Social Media and Cindy Margolis Take The Spotlight at Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit

    BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 26, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit, the premier entertainment and technology conference in the country, was held in Los Angeles May 2nd through May 5 at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Marina Del Rey. Featuring the biggest names in film, TV, digital media, the world's brightest Internet and entertainment technology leaders and the most influential innovative Internet pioneers. Hollywood relies on Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit for the new challenges and rise to the new opportunities presented by exploding mobile platforms, new distribution strategies and other growing trends. The hottest topic this year is social networking popularity and best social media campaigns . According to Nielsen Online, social networks are now the 3rd most popular kinds of online activities. Statistics are 69% of the world online population are now visiting social networks them and the time spent on them is growing by three times the overall growth rate of the Internet. Social networks have grown to such enormous proportions that they rival entire countries in terms of population--if Facebook was a country it would be the fifth most populated in the world.

The highlight of the Summit was giving special honors to the most influential innovative Internet pioneers who built the foundations that launched the revolution for a world-changing technology. Pioneers and trend setters come in many forms. But no form was more pleasing to see at the Summit than Internet superstar, Cindy Margolis, who received a standing ovation at the Variety Digital Hollywood Gala. Margolis took the Internet world by storm with the honor the official title "The Most Downloaded Woman" by Guinness Book of World Records. Labeled an Internet phenomenon by everyone from Yahoo!, America On Line's 'Woman of the Year', Forbes, The Wall Street Times, Fortune, Time Magazine and Vanity Fair's "Most Influential Internet Entrepreneurs." Margolis, a self-made Internet icon of the twenty-first century, was seen chatting up potential investors for her launching of groundbreaking patent software and applications that will radically change the entertainment industry as it exists today.

The remarkable social impact and economic success of the Internet is in many ways directly attributable to the architectural characteristics that were part of its design. The Internet was designed with no gatekeepers over new content or services.

Vint Cerf, an American computer scientist, is recognized as one of "The Father's of The Internet." His contributions have been acknowledged and lauded, repeatedly, with honorary degrees, and awards that include the National Medal of Technology quote said it best, "The Internet is based on a layered, end-to-end model that allows people at each level of the network to innovate free of any central control. By placing intelligence at the edges rather than control in the middle of the network, the Internet has created a platform for innovation."

Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit, produced by Variety and Digital Hollywood, features in-depth discussions and networking, incorporating the world's leading Internet and entertainment properties, focusing on top business issues impacting technology advances in entertainment. Prestigious speakers in film, TV and digital media including Steve Mosko, President of Sony Pictures Television; Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution; Robert Kyncl, Global Head of Film and TV at Google, Kevin Beggs, President of Lionsgate Television to name a few.

The Summit explored best social media campaigns for advertisers and marketers; successful programming across apps, mobile, online and other platforms; consumer electronics' eager hunt for film/TV content; and technology trends in blockbuster film production. With brightest Internet and entertainment technology leaders Victoria Alonso, EVP of Visual Effects at Marvel Entertainment, Claire Alexander, VP of Digital Strategy and Business Development at Discovery Communications, Andy Marcus, SVP of Entertainment and Video at MySpace, Rob Rowe, Director of Studio Relations-Interactive at Pixar Animation Studios/Disney Feature Animation, Cody Simms, VP of Entertainment and Lifestyles Products at Yahoo!, Mark Turner, Director of Relationships and Strategy, Media and Entertainment Group at Microsoft , Jim Wiatt, Strategic Advisor at AOL, Brent Weinstein, Head of Digital Media at United Talent Agency, Joe Ambeault, Director of Entertainment Services at Verizon and Manny Anekal and Global Director of Brand Advertising at Zynga.

A huge success, Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit, was an innovative Entertainment Platform levering all the newest best-in-breed technology aspects of advancing the entire entertainment industry.

Neil Cirucci PR is a national public relations company. For more information contact us at 609-513-1689 or www.neilciruccipr.com.

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