The organisers of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit are delighted to announce that James Cameron, the director behind the two biggest-grossing films of all time, will open the 2011 Abu Dhabi Media Summit. Mr. Cameron will kick off the Summit with a keynote conversation with James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, who is also a co-Chair of the event. 

 

Mr. Cameron, the director of Avatar and Titanic, who is also a celebrated producer, writer and a pioneering documentary maker, will speak to 350 media industry CEOs and heads of major organizations attending the Summit, which runs from March 15-17. This year's Summit is expected to address content and creativity as drivers of long-lasting value.

 

The Summit is held under the Patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.

 

The first two days of the Summit, hosted by Abu Dhabi Media, will take place at the Yas Hotel on Yas Island, before moving to the Emirates Palace hotel for the third and final day. At the Emirates Palace, Mr. Cameron will join Carlos Saldanha (director of the Ice Age series and the upcoming film Rio) and Jim Gianopulos (Chairman and CEO, Fox Filmed Entertainment) to deliver a special master-class.

 

The three will take the Summit's guests through their creative processes, giving the audience a glimpse of how they use technology to enhance storytelling. The master-class will include 3D cinema demonstrations.

 

H.E. Saeed Al-Hajeri, a member of the Abu Dhabi Media Company Board and the Chairman of the company's Executive Committee, said: "We are delighted to have James Cameron open the second Abu Dhabi Media Summit. He has repeatedly raised the bar in terms of groundbreaking content and creativity. With his support, the 2011 Abu Dhabi Media Summit looks forward to exploring what makes great storytelling in today's digital age."

 

The co-chairs of the event include: H.E. Mohamed Mubarak al Mazrouei, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Media Company; Sheikh Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Chairman and CEO, MBC Group; Ibrahim Ajami, CEO, Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC); Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia; Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters; Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman of the Management Board, Vivendi; Yuri Milner, Founding Partner and CEO, Digital Sky Technologies; James Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, Europe and Asia, News Corporation; and Paul Sagan, CEO, Akamai Technologies.

 

Commenting on the Summit, H.E. Saeed Al-Hajeri said, "For the last few years, the conversation in our industry has been about the evolution of the platforms through which we consume media.

 

"We wanted to concentrate our dialogue around the very thing that drives people to buy and invest in these latest platforms: great content. It must be a number one priority for the media industry to ensure that as much energy and investment goes into nurturing creative talent as it does technology. That is the only way the media industry can be sustainable."

 

H.E. Saeed Al-Hajeri continued, "This important dialogue that was started last year at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit had an impact on the world stage and was of great significance. It will continue this year and it is fitting that these discussions should be held in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in a city which is nurturing and developing local creative talent, investing in innovation and welcoming some of the world's biggest media organizations to set up here."