MAM
APOS 2018: speakers & themes unveiled for annual summit of local, regional & global leaders In media, entertainment & telecoms
HONG KONG/SINGAPORE: Some of the biggest brands across the local, regional and global media, entertainment and telecommunications industries will participate at this year’s APOS summit, hosted by Media Partners Asia in Bali, Indonesia from April 24-26. APOS 2018 brings together key players across the value chain with a particular focus on how broadband connectivity is combining with local economies and ecosystems to transform prospects for the production, distribution and monetization of content, games and IP across Asia Pacific.
Speaking about the line-up and the event’s themes, MPA executive director Vivek Couto said: “APOS 2018 brings together key brands and leadership striving to create, distribute, monetize and invest at scale across media, entertainment, telecoms and related sectors, as they forge new paths to value and enter into partnerships to drive engagement and share of spend.”
Key speakers and themes at this year’s APOS summit include:
Race To Scale: Local Challenges For Global Leaders
Media, telecoms, entertainment and technology ecosystems are colliding across Asia Pacific, as the quest for local, regional and global scale picks up pace. APOS 2018 highlights the paths to value and partnerships that matter for global brands as they seek to drive engagement and share of spend across the diverse region and beyond.
Confirmed speakers
Bob Bakish, President & CEO, Viacom
Uday Shankar, President, 21st Century Fox Asia
JB Perrette, President & CEO, Discovery Networks International
Ricky Ow, President, Turner International Asia Pacific
Mahesh Samat, SVP & MD, The Walt Disney Company, South Asia
Gina Brogi, President of Global Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution
Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 Media
Broadband Economics: The Way Forward For Telcos
Having opened up the broadband opportunity, Asia’s telcos now want a bigger piece of the pie. APOS 2018 weighs up the future for telcos in the region as they invest in content, partnerships, networks and services, seeking to ward off disruptors while chasing a bigger share of consumer spend.
Confirmed speakers
Somchai Lertsutiwong, CEO, AIS
Ernest Cu, President & CEO, Globe
William Yeung, CEO, HKBN
Allen Lew, CEO, Optus
Manuel Pangilinan, President & CEO, PLDT
Ririek Adriansyah, President Director, Telkomsel
Streaming Dreams & Reality: Ambition, Growth, Competition
The next chapter is being written for premium online video in APAC. APOS will take a snapshot of the latest competitive dynamics and revenue opportunity in online video, as global, regional and local services size up prospects for growth, profitability and market leadership, as well as their appetite for risk.
Confirmed speakers
James Farrell, Head of Content, Amazon Prime Video Asia Pacific
Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar
Peter Bithos, CEO, Hooq
Kazufumi Nagasawa, HJ Holdings (Hulu Japan)
Mark Britt, CEO & Co-Founder, Iflix Group
Roma De, Director, Platform Products, Netflix
Tony Zameczkowski, VP, Business Development, Netflix Asia
Janice Lee, MD, PCCW Media (Viu)
Jong-Won Kim, SVP & Head of Oksusu, SK Telecom
Esther Nguyen, Founder & CEO, Pops Worldwide
Fred Cheong, Group CEO, WebTVAsia
Gaurav Gandhi, CEO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures (Voot)
Opportunities In Southeast Asia: Growth In Uncertain Times
Despite volatility and uncertainty across many markets in Southeast Asia, local ecosystems continue to evolve, promising to enrich companies that can adapt. APOS 2018 picks out some key opportunities and the companies attempting to capitalize on them, while evaluating the impact of these changes on local investment, competition and monetization.
Confirmed speakers
Rohana Rozhan, Group CEO, Astro
Carlo Katigbak, President & CEO, ABS-CBN
Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Founder & Chairman, MNC Group
Tham Loke Kheng, CEO, Mediacorp
SK Cheong, Executive Director & GM, TVB
The Evolution of Entertainment: Making New Stories Pay
Studios and storytellers and that can keep audiences tuned in are in demand, as competition for consumer time intensifies. APOS 2018 looks at the different strategies production houses, broadcasters and online video services are taking to capture audience segments and maximize returns from their content bets.
Confirmed speakers
Ma Zhongjun, Chairman & President, Ciwen Media
Suyoung Lee, Director, JTBC
Mark Linsey, Director, BBC Studios
Joko Anwar, Independent TV & Film Director
Wicky Olindo, Founder, TV & Film Producer, Screenplay Productions
Ritesh Sidhwani, Film Director & Co-Founder, Excel Entertainment
Michael MacMillan, Co-Founder & CEO, Blue Ant Media
Sunil Samtani, Producer, Rapi Films
Hyun Park, Co-Head, TV Production and Acquisitions, Korea, Warner Bros
Jay Ji, CEO, Huayi Brothers Korea
Hosi Simon, CEO, Vice Asia Pacific
The Investor View: Risks and Returns In Media
Strategic, private equity and financial investors are making deep bets across telecoms, media and technology, helping fuel the next cycle of competition in content and distribution. APOS 2018 will highlight the thinking behind these decisions, globally, regionally and locally, with a particular focus on online video, payment infrastructure, and traditional film and TV.
Confirmed speakers
Li Ruigang, Founding Chairman & CEO, CMC
Paul Aiello, MD, Emerald Media
Deborah Mei, Partner & Co-Founder, Raine
Nick Swierzy, Strategic Advisor to Group CEO, Axiata Group
David Goldstein, Senior Advisor, TPG Capital
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
