John McMahon, Managing Director Europe, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, is the first confirmed keynote speaker of PEVE Digital Entertainment 2010, the annual conference organised by analysts Screen Digest in London, 11-12 March. 3D and consumer focus will top the agenda.

McMahon is responsible for building and extending SPHE's physical and digital businesses across the region and is the division's chief liaison in Europe with the operations of Sony Electronics, PlayStation, Sony Ericsson and Sony Music Entertainment. He has previously served as head of Sony Pictures Television’s European operations.

Other confirmed speakers at this year’s event include Gerry O’Sullivan, Director of Strategic Product Development, BSkyB; Joe Trainor, Director Offer Management Content CDN, Level 3 Communications; Sylvia Hitzel, VP Marketing & Sales, Singulus Technologies; Aodan Coburn, Exec. VP Worldwide Operations, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Paul Chesney, VP International Operations, Universal Pictures International Entertainment.

Initial details of the programme for this year’s conference have also been unveiled. As anticipated, 3D will be a key focus of the event, with a panel bringing together speakers from the consumer electronics and content sides to discuss the practicalities of bringing the new generation of 3D to the living room.

“The subject is also likely to feature on the agenda for perhaps the most eagerly-awaited session of the conference – the return of PEVE’s unique ‘live focus group’,” says Helen Davis Jayalath, Screen Digest Senior analyst and conference coordinator. First unveiled in Paris at PEVE 2009, this session gives delegates direct access to a panel of real consumers, hand picked to confirm to key demographic and behavioral profiles, and guided by expert moderators.

PEVE will also take its usual hard look at the current state of the digital market, with hard-hitting sessions examining the roadblocks to true ‘anytime, anywhere’ access and assessing the various strategies being used to optimise the integration of digital in the traditional product life span. The traditional value chain itself will also come under scrutiny, as a panel of speakers from across the industry debates what impact changing release windows has and asks whether the system would benefit from a complete overhaul.

Meanwhile, the conference programme also provides plenty of support for those involved in the vital day-to-day business of producing and selling DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. “As the world undertakes the slow climb out of recession, a dynamic new session will examine what needs to be done to make packaged home entertainment sexy and exciting again, while a pan-industry panel will take a long, hard look at what companies across the home entertainment supply chain are doing to cut costs – without cutting corners,” say Davis Jayalath.

DVD Intelligence is a media partner of PEVE 2010. Click here for details and registration.

Story filed 18.01.10