Each year, the Entertainment & Media conference at the Harvard Business School brings together hundreds of students, alumni, faculty, and industry leaders to share experience and insight and, most importantly, to learn from each other. By gathering a diverse group of talent and interests, the Entertainment & Media Club hopes to initiate dialogues that delve into key trends relevant to all members of the entertainment and media community, from rising entrepreneurs to established executives. Our aim is to create a forum that will spark productive dialogue and provide a setting for professional networks to grow.

Many recent industry conferences and stories in the press have focused on new entrants to the space: the up-and-coming players across the entertainment and media sectors, particularly in the digital realm. Our conference this year, titled “Big Media, Big Business,” re-focuses the conversation on some of the largest, most influential companies within the entertainment industry, and considers these new trends from the perspective of the bigger players. The panelists and keynotes will discuss not only the changes brought on by new technology, including challenges and opportunities arising from these shifts, but also incumbent business strategies and financing considerations more broadly.

This year, we are honored to welcome four leaders of the entertainment industry as our keynote speakers: Kevin Tsujihara, CEO of Warner Bros., Richard Plepler, CEO of HBO, Deborah Turness, President of NBC News, and Pat Fili-Krushel, Chairman of NBCU News Group. We are excited to learn from their experiences and hear their views on some of the most salient topics facing the entertainment industry today. We are also thrilled to welcome our esteemed panelists and moderators from both traditional and new media companies who will share their perspectives throughout the day’s panel discussions. The panels address a range of topics with regard to the major sectors of the entertainment industry.


-Claire Friedman & Nickhil Singh, HBS Entertainment & Media Club Co-Presidents