YOUTUBE’S MICHAEL STEVENS TO DELIVER KEYNOTE AT THE CHILDREN’S MEDIA CONFERENCE 2015
Skwigly
Michael Stevens, YouTuber and creator of hit online channel Vsauce1, will deliver the keynote speech at this year’s Children’s Media Conference (CMC), which takes place from 1-3 July 2015 in Sheffield.
Highlighting this year’s theme of All Change?, looking at changing audience behaviours and the shifting dynamics of the business of kids’ media, Michael Stevens is one of the new breed of ‘change-makers’ who are creating waves in traditional media models, in education and in the minds of today’s young audience.
Stevens will deliver his insights into what appeals to a youth audience and how broadcasters, educators and marketeers can attract this key demographic both online and through traditional media, focusing on the success of the Vsauce YouTube network, which has over 14 million subscribers. Stevens has shared his insights into online education around the world at events including MIPTV, TEDX Vienna, MIT, VidCon and FanFest Sydney, Mumbai, Singapore and Toronto.
His high-profile presence at CMC helps to underscore the important connection between education and kids’ content, as well as recognising the growing proportion of online children’s viewing. The keynote will take place on Wednesday 1st July.
The Vsauce channels include Vsauce1 – hosted by Stevens, Vsauce2 – hosted by Kevin Lieber, and Vsauce3 – hosted by Jake Roper. While the subject matters of the channels vary, their focus is singular: they aim to produce great content that explores the most unexpected and interesting subjects. The videos investigate scientific and philosophical topics, as well as gaming, technology, culture, and other topics of general interest.
Currently in its 12th year, the CMC is the premier event in the UK for supporting children’s media and hosts a global delegation of creatives, producers and distributors of kids’ content across all media.
This year’s CMC has a general theme of All Change? and will include an impressive array of conference sessions and masterclasses featuring leading children’s media executives from around the world, as well as an International Exchange which will bring together IP owners, producers, writers, interactive media specialists and service providers from the UK with broadcasters, distributors and funding agencies, and producers seeking co-production potential from around the world.
Michael Stevens says: “The impact of YouTube as an educational platform is endless. You have a huge, young, international and very engaged audience which is eager to learn. It has been an extraordinary experience having the opportunity to explore topics that interest me on my channel and have those videos so well received. I never imagined there was such huge potential for science and education to thrive. It’s a great thing.”
Greg Childs, Editorial Director at CMC adds: “We’ve always been future-focused at CMC, but now it seems like the future has finally caught up with us. As we gather together entertainment and educational media professionals in Sheffield – to discuss the strategies, creative innovation, research, and business development opportunities around kids’ content – there are makers on YouTube being watched by millions of kids worldwide, building totally new relationships with their audience. In the process they are disrupting everything we thought we knew. Twelve years ago at the first ever CMC in Sheffield we investigated ‘the coming of Broadband’. At that time YouTube and Netflix didn’t exist. Now as part of the All Change? theme we’ll embrace not only Michael Stevens and his eight million plus subscribers, but also a range of young innovators in various media fields, in our Changemakers programme, joining the crowd in Sheffield for the first time.”