Digital Media Exchange (DMEX) links the experience and skills of traditional media freelancers and employees with the new markets and innovation of the region’s best Digital Media companies. It offers unique opportunity for Digital Media businesses to work with, and learn from, established professionals from the television industries, sharing skills and knowledge between both sectors.

As part of the programme, The White Room (working with North West Vision & Media) are running a series of training events exploring some of the new & emerging digital media platforms and their potential uses in content creation.

This event has been developed in response to demand from DMEX participants & will focus on viral marketing. There have been some really fantastic viral campaigns in recent years, and as the format continues to grow and mature it's becoming THE way for advertisers to engage audiences online. Great virals do just that, they go viral. As users pass on links to other users, the audience for the product grows like wildfire. In this session we'll explore just what makes for a great viral ad and how TV professionals can use their skills in producing them.

We've worked hard, as ever, to secure some really top-notch guest speakers for this session and this DMEX session should be our most entertaining & educational yet! 

First up will be Anthony Hartley-Denton, MD of Manchester-based Visual Effects & Animation company AHD. Last Christmas, Anthony and his team broke the steely hearts of the North-West media industry with their sad tale of an out-of-work CGI robot (AHD-1168). A masterwork of self-promotional content, the recession-themed animation caused a huge buzz, and has notched-up over 55,000 views on YouTube.

Following Anthony, we have Matt Smith from New York & London-based digital marketing agency The Viral Factory. Matt is a true pioneer of viral production, and it's quite a coup for DMEX to be able to secure him! Their work has included the award-winning 'Sex Olympics' for Trojan condoms, whilst one of their most recent projects, Extreme Sheep Art for Samsung has had over 8 MILLION (!) views on YouTube. 

Event Agenda

6:00pm - 6:15pm : Arrivals & registrations

6:15pm - 6:45pm : Anthony Hartley-Denton (MD, AHD) on their self-promotional viral AHD-1168

6:45pm - 6:50pm : Q&A

6:50pm - 7:00pm : Break

7:00pm - 7:45pm : Matt Smith (The Viral Factory) on 'What makes a killer viral?'

7:45pm - 8:00pm : Q&A

8:00pm  Close

The event will be free, but numbers will be limited so book now!

The White Room

The White Room Creative Economy Consultancy was established in 2007 by Andy Lovatt (former Head of Creative Industries at North West Development Agency). He was recently joined by Phil Birchenall and Phil Northall from Manchester’s Creative Industries Development Service.

The White Room recently won the national contract to delivery Commitment 13 of the Creative Britain Strategy - identifying best practice for creative business support across the UK. Since its foundation, The White Room has completed strategic development work for The Open University, In The City Music Conference, Foundation Degrees Forward, DTI and DCMS.

Northwest Vision and Media

Northwest Vision and Media works on behalf of the digital and creative industries in the Northwest to grow a world-class digital and creative economy within the region. We provide strategic leadership, help to build businesses, develop skills and talent, encourage and invest in production and inspire audiences. Find out more at www.visionandmedia.co.uk

This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.