The global economic crisis has added new and unprecendented pressures to the media industry.

Already reeling from the pace of change brought by the Internet, media companies around the world now face further economic pressures.

What will happen and what can media companies do?

I look forward to moderating an event in Hong Kong on this topic that includes quite a few media heavy-hitters.

Organized by the Society of Publishers in Asia, the event starts with a keynote by Marcel Fenez, head of the global entertainment and media practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Marcel will: “Share his insights and global findings on the impact of the downturn on media: Will digital migration accelerate? How do you manage in this environment? What are the short and long-term strategies for future success?”

I will then moderate a discussion on the future of media with these panelists (Click on their names for more details):

• Thierry Halbroth, senior Creative Director at McCann Worldgroup
• Christine Brendle, MD‐Asia, Dow Jones Consumer Media Group
• Edmund Lee, Partner, Advisory Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Michelle Kristula‐Green, President of Leo Burnett Asia Pacific

What would you like to hear from them? Any good ideas for questions very welcome.

Hope to see you there!

“The Future of Media Outlook in the New Global Economy”

Foreign Correspondents’ Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong
12:00pm – 2:30pm, 1st April 2009 (Wednesday)

SOPA Members: HK$375
Members of Supporting Partners: HK$425
Non‐Members: HK$475

Book via: mail@sopasia.com or (852) 2572 2100

She has spent over 20 years working in Asia and currently leads and manages the activity of Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide in Asia, covering 17 offices in 13 countries with over 1,400 employees. Under her leadership, Leo Burnett’s AP operations won top industry awards in Asia and in the world.

In addition to her role in Leo Burnett, she also chairs Publicis Groupe’s China CRIB board, leading the development of the overall Publicis Groupe strategy for China, with specific focus on human resources, M&A, inter-agency collaboration and market expansion.

Before assuming her current post in 2004, Michelle ran a multinational agency in Japan, serving as President and representative director of Beacon Communications, a partnership with Dentsu that resulted from the merger of Leo Burnett and D’Arcy’s operations in Japan. She was responsible for the integration of these Publicis Groupe sister companies into one agency.

Michelle has created thought leadership programs, including ‘Voices at the bottom of the pyramid’, an extensive study undertaken in China and India, looking at the world of the low income consumer and how best to market brands and services to them.

As part of the initiative, Leo Burnett produced two documentary films, putting a human face to the numbers. Michelle was also led two in-depth studies of Asian female and male consumers, ‘Asian Miss Understood’ and ‘Mister Misinterpreted’.