Facebook pixel Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports and Hollywood IT Society (HITS) Hosts Entertainment Evolution Symposium | Newsroom | Graziadio Business School Skip to main content
Pepperdine | Graziadio Business School

Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports and Hollywood IT Society (HITS) Hosts Entertainment Evolution Symposium

The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports (IEMS) and Hollywood IT Society (HITS) gathered entertainment industry innovators and thought leaders for the Entertainment Evolution Symposium. The full day symposium brought these leaders together to discuss using data to effectively blend physical and digital experiences across the global entertainment ecosystem.

The featured keynote presentations included: 

  • Under the Feathers at Peacock: An overview of the launch of NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock from Jenny Burke, executive vice president, advertising strategy, at NBCUniversal
  • Transforming the Global Connected Consumer: An examination of the of how world, national and international brands face the face the challenge of engaging the new, connected consumer on their terms and in a way that appeals to their lifestyle from Rob Hayes, chief business officer at Dow Jones
  • DEIA in Productions – Inclusion Policy and Playbook: A standout presentation from Latasha Gillespie, executive head of global diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) for Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and IMDb, on how Amazon Studios is prioritizing telling innovative and inclusive stories from a diverse range of creative talent and how to create a more equitable future in film and television.
  • One More Thing…The Ankler Weighs In!: A discussion about the radical transformation of Hollywood before, during and after COVID from the leaders of Ankler Media Sean McNulty, creator & writer of The Wakeup industry newsletter, and Richard Rushfield, Editor-in-Chief, The Ankler.

Other presentations touched on the topics of Web3, the future of NFTs, the Metaverse, sports and esports, and digital consumer insights and trends. The symposium also hosted multiple breakout sessions on topics ranging from sustainability to ethics. 

If you weren’t able to attend the symposium, visit the symposium presentations website here. Use code “ees22” to access the site. 

Pepperdine Graziadio’s IEMS facilitates the education and development of a new generation of multidisciplinary graduates who are uniquely positioned for impactful leadership roles within the media, entertainment, and sports (EMS) sectors and committed to the stewardship of the fields' cultural and societal impacts. To learn more about the institute.