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- Falling Leaves Seminar - Detailed Outline
Media Management Workshop - Falling Leaves Detailed Outline
Falling Leaves Seminar
Running a sustainable factual production company in a changing media environment
Menu of the Falling Leaves Seminar detailed outline:
(programme may be subject to slight changes)
(programme may be subject to slight changes)
Content
Are you prepared to deal with the symptoms or will you wait for the pain?
All production companies are challenged by a high degree of change in the business climate, with the challenges being how to do more for less, how to monetize new media, how to explore collaboration, and whether consolidation is a recipe for survival. The intense and interactive Falling Leaves Seminar responds to the growing unease and uncertainty in the factual production world and strives to offer answers and practical advice to the participants.
The media business school etma offers access to a unique check up opportunity where the best ‘doctors’ will diagnose your companies’ condition and prescribe (or at least recommend) the medicine it requires.
During five days, international experts with a proven track records and innovative ideas will help you analyze your company’s current position in the international market; consult with you to improve your business skills and assist you in defining a strategic development plan to address the difficulties and the opportunities you will be facing.
The week’s programme offers a mixture of presentations by specialists, case study presentations, one-to-one meetings with the experts present onsite, group work on business case challenges, up-to-date market information and constant support and feedback on your progress by visiting experts and three full-time seminar facilitators (Pat Ferns, Björn Jensen and Paul Pauwels).
We will touch upon financial, business administration, and entrepreneurial issues as well as elements from the creative and marketing field.
The participants will be an international group of production companies who have reached a minimal critical size and turnover. They should be working at an international level (or planning to do so) or have a leading position in their own territory. The seminar will be conducted in English. In order to assure the highest possible quality of the group (and thereby get the best outcomes from the group work), the composition of the final group will be selected on a competitive basis.
Company presentation and CV
During application, companies will be asked to send a brief company presentation and a CV.Upon receipt of the participation request the media management academy will send a questionnaire to be completed. Some of the questions will have to do with the company finances and organisation. It goes without saying that all the information sent by the participants will either be immediately destroyed (in the event that they are not selected) or after the seminar. None of this information will be distributed, made available to third parties, or kept on record after the seminar. Based on this information the media business school etma will select four business cases on which the participants will be working during the week.
Business Case Challenges
An essential part of the seminar will be the business case challenges.On the basis of agreed company information – made available by all selected candidates – the participants will be divided into groups that will engage in developing realistic business action plans during the week.
All will learn from this practical exercise.
If your company is being selected you can choose how much information you are willing to share with the group. All participants will have to sign a confidentiality agreement at the beginning of the training week. All financial information forming part of the application and used to design the businesses case challenges will remain strictly confidential to etma and will not be kept on record after the seminar.
Expert sessions and Hands on Sessions
During the week five sessions are going to be conducted by high profile experts from the industry. These sessions will each be followed by a hands-on session during which the session focus will be applied to participant cases, followed by a group discussion.One-to-one meeting with the experts
Each participant will have three one-to-one consulting meetings with experts on site. The meetings will be 20 minutes long. One meeting will be pre-arranged by etma, based on who we believe is the best expert for your particular business case. Each participant may then select one more meeting with another expert plus one meeting with one of the course facilitators Pat Ferns, Björn Jensen and Paul Pauwels.Talk to the Top
The seminar will also offer informative live Skype “Talk to the Top” interviews with high-level decision makers from the international broadcasting- and media world. The interviews will be prepared and conducted by the seminar facilitators based on the questions that participants have provided in preparation to the seminar.Participants will also have the chance to actively engage in each conversation.
Networking Opportunities
During common breakfasts, lunches, coffee breaks and dinners you will have the chance to connect with your European colleagues.Business Case Challenges Presentation
On Friday the results of the group work will be presented to experts and high ranking visiting executives from main European broadcasters and media companies.Expert sessions outline
The Falling Leaves Seminar will include presentations dealing with the following items:- Market Position
- 360 ° Multi Platform Business Approaches
- Distribution
- Negotiation techniques
- Contracts and Financing
- Financing and Accounting
- Controlling Operations
Day 1 /Arrival
- Market Positioning
- Business Solutions
- Business Challenges
- Assignment of groups and start of group work
- Opening reception
Day 2
- 360 ° Multi Platform Business Approaches and hands on session
- Distribution and hands on session
- Three Talk To The Top Interviews
- Group work on Business Case Challenges
Day 3
- Negotiation Skills and hands on session
- Contracts & Financing and hands on session
- Three Talk To The Top Interviews
- Group work on Business Case Challenges
Day 4
- Financing & Accounting and hands on session
- Controlling Operations session
- Two Talk To The Top Interviews
- Group work on Business Case Challenges
- Dinner in Strasbourg
Day 5
- Business Case Challenges Presentation
- Comments
- Round up, Certificates
- Farewell lunch
Day 1 / Monday
THEMES OF THE DAY
- Market Positioning
- Introduction and assignments
- Explanation of the week´s structure.
- Distribution of meeting wish list to participants, in which they can schedule their one-to-one meetings with the experts.
- Introduction of participants.
This session is intended to open the participants’ minds for new trends in the factual industry and strategic thinking.
Participants will assess their time now spent on leadership, management and entrepreneurialism and will define how they would like to see this balance change in a year’s time, in order to improve their company’s position.
Participants will be asked to assess their company’s current market position and will be guided to direct their focus towards a sustainable business model that will enable them to build up long-term value in their company.
Business Solution Session
Introduction of the essentials of four potential business situations/solutions by the experts.
During the work on the four “business case challenges” the participants will discuss and analyse these different solutions/situations and apply them by writing a business case that will be pitched at the end of the week.
Business Case Challenges Session
- Practical presentation of the data for the four business cases.
- Assignment of participants to a group.
- Participants will discuss which of the four business solutions - presented during the information session – is most suited for the case they have been given and will start working on the business plan.
- Start of group work.
- Course experts available for advice.
Day 2 / Tuesday
THEMES OF THE DAY
- 360 ° Multi Platform
- Distribution
This session will look into current developments in multi platform business approaches.
How can companies find their audience, tailor their products, create a loyal customer base?
We will look into the chances and opportunities of 360° and its impact on factual films.
The session will also address the risks and threats of 360° content creation.
360° Hands on
- Aspects of the 360° session will be applied to participant companies.
- Group discussion and one-to-one expert meetings.
Introduction to the world-wide distribution markets, the need to tailor the programme for an international audience and the revenues which can be expected.
The visiting expert will give an overview the current rates for factual (one-off, series) and fictional programs in various international markets.
Distribution hands on
- Aspects of the distribution session will be applied to the participating companies.
- Group discussion and one-to-one expert meetings.
- Group work with open end (continued from Monday)
- Course experts available for advice and assistance.
Day 3 / Wednesday
THEMES OF THE DAY
- Negotiation
- Contracts & Financing
The session will deal with negotiation skills and strategies.
The focus will be on convincing possible investors, negotiating sales and business partnership deals.
Negotiation Skills hands on
- The participants will be divided into groups that will prepare and conduct a negotiation simulation, based on figures that have been distributed by the course expert.
- The negotiation will be recorded and analyzed.
- One-to-one expert meetings.
A specialised lawyer will compare how broadcasters across Europe handle their contracts and look into the differences of media industry practises.
Based on his experience he will give an outlook on the going rate of commissions for factual and factual programmes.
He will also address the legal issues relating to a company take-over and management buy-outs.
Contracts & Financing hands on
- The participants will share their legal experiences with broadcasters and discuss problems with the expert.
- One-to-one expert meetings available.
- • Group work (continued from Monday & Tuesday)
- • Course experts available for advice and assistance.
Day 4 / Thursday
THEMES OF THE DAY
- Financial & Accounting
- Controlling Operations
A financial expert with extensive experience in the media will give an introduction on basic business administrations skills as:
- How to read and analyse balance sheets?
- How to plan the cash flow of your company?
- How to deduct financial ratios from your companies´ accounting and use this information for a more effective running of the company?
- How to present financial company data to banks and business investors?
Financial & Accounting hands on
- Distribution of sample balance sheets and financial ratios.
- Explanation and discussion.
- One-to-one expert meetings.
This course will explain why effective controlling is important even in mid-sized production companies and demonstrate why simply deducting figures from accounting won’t work for a factual (and feature film) production company.
The course will demonstrate an Excel controlling tool for audiovisual productions that can monitor cash flow streams, contribution margins and deduct financial ratios.
The Excel sheet will be made available to participants.
One-to-one meetings.
Business Case Challenges
- Group work (continued from Monday & Tuesday & Wednesday).
- Finalisation of the business plans + preparation of the presentation tools.
- Course experts available for advice and assistance.
Day 5 / Friday
THEME OF THE DAY
- Presentation and Analysis
The four business cases will be presented in front of a panel of invited experts.
After each presentation (20 minutes) there will be time for intense questioning by the experts, based on the data provided during the business case presentations.
At the end of each presentation all participants can intervene, ask questions or make remarks, based on the elements presented during the business presentations.
Each presentation will finish with general remarks and advice from the experts, taking into account the real-life situation of all the companies of all present.
Workshop round-up and distribution of certificates
The participants will share their findings and feelings after a week of very intense work.
The course facilitators present an overview of the week’s topics and the outcomes.
Certificates will be presented to the participants.
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