At Comics Ahead!—The ICv2 Conference at New York Comic Con

New York, NY – September 24, 2013 – ICv2 has announced the first round of speakers for Comics Ahead! The ICv2 Conference at New York Comic Con and they include the thought leaders of the industry, including key executives, creators, and experts, all brought together to discuss how changes roiling the industry will affect the future.

Conference speakers include industry leaders, executives, experts and creators, all brought together to discuss how changes roiling the industry will affect the future.

Skybound (The Walking Dead) Director of Business Development Shawn Kirkham, Bonfire Agency co-founder Steve Rotterdam, Rob Salkowitz, author of Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture and Midtown Comics co-owner Gerry Gladston will explore what the #1 pop culture trend, the rise of geek culture, means for the future of entertainment, marketing and the narratives that are weaving themselves through American life and beyond, moderated by ICv2’s Milton Griepp and with an introductory presentation by Bonfire Agency co-founder Ed Catto.

IDW President and COO Greg Goldstein, author and consultant Barry Nalebuff and Rich Johnson of Penguin’s InkLit graphic novel line will discuss how a wider range of content, the impact of digital distribution and the rapidly changing landscape at retail and in libraries can work together to reach a bigger, broader market for graphic novels, in a panel discussion moderated by Calvin Reid of Publisher’s Weekly.

ComiXology co-founder John Roberts, Diamond Comic Distributors Director of Marketing Dan Manser and creators Simon Fraser (ACT-I-VATE) and successful Kickstarter publisher Jamal Igle will discuss how the path from comic creators to consumer is being disrupted by Webcomics and digital sales, Kickstarter and closer relationships between creators and their fans and what that means for the future, in a panel discussion moderated by Heidi MacDonald of The Beat.

ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp will also present the ICv2 White Paper, assembling the statistics and trends underlying the graphic novel and comics markets.

More speakers will be announced throughout this week.

Comics Ahead! – The ICv2 Conference a ticketed event for professionals including:
• Comics and graphic novel publishers
• Digital executives
• Writers and artists
• Retailers and wholesalers
• Librarians and educators
• Producers, agents and managers
• Licensees, licensors and marketers

The ICv2 Conference will take place at the Javits Center from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM On Wednesday, October 9.

Registration information is available here.
The event is open to press with an RSVP to Mgriepp@icv2.com.
For more details on the event, click here.

For more information:
Milton Griepp, ICv2
MGriepp@ICv2.com
608-284-9400, x1

ICv2
ICv2 is the #1 industry source on the business of geek culture, including comics and graphic novels, manga and anime, movie/TV products, and hobby games, on its Website, www.ICv2.com, and in its magazine, Internal Correspondence. For the people on the front lines of the geek culture business, staying ahead of the trends isn’t something that can be left to chance-it’s a basic necessity for being successful. That’s why ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the buyers, gatekeepers, and tastemakers on the front lines. ICv2 is where trend-watching is a science.

Conference Sponsor: Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly is your number one insider’s guide for all pre-publication comics and graphic novels.  Register for PW’s ComicsWorld e-newsletter for advance listing, reviews and news dedicated to comics and Graphic Novels. If it is happening at New York Comic Con, then we have already written about it on PublishersWeekly.com.

Conference Sponsor: ReedPOP
 ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Prime & East, Star Wars Celebration, and the UFC Fan Expo. In 2013 ReedPOP has added Star Wars Celebration Europe and PAX Australia to its rapidly expanding portfolio of international events. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledg