Los Angeles, CA -- Digital Media Wire announced today its latest event designed to inform the market of the latest happenings in digital media. 

The must-attend event, the 2007 Games+Mobile Forum, will be held at the Hollywood Roosevelt on May 21-22, and will focus on the relationship between social media, casual, and mobile games. This sector is experiencing explosive growth as social media commands a central part of any digital strategy.

Although traditionally considered a male-dominated industry, casual gaming is now perceived as one in which women are as interested in participating, if not more so, as men.  Given social media's cross-gender appeal, and the need for sites to differentiate their products, it's no wonder  that casual games and social networking would eventually intersect.

As game developers and publishers look for new territory to expand their reach, and differentiate their products, social networks look for the stickiness that casual games can provide.  The conference will bring together executives who are now considering how these synergies can mutually benefit their respective companies.

On the social media side, Sulake's Teemu Huuhtanen will join Stardoll's Matthew Palmer on a panel with Acclaim CEO Howard Marks and Nokia Web/Social Media Integration Manager Karl Long.

Sprint Nextel's GM of Games Joe Ariganello will tackle the multi-format possibilities of casual games with Microsoft Casual Games' Studio Manager Chris Early, and Vivendi's Sierra Online President Ed Zobrist.

Keynoters include Glu Mobile's SVP of Worldwide Marketing and GM of the Americas, Jill Braff, as well as John Welch, President and CEO of Playfirst.

The conference agenda covers the rapidly evolving landscape of casual and mobile games with panels and roundtable discussions, including:

-- Social Media & Games
-- Casual Games on Any Platform?
-- Why Big Media is Taking Interest in Casual & Mobile Games
-- VIEW FROM THE TOP: The State of the Casual Games Industry
-- WOMEN & CASUAL GAMES: Why They Are a Good Match
-- VIEW FROM THE TOP: The State of the Mobile Games Industry
-- ADVERTISING, GAMES & SOCIAL MEDIA: Making Smart Marketing Investments in an Ever Changing Landscape
-- THE NEXT BIG THING: What is the Next Big Thing in Casual & Mobile Games?

Attendees are over 300+ decision-makers from leading game publishers, developers, carriers, portals, technology companies, advertising execs, venture capitalists, lawyers, payment companies and analysts.

Plenty of new ideas are sure to come of this two-day event.  The
Games+Mobile Forum will tackle the industry's future, making it a
must-attend event!  More information can be found at: http://www.lagamesconference.com

The list of confirmed speakers includes:

Kanishka Agarwal, Vice President of Mobile Content and Media Analyst, Telephia Joe Ariganello, General Manager, Games, Sprint Nextel Gordon Bellamy, Director of Business Development, Double Fusion Matthew Bellows, GM & VP, Marketing, Floodgate Entertainment Phaedra Boinodiris, CEO, Women Gamers.com George Borkowski, Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP Adam Boyden, VP, Bus. Dev. & Marketing, Xfire Jill Braff, SVP of Worldwide Marketing & GM of the Americas, Glu Mobile Mike Breslin, SVP, N.A., I-play Molly Chase, Executive Producer, New Media, Cartoon Network Jess Dominguez, Product Manager, Gaming, QUALCOMM Internet Services Chris Early, Studio Manager, Microsoft Casual Games Mark Friedler, Founder/Publisher, GameDAILY, part of AOL Games Eric Goldberg, Managing Director, Crossover Technologies Scott Goldberg, Senior Writer & Director, Bus Dev, Digital Media Wire Morgan Guenther, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Airplay Network Greg Harper, President, iWin Volker Hirsch, VP, Corporate & Legal Affairs, Hands-On Mobile Teemu Huuhtanen, President, N.A., Sulake (Habbo Hotel) Michel Kripalani, Sr. Games Industry Manager, WildTangent Stan Liu, VP, Mobile Content Development, The Walt Disney Internet Group Dave Madden, VP, Marketing, Sales & Bus. Dev., WildTangent Howard Marks, CEO, Acclaim Kitt McCurdy, GameSpot Trax Analyst, CNET Networks Entertainment Charles Merrin, VP, RealArcade, RealNetworks Oliver Miao, Head of Centerscore Studio (A Vivendi Games Mobile Dev Studio) Greg Mills, Director, Casual Games, AOL Games, AOL Cooper Moo, VP, Business Development, Fun Games Robert Nashak, General Manager, Yahoo! Games Maria Pacheco, VP of Marketing, Vivendi Games Mobile Karin Pagnanelli, Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP Matthew Palmer, EVP & GM, Stardoll.com Chris Petrovic, VP, Digital Media, Playboy Media Group Adeo Ressi, Founder & CEO, GameTrust Steven Roberts, VP & GM, Games & Strategic Initiatives, DIRECTV Dan Scherlis, CEO, Etherplay Levi Shapiro, Sr. Director of Audience Metrics and Media Analyst, Telephia Ned Sherman, CEO & Publisher, Digital Media Wire, Inc. Brad Singer, EVP, Products & Markets, PaymentOne Alex St. John, CEO & Co-Founder, WildTangent Alex Terry, CEO, NeoEdge Networks Mike Vorhaus, Managing Director, Frank N. Magid Associates Margaret Wallace, Co-Founder & CEO, Rebel Monkey John Welch, President & CEO, Playfirst Dave Williams, SVP & GM, Shockwave William Wohnoutka, VP, Bus Dev, Content Markets Group, Level 3 Communications Mike Yuen, Sr. Director Gaming Group, QUALCOMM Internet Services Eric Zimmerman, Co-Founder & CEO, gameLab Ed Zobrist, President, Sierra Online (Vivendi Games)

Event sponsors and media partners include CEA, Mitchell Silberberg Knupp LLC, Level 3 Communications, Autodesk, PaymentOne, Whiteblox, New York-Tokyo, China GC Networks, Pearl Research/Redline China, Filter Magazine, SXSW Interactive, SoCalTech, Mobile Wireless Jobs, International Game Developers Association, Parks Associates, Mary-Margaret, Casual Games Association, Next Generation, Entertainment Asia Network, GameDAILY, NVPR, Billboard Publicity Wire and UCLA Anderson School of Management. For complete agenda, registration and event details please visit: http://www.lagamesconference.com/.

In addition to The Games & Mobile Forum at LA Games Conference, Digital Media Wire will also host the 4th Annual Digital Media Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland on June 22, which it produces in tandem with Potomac Tech Wire. Other prominent Digital Media Wire events include Digital Music Forum East & West, Future of Television, Future of Film and The Millennials Conference.

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About Digital Media Wire, Inc:
Digital Media Wire is an events, news, and publishing company serving the digital entertainment & media industry since May 2000. Digital Media Wire produces executive forums featuring the leading executives in digital media and entertainment. Digital Media Wire also publishes an authoritative daily email newsletter and industry directory. For more information, please visit: www.digitalmediawire.com.