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Hiding Monday, February 23 (show)
Tuesday, February 24
| 8:00am |
BREAKFAST (8:00am - 10:00am)Coral
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| 9:45am |
TIM KILPIN KEYNOTE – The Power of Play: How storytelling, technology & toys build worlds kids love (9:45am - 10:30am)Silver Pearl 1 In this fireside conversation, Hasbro’s Tim Kilpin reveals how the power of play fuels modern franchise-building. Exploring the blend of storytelling, product innovation, technology and community, he shares how beloved brands evolve to meet kids where they are—on shelves, screens and emerging platforms. Moderated by Sid Kaufman, this keynote offers a forward-looking blueprint for developing enduring kids IPs. Featuring:
   Moderating:
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| 10:00am |
Speed Pitching 3 (10:00am - 11:30am)Driftwood/Seaglass Connect one-on-one with leading buyers and investors who can help move your project forward. In these focused meetings, you’ll have eight (8) minutes to deliver a sharp, compelling pitch and discuss feedback/next steps. NOTE: Advance sign-up was required. Attendees who secured a spot in advance for Speed Pitching should arrive at the session room 15-20 minutes prior to the session start time to check in with the room monitor and get processed. Showing up late will result in losing your spot. If you did not secure a spot in advance, we recommend showing up to the session room 20-30 minutes early to join the wait line. No pairs or team pitching to a host; these eight (8) minute pitch meetings are one-on-one. Featuring:
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| 11:00am |
SPONSORED SESSION - The New Pipeline: Toon Boom and Bria AI explore AI in modern animation production (11:00am - 12:30pm)Marisol As the animation industry transitions beyond its “experimental” phase with AI, two key areas are gaining prominence: production control and ethical sourcing. In this session, leaders from Toon Boom and Bria AI collaborate with a frontline studio partner to reveal how AI is revolutionizing the production pipeline of tomorrow. We’ll move beyond the “prompt bar” to explore production-ready AI tools that empower artists to maintain control over every pixel and character consistency, while AI handles repetitive tasks within an integrated workflow. NOTE: This is an invitation-only event. Adding this session to your calendar does not guarantee a spot. Only invited guests who RSVP’d will be guaranteed access. Featuring:
Moderating:
Buyers Brief: ABC Australia (11:00am - 11:30am)Shorebreak Hear directly from leading kids content buyers as they share commissioning priorities, future plans and partnership needs in a fireside chat format—plus participate in Q&As designed to spark collaboration and insight. Featuring:
Moderating:
Dream Big: How BeddyByes is building a brand that sleeps well everywhere (11:00am - 11:45am)Silver Pearl 1 Discover how the team behind BeddyByes has turned bedtime into a global brand opportunity by meeting preschoolers and parents where they are—on linear TV, streaming, YouTube and social media. This session unpacks the show’s creative development, cross-platform strategy and multi-revenue approach, revealing how thoughtful storytelling and smart brand integration can cut through industry challenges. Attendees will gain practical insights into building scalable IPs that connect emotionally, travel internationally and turn audience engagement into lasting value across both content and consumer products. Featuring:
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Kidscreen Licensing Challenge (11:00am - 12:30pm)Silver Pearl 3 This returning competition showcase will shine a spotlight on five kids entertainment properties with untapped licensing potential. Each IP will be presented live on stage to a panel of highly experienced consumer products professionals, who will collectively determine a final winner. Come watch the showdown and learn a little more about the secrets to franchise success. Hosting:
Judging:
Presenting:
Presenter
Gregory LittleBusiness Development, Partnerships & Licensing Top Draw Animation (Future Chicken) 
Presenter
Jill HotchkissHead of Brand Creative & Strategy Wind Sun Sky Entertainment (Future Chicken) 
Featuring:
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| 12:00pm |
Buyers Brief: PBS KIDS (12:00pm - 12:30pm)Shorebreak Hear directly from leading kids content buyers as they share commissioning priorities, future plans and partnership needs in a fireside chat format—plus participate in Q&As designed to spark collaboration and insight. Featuring:
Moderating:
Hit Play: How music can supercharge kids content (12:00pm - 12:45pm)Silver Pearl 1 Music is more than a soundtrack—it’s a storytelling, marketing and fandom superpower. From K-Pop Demon Hunters to Disney’s biggest hits, this panel explores how producers, streamers and labels can collaborate earlier in development to turn songs into cultural touchpoints that drive discovery, engagement and global brand growth. Featuring:
Jessica ZhaoLive Action Series Development Live-Action Series Development, Disney Branded Television Moderating:
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| 12:45pm |
LUNCH (12:45pm - 2:00pm)Coral Here's what's on the menu today - enjoy! STARTERS |
| 2:00pm |
Speed Pitching 4 (2:00pm - 3:30pm)Driftwood/Seaglass Connect one-on-one with leading buyers and investors who can help move your project forward. In these focused meetings, you’ll have eight (8) minutes to deliver a sharp, compelling pitch and discuss feedback/next steps. NOTE: Advance sign-up was required. Attendees who secured a spot in advance for Speed Pitching should arrive at the session room 15-20 minutes prior to the session start time to check in with the room monitor and get processed. Showing up late will result in losing your spot. If you did not secure a spot in advance, we recommend showing up to the session room 20-30 minutes early to join the wait line. No pairs or team pitching to a host; these eight (8) minute pitch meetings are one-on-one. Featuring:
Roblox-Ready: Smart pathways to brand activation (2:00pm - 3:00pm)Marisol Want to get onto Roblox, but not sure where to start? Meet creative studios, tech partners and strategists helping brands activate on the platform in clever, scalable ways. This roundtable session will offer hands-on insights, tools and inspiration for connecting with audiences through immersive play and storytelling. NOTE: Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Featuring:
No Age Limits: The power of 360 mentorship (2:00pm - 2:45pm)Silver Pearl 1 The best ideas happen when experience meets fresh perspective. This session explores how Gen X and Gen Z professionals are learning from each other to drive creativity and collaboration in kids media. Hear how reverse mentoring, shared skills and cross-generational partnerships are fueling innovation and future-proofing careers and businesses. Featuring:
Moderating:
License to Play: Building consumer products strategies for kids IPs (2:00pm - 2:45pm)Silver Pearl 3 Explore how studios and producers can unlock long-term value through smart licensing, strategic partnerships, retail innovation and fan-forward brand extensions. This session reveals how to translate storytelling into products, experiences and revenue streams that grow kids IPs far beyond the screen. Featuring:
Moderating:
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| 3:00pm |
The Roblox Revolution: Rethinking brand management for a new era (3:00pm - 3:45pm)Silver Pearl 1 The rules of brand engagement have changed. This panel discussion explores how leading kids franchise managers are embracing immersive platforms like Roblox—along with YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and more—to reach young audiences through creativity, interactivity and storytelling, redefining what fandom, community and brand loyalty mean in the digital age. Featuring:
Moderating:
From Feed to Shelf: How Gen Alpha discovers licensed brands (3:00pm - 3:45pm)Silver Pearl 3 A forward-looking discussion about how Gen Alpha discovers, engages with and, ultimately, buys brands—across YouTube, creator platforms, immersive experiences and mass retail. We're bringing together leaders in global IP creation (Moonbug), big-box retail (Walmart) and experiential and pop-up retail to explore how digital-native fandom turns into real-world products, pop-ups and shelf-space success. The conversation will provide actionable insights into how content, community and commerce connect in today’s kids & family entertainment ecosystem. Featuring:
Moderating:
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| 4:00pm |
WORKSHOP – Licensing Launchpad: Preparing your IP for market entry (4:00pm - 5:00pm)Shorebreak Learn what it takes to prepare your IP for licensing success. This hands-on workshop taught by the authors of Licensing For Dummies walks through defining your brand, building pitch-ready materials, identifying product potential, and understanding what partners and retailers expect. Attendees will leave with practical tools to position their property for deals, extensions and long-term growth. NOTE: Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Featuring:
The DEI Reckoning: What’s left, what’s next, and who’s leading the change? (4:00pm - 4:45pm)Silver Pearl 3 Is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion dead and buried? After years of building DEI initiatives, both in front and behind the screen, there has been a major shift in attitude at US-based global media companies in the last year. But is it gone completely? Or is something new rising in its place? To answer these questions, we’ll look at hard data on how diversity is 'showing up' in the office and in content lineups these days, and also hear from producers who are still fighting the good fight. Featuring:
Moderating:
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| 4:30pm |
Mixer with the Makers: Roblox creators (4:30pm - 5:30pm)Marisol Meet the Roblox creators behind breakout games ready to expand beyond the platform. This mixer connects Kidscreen attendees with developers whose worlds have strong potential for consumer products, content extensions and brand partnerships. Discover emerging IP, spark collaborations, and explore new pathways for bringing Roblox-born franchises to life off-platform. NOTE: Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Featuring:
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| 5:30pm |
Kidscreen Awards & After-Party (5:30pm - 7:30pm)Silver Pearl 1 Join us for an unforgettable evening honoring the year’s standout achievements in kids entertainment at the annual Kidscreen Awards, hosted by comedian, TV personality and chart-topping podcaster Jessi Cruickshank. Enjoy bubbles as you arrive and cocktails as you leave—plus plenty of laughs and good vibes as we come together to celebrate as an industry. Hosting:
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Wednesday, February 25
| 8:00am |
BREAKFAST (8:00am - 10:00am)Coral
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| 9:45am |
JONATHAN HAIDT KEYNOTE – Raising the Anxious Generation: What kids TV can do to help (9:45am - 10:30am)Silver Pearl 1 In this virtual presentation, social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt shares core insights from his book The Anxious Generation about how phones, social media and declining real-world play are reshaping childhood. He’ll explore what these trends mean for kids’ emotional well-being—and how kids content creators and platforms can help restore balance. A virtual Q&A will follow, offering attendees the chance to probe deeper into his findings and recommendations. Featuring:
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| 10:00am |
Speed Pitching 5 (10:00am - 11:30am)Driftwood/Seaglass Connect one-on-one with leading buyers and investors who can help move your project forward. In these focused meetings, you’ll have eight (8) minutes to deliver a sharp, compelling pitch and discuss feedback/next steps. NOTE: Advance sign-up was required. Attendees who secured a spot in advance for Speed Pitching should arrive at the session room 15-20 minutes prior to the session start time to check in with the room monitor and get processed. Showing up late will result in losing your spot. If you did not secure a spot in advance, we recommend showing up to the session room 20-30 minutes early to join the wait line. No pairs or team pitching to a host; these eight (8) minute pitch meetings are one-on-one. Featuring:
Beatriz TompsonSenior Manager, Acquisitions & Co-Productions, Kids & Family Warner Bros. Discovery LatAm
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| 11:00am |
KID INSIGHT – Better Stories for Boys: Building audience. Building character. (11:00am - 11:45am)Silver Pearl 1 Boys are often underserved by kids entertainment, with stereotypes and limited role models shaping how they see themselves and others. Drawing on her latest research, Dr. Yalda T. Uhls explores what boys really need from media and storytelling to grow into confident, empathetic and well-adjusted men. This session will highlight key insights for content creators and executives aiming to better serve this vital audience. Featuring:
Moderating:
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| 12:00pm |
KID INSIGHT – Smarter by Design: The research behind Sesame Street's new era (12:00pm - 12:45pm)Silver Pearl 1 This session unpacks how Sesame Workshop used data, testing and developmental research to reimagine its flagship series for today’s preschoolers. Learn how insights into pacing, humor and emotional learning powered creative evolution—resulting in faster, funnier storytelling that strengthens connections between kids and characters across every platform. Featuring:
Moderating:
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| 12:45pm |
LUNCH (12:45pm - 2:00pm)Coral Here's what's on the menu today - enjoy! STARTERS |
| 2:00pm |
KID INSIGHT – New Tweens in Town: Understanding the generation transforming culture (2:00pm - 2:45pm)Silver Pearl 1 Today's tweens are exclusively Gen Alpha, and the imperative to decode this generation has never been more urgent. Raised on AI, infinite feeds and unprecedented choice, these young people aren't just consuming content—they're actively shaping culture and defining what connection means in a digital-first world. In this insights-driven session, wonderworks insights’ Jane Gould unveils The WISH Report, a breakthrough study that moves beyond trends to reveal what this generation is truly wishing and craving. Don’t miss out on your chance to access fresh data and critical insights that will help you connect with today's tweens—and anticipate the cultural shifts they're driving next. Featuring:
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| 3:00pm |
KID INSIGHT – Culture in Motion: How Gen Alpha is rewriting the rules of kids content (3:00pm - 3:45pm)Silver Pearl 1 Drawing on exclusive KidsKnowBest research, this session explores how Gen Alpha’s globally connected, digitally fluent world is transforming storytelling. From identity exploration to fan-powered communities and cultural fusion, discover how top studios and streamers are reimagining creative strategy to build content that resonates deeply with today’s kids everywhere. Featuring:
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| 3:45pm |
Final Toast (3:45pm - 5:00pm)Pacific Jewel Foyer (outside the Delegate Lounge) Close out Kidscreen Summit in style with one last round of drinks and connections. It’s the perfect chance to unwind, celebrate the week’s wins, and enjoy a final moment with friends old and new. |
