SMS TV Hits Lisbon

The marriage of SMS and TV programming is one of the latest success stories of media convergence.

SECOND 'SMS MEETS TV SEMINAR TO BE HELD IN LISBON, FEBRUARY 6, 2003.

Van Dusseldorp & Partners and the DISCOP Organisation are proud to announce a new 'SMS Meets TV seminar (http://www.smsmeetstv.com/overviewlis.php) to be held in Lisbon on February 6, 2003 as part of the DISCOP Format Markets Europe 2003 (http://www.discop.com). The SMS Meets TV seminar will be staged during the two day DISCOP Campus Conference Programme, which will also feature additional conference sessions focusing on emerging advertising concepts, television formats and multi-platform digital media strategies across Europe.

The one-day SMS Meets TV seminar will build on the proceedings of the successful event held recently in Amsterdam (http://www.smsmeetstv.com/report.php) and provide a more in-depth examination of this exciting marketplace. Strong press coverage and market response to the Amsterdam event has indicated that the integration of SMS with media concepts is a business model clearly at the forefront of strategic planning for broadcasters, content owners, platform providers and mobile operators alike.

This 'marriage of SMS and TV programming is one of the latest success stories of media convergence. From being viewed as a successful value-added communication channel to existing media properties, SMS is now creating value of its own and becoming the focus around which original programming concepts are designed and developed. In addition to applications tied to popular programming such as 'Big Brother', SMS TV is quickly leading to the generation of entirely new television formats such as 'chat'. In some countries, teletext SMS channels are receiving upwards of 100,000 messages per day. In the midst of the current advertising climate and considering difficulties in achieving a mass market for interactive television services, SMS has quickly emerged as an important source of additional media based revenue.

Key questions to be addressed during seminar sessions include:

·   Exactly how are broadcasters, mobile operators and SMS application developers working together to develop new content formats and generate revenue from SMS users?
·   How will the SMS entertainment market evolve to incorporate MMS, downloadable games and the potential offered via targeted mobile-based marketing?
·   SMS TV is becoming more than voting, games and chat: in what directions are the more dynamic concept developers heading? In what ways has the mobile platform itself driven the creation of television offerings, how are they co-existing?
·   What progress has been made in addressing key industry issues including: interoperability of services across Europe, premium rate billing and revenue sharing arrangements?

The DISCOP Campus Conference Programme and SMS TV event will combine successful case studies from dynamic Southern European players together with high level input from leading international broadcasters, production houses, concept creators and mobile operators. 'SMS Meets TV -- Lisbon provides an even greater level of networking and deal making potential due to the collaboration with the DISCOP Formats Market Europe 2003 which will independently attract over 100 television format creators, producers, distributors and broadcasters from across Western, Central & Eastern Europe.

Registration for the SMS Meets TV seminar is available via http://www.smsmeetstv.com/registrationlis.php. Delegates are given access to both Campus Conference Programme days and will receive a free copy of Van Dusseldorp and Partners own research report SMS TV -- Interactive TV Re-invented"

Press passes are available to interested members of the press, please contact Kristel van Heemert at kristel@vandusseldorp.com with your details, Why not list this event in your publications agenda/diary or events column?

For all further information regarding this event, including speaking, sponsoring and exhibiting opportunities, please contact Ashley Smith, Event Manager on +31 20 535 6986 or on ashley@vandusseldorp.com.

ABOUT VAN DUSSELDORP & PARTNERS

Van Dusseldorp & Partners is a pan-European new media research and strategies consultancy specialising in media convergence and digital content markets. Our TV Meets the Web business unit focuses exclusively on convergence issues, including broadband communications and interactive television (http://www.tvmeetstheweb.com). More detailed information on our other business units and services can be found via http://www.vandusseldorp.com.

Contact:

Ashley Smith
Email: ashley@vandusseldorp.com
Tel: +31 20 535 6986
http://www.vandusseldorp.com

ABOUT THE DISCOP GROUP

Established in 1990, the DISCOP Organization has been facilitating television business in the developing markets of Western and Eastern Europe, of Central and South-East Asia, and of certain parts of Africa and the Middle-East. To that effect, we produce 5 annual ©DISCOP markets centred around pre-scheduled appointments between qualified participants on the basis of their specific business objectives. Meetings are being facilitated in advance of our markets by our multilingual team of researchers trained to identify business opportunities on behalf of our confirmed attendees.

Contact:

Patrick Jucaud -General Manager
Email: patrick@discop.com
Tel: +33 1 46 39 55 77
http://www.discop.com