures in kids and family media talking one-on-one with CMA Board Advisor Amy Friedman. Its always-inspiring, always-honest format—20 minutes on life, 20 minutes on work, 20 minutes for audience Q&A—is about getting to know the real human behind the resumé.

Santomero’s dazzling career as a children’s television creator, executive producer and writer has seen her pioneer game-changing hits such as Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS), Super Why! (PBS), Hello, Jack (Apple TV+) and upcoming Netflix series Dee & Friends in Oz, inspired by Frank Baum’s classic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Her work over the years has earned 25-plus Emmy nominations and an Outstanding Preschool Program win; a prestigious Peabody award; two TCA awards; and numerous Parents Choice Gold and Silver Awards. And as an author, Angela has a new book coming out this February entitled Life Clues: Unlocking the Lessons to an Exceptional Life (Loyola Press).

Jan 12, 2024: Don’t miss the 2024 Kidscreen Awards ceremony!

Join us at 5:45pm on Monday night as we announce and celebrate the year’s best work in kids entertainment at our annual Kidscreen Awards ceremony! Sponsored by the Canada Media Fund, this year’s live show will be emceed by the talented young co-hosts of the CBC’s digital-first Street Cents series, who are killing it on TikTok and YouTube.

Dec 13, 2023: Big Brand Power case studies to inspire your franchise plans

We’ve invited the teams behind some of the biggest brands in the market right now to come and share their secrets for success at the Summit. As you map out the future of your own IPs, these are the strategies and techniques that can help you get to maximum scale!

Big Brand Power: PAW Patrol is on a roll

Spin Master’s 10-year-old preschool powerhouse certainly has a lot of success to celebrate. The TV series has aired in 350 million homes, a robust consumer products program has generated US$14 billion in retail sales worldwide, and its first two movies have earned US$300 million (and counting) at the global box office. We’ve invited PAW Patrol’s creator and chief brand-builders to share the origin story and roadmap leading to one of the most lucrative franchises in kids entertainment history.

Big Brand Power: A Barbie bonanza

Mattel and Warner Bros. Discovery collaborated on an unprecedented consumer products and entertainment program in support of the live-action Barbie film that created worldwide awareness and proved nothing beats the connection between fans and the brands they love. This one-on-one deep-dive into their strategy and plans will provide new insights into how IP expansion can unlock the next level for classic brands. 

Big Brand Power: We’re all ears for Gabby’s Dollhouse

With a brilliant distribution ecosystem constantly driving audience engagement between Netflix, YouTube and linear on a global scale—plus multiple built-in play themes to tap into off-screen—the team behind Gabby’s Dollhouse have proven themselves to be the ultimate flexible thinkers while navigating the current market landscape. We've invited the brand-builders behind this meowmazing DreamWorks Animation franchise to share their key insights and next-phase plans with us at the Summit.

Dec 6, 2023: Time to get a little social!

Making plans for drinks & dinners

One of the best things about our new location is its proximity to the Gaslamp Quarter. This bustling nightlife mecca of San Diego boasts more great restaurants and bars in five square blocks than most entire cities do. And it’s all less than a 15-minute stroll from Kidscreen Summit’s digs at the Marriott Marquis. We’ve rounded up our top picks for after-hours fun, along with some quick & convenient lunch spots really close to the hotel in case you feel like going off-site. We hope you enjoy discovering them with us in February!

Let everyone know you’ll be in San Diego

Here's an easy way to spread the word that you're booking meetings for Kidscreen Summit now. Save this Attendee Card image and post it on all of your social feeds. (We’ve even written some copy in case your creative juices aren’t flowing.)

Nov 29, 2023: Start scheduling sessions & meetings!

Make time for market intel

Our conference program is now available online, offering 60-plus sessions that will help you connect with new partners and explore strategies & trends, innovative ideas and practical solutions to successfully navigate current business challenges.

Use KidscreenXchange to add sessions & MUCH MORE

Kidscreen Summit's powerful event platform is now open, and you can use it to add sessions that you want to attend to your personalized schedule. Here’s a link to a quick how-to guide. You can also use KidscreenXchange to set up your profile, showcase your projects, search for delegates and send messages.

Nov 16, 2023: Dr. G and ThinkFun’s Rachele Harmuth IDs eight core skills children need to build resilience

In October 2022, Dr. G and ThinkFun published a white paper for the toy industry that identifies eight core skills all kids need to develop in order to ensure their mental, emotional and social wellbeing. They also offered up practical suggestions for the development of new play products that are already resonating at retail and providing relief and tools to families trying to support kids at every stage of improving their mental health.

To continue the mission, we've asked Dr. G and ThinkFun’s Rachele Harmuth to apply their model to the children's media industry and explore how the building blocks of resilience can be incorporated into the fabric of kids TV content. Please join us for this critical keynote presentation at Kidscreen Summit to find out what you can do to help.

About Dr. G

Resilience expert Deborah Gilboa, MD (a.k.a. “Dr. G”) works with families, organizations and businesses to identify mindsets and strategies to turn stress into an advantage. Renowned for her contagious humor, Dr. G works with groups across multiple generations to rewire their attitudes and beliefs, and create resilience through personal accountability and a completely different approach to adversity. She is a leading media personality who is seen regularly on TODAY, Good Morning America and The Doctors. She is also featured frequently in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Authority Magazine and countless other digital and print publications. Dr. G is a board-certified attending family physician, and is fluent in American Sign Language. She lives in Pittsburgh with her four sons.

About Rachele
Rachele Harmuth is Head of ThinkFun, a division of Ravensburger. Throughout her 30 years in the toy industry, she has been involved in design, marketing, brand management, sales and strategic planning for such brands as K’NEX, Klutz, Scholastic, Fat Brain Toys and, of course, ThinkFun. Rachele is also the founder of MESH (Mental, Emotional and Social Health), an initiative that awards a special designation to toys that teach kids skills like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves or solve problems. When she’s not running MESH and making toys, Rachele can often be found setting up treasure hunts, running cardboard boat races, and looking for ways to add fun to the world with her husband and three kids.

Nov 10, 2023: Sinead Bovell is coming to Kidscreen Summit to help us understand where AI is going next

Recognizing early on the breakneck pace at which advanced technologies are likely to outpace the workforce, Sinead has been working towards this goal for years. She’ll join Kidscreen’s resident AI columnist Evan Baily for an unmissable fireside chat about what is unquestionably shaping up to be the most important innovation of our time. 

About Sinead Bovell

Sinead is the founder of WAYE (Weekly Advice for Young Entrepreneurs), an organization that helps prepare the next generation of business leaders for a world radically transformed by technology, with a focus on nontraditional and minority markets. She’s an eight-time United Nations speaker, an experienced host, and MIT-certified in AI ethics.

Every day, more than 10,000 Millennials and Gen Zs tune into Sinead’s platforms to hear her take on technology and the future, and in particular, her forecasts on the ethical entrepreneurs on the future of technology. She also serves as a strategic advisor on digital inclusion to the United Nations International Telecommunication Union.

Dubbed the “AI educator for non-nerds” by Vogue and one of Refinery29’s “Top 10 Black Women Changing the Game," Sinead has given formal addresses to presidents, royalty and Fortune 500 leaders on topics ranging from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence. She also hosted WIRED magazine’s hit YouTube series What We Will Know, and gave a TEDx Talk on the ethics of avatars in 2022. Sinead received her MBA from the University of Toronto. And prior to founding WAYE in 2018, she worked as a management consultant for A.T. Kearney and as a tech contributor to publications including Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

Nov 8, 2023: Bill Nye to keynote at Kidscreen Summit 2024

Kids entertainment creators and the scientists and engineers exploring space and solving complex problems here on Earth share a common passion for a better future for humankind... 

As an engineer, a hugely popular TV host, and now CEO of the world's largest space interest group (The Planetary Society), Bill Nye knows better than anyone how science and entertainment can work together to make meaningful, positive change. Bill will share some of what he's learned over the years in his Kidscreen Summit keynote, including the power of exciting kids about science at a young age. He will also tell us why this is the most exciting time yet to be working in space exploration, showcasing images and discoveries that can help us all better understand our place in the galaxy. Get ready to be wowed! And stay tuned for The Planetary Society's upcoming kids project Spaceships, a sci-fi adventure series in development with Sinking Ship Entertainment.  

About Bill Nye

An American science educator, engineer, comedian, television presenter, author and inventor, Bill is on a mission to foster a scientifically literate society and help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been passionate about his entire life—check out his bio to see what we mean! 

Oct 3, 2023: Leading companies planning a big presence

We are excited to announce that major kids media companies including 9 Story Media Group, Atomic Cartoons, Banijay Kids & Family, BBC Studios Kids & Family, Boat Rocker Rights, Hasbro, Mattel Television, Superights and YouTube are confirmed as sponsors and will send teams to the year’s most essential market and conference for the global children’s media industry, taking place from February 4 to 7 in San Diego.

PLUS, delegations from South Korea, France, the UK, Canada, Japan, Argentina and India are planning to come in strength, with many companies represented from their regions.

July 17, 2023: Discounted rooms available at the event hotel

Our hotel reservation site is now open, so you can book your stay at the Marriott Marquis San Diego for a discounted rate of just US$334 a night. It's right on the waterfront and just a five-minute stroll from all the restaurants and nightlife the city’s bustling Gaslamp District has to offer. Every hotel room has impressive views of the city or San Diego Bay, and most have private balconies. Other amenities include Starbucks on site, a 24-hour gym, a virtual golf lounge, award-winning restaurants and a poolside tequila bar & grill.

You can’t beat the convenience of staying in the
event hotel, especially in a new city!