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Parks Associates to host Fall Focus: Making Media Meaningful (3/5/2005)

Parks Associates to host Fall Focus: Making Media Meaningful Executive conference to focus on media personalization and consumer habits

Parks Associates announced today that Fall Focus: Making Media Meaningful, an executive conference focusing on media personalization and consumer habits, will take place November 9-11, 2005, at the Fairmont San Jose in Calif.

Hosted annually by Parks Associates, Fall Focus will examine tools, technologies, and services aimed at making personal and commercial multimedia content more accessible and functional for end users.

Recent data from Parks Associates' primary consumer research finds significant numbers of U.S. consumers already embracing media personalization and creativity, particularly in such application categories as digital photography. For example, 7.7 million U.S. households are active users of DVRs, and 53% of this consumer segment is interested in accessing stored content in other locations in the home. In addition, 7.4 million U.S. households are active digital music application users and are nearly three times as likely to pay for music downloads and online music subscriptions. Keynotes, presentations, and discussions at this event will cover topics such as software tools for media editing and sharing, new designs and functionality for user interfaces (both graphic and physical), the growing role of niche content, and the changing nature of advertising and marketing in the digital age.

"The evolution of media personalization and access has changed significantly from the days of the remote control and car radio presets," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks Associates. "Fall Focus will provide attendees with analysis and commentary from many companies shaping the future of media delivery and consumption. Attendees will leave with a fresh perspective on the critical role of the consumer in developing and selling a host of new solutions for both self-created and commercial media enjoyment."

Fall Focus events host 250-300 executives and provide a full analysis and evaluation of the "focus" topic. Each event features speakers who are leaders in their industries, with Parks Associates' analysts providing consumer data and analysis of the topic. The moderator creates an interactive forum for each session, providing attendees with time to ask questions, network with peers, and actively investigate the "focus" topic. Early sponsors for Fall Focus 2005 include Gold Sponsors Entropic Communications and Philips Semiconductor and Silver Sponsor Digital 5, Inc.

www.fallfocus.com