MCB back for the third time

On 2 and 3 May, it’s finally happening: The doors of STATION Berlin will open for #MCB16 and #rpTEN. For two days, Berlin will once again be the place for media- and Net-policy debates and media-industry discussions. For the third time, MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin (MCB) will take place in parallel with re:publica. Together, the two conferences create a symbiosis that is plainly unique in the European conference landscape. The top-quality programme draws national and international experts and decision-makers from TV, film, radio, print, online, mobile, social media, politics, technology, business, culture, and academia. Visitors from at least 60 countries are expected, with a mix of participants ranging from start-up founders and Net activists to media policymakers and global industry players. This year, we expect nearly 8,000 attendees at the two events, even more than last year.

MCB attendees can enjoy around 50 sessions and panels covering a broad spectrum of current issues, from global digital trends and modern regulatory questions to debates over ensuring media diversity and innovative film and media projects! In addition, we’ll offer workshops in our Media Cube, and our exhibition floor will show off the newest technological trends such as holograms, VR experiments, and even dinosaurs as an augmented-reality application.

Highlights from the Medienboard stage: From a digital philosopher to online-video strategists

Medienboard stage’s programme features content trends and new business models, current media-production trends, new media-distribution channels, and the social effects of digitisation. Our highlights include:
- the appearance of “digital philosopher of the hour” Luciano Floridi, joined by whistleblower Edward Snowden via remote-video connection.
- Morgan Wandell (Amazon Studios) and the team producing the first German Amazon Prime series with Matthias Schweighöfer.
- a panel on competition between news networks featuring RT International’s Oksana Boyko, Deutsche Welle’s Peter Limbourg, Al Jazeera English’s Salah Negm, and CNN International’s Inga Thordar .
- Nick van Dyk (Activision Blizzard) on the development of game-development firms into large multimedia corporations.
- Vimeo’s Jordan McGarry and Spotify’s Dossie McCraw on the newest content strategies in the online-video market.

Net neutrality, hate speech, press freedom vs. human dignity: All issues on the MABB stage

The programme on the Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg’s MCB stage addresses the regulatory challenges posed by digitisation, as well as aspects of the efforts to ensure diversity. Discussions will also examine what proficient and independent interaction with digital media looks like. In addition, innovative projects at the interface between radio, TV, and the Internet will be presented. A few of our highlights:
- the appearance of Stanford thought leader Prof. Dr. Barbara van Schewick, one of the leading experts on net neutrality, who will ask whether this principle can still be saved in Europe.
- EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger, speaking on the European position on net neutrality, along with the regulatory challenges posed by digitisation and the use of media content over the Internet.
- Mark Little (Twitter) on the social network’s future.
- a debate on the power of images at the frontier between press freedom and human dignity, featuring BILD Digital Executive Editor Julian Reichelt, Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) Chairman Andreas Fischer, and others.
- Rayk Anders, Carline Mohr, Prof. Dr. Ino Augsberg and Christoph Krachten discussing the right way to handle hate speech.
- and the RAPID FIRE PITCH, where the Media Innovation Centre Babelsberg (MIZ) will present ongoing projects ranging from three-dimensional audioscapes to a big-data scraper for the rental-real-estate sector to robotic journalism.

On the re:publica stage: Social issues at the overlap between Net culture and media

Finally, the re:publica-curated MCB stage will focus on social issues raised by the overlap between Net culture and media.
- Media-studies expert Prof. Dr. Bernhard Pörksen and others will speak on the power of storytelling in the digital age.
- Award-winning journalist Vivienne Chow will report on media and censorship in Hong Kong
-U.S. Ambassador to Germany John B. Emerson and VICE/Motherboard’s Max Hoppenstedt will discuss innovation in elections and the use of digital media in political campaigns.
- Student Joshua Arntzen will explain to adults how Snapchat works.

Follow it all online:
Streaming and social networks

In addition to the on-stage events, MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin will again this year provide a platform for start-ups in the media and ICT sectors. In the exhibition space, emerging companies from Berlin and Brandenburg will have the opportunity to present their ideas and projects.
The complete #MCB16 programme can be found on our website or in our flyers. An overview of all speakers is here.
If you can’t make it to MCB, you’ll miss two wonderful, exciting, and inspiring days. But don’t despair! We’ll keep you updated on the goings-on with live streams and information on our social networks. On both days, all events on the MCB stages will be carried live by ALEX TV at www.mediaconventionberlin.com. Afterwards, they will be available on our YouTube channel.

During the course of #MCB16, we’ll provide you with ongoing news, photos, and impressions of the events through the following social networks:
www.facebook.com/MediaConventionBerlin
www.twitter.com/MCBerlin16 | Hashtag: #mcb16
www.instagram.com/MediaConventionBerlin

We hope that you’ll be in attendance on Monday and Tuesday – either on-site or online!