‘Godalbloodymighty’ – the ‘male and stale’ sausage-fest APOS conference line-up
Dr Mumbo is not planning on attending this year’s APOS 2017 event in Bali – the annual jamboree for the media, telecoms and entertainment industry – due to the circular arguments about the death of linear television and how to reach ‘millennials’ seemingly uninterested in traditional mediums.
Even so the speaker list, somewhat lacking in female representatives, deserves a closer look. See for yourself.
Spotted the pattern? Yep, the more cynical of you out there might say the line-up is a bit ‘male and stale’. Somewhat of a sausage-fest featuring the usual cast of middle-aged men. Inclusive it certainly is not.
Of the 57 speakers across three days, the organisers – Media Partners Asia – only managed to find four women to participate. Let’s say that number again. Four!
Adland legend and gender diversity champion Cindy Gallop summed it up concisely with her Facebook comment on the warped ratio: “Godalbloodymighty.”
Cindy, we salute you.
As to Media Partners Asia, the event organiser told Dr Mumbo: “APOS has 400 people to date attending the event and approximately 30 per cent are women in various management and operating positions across a wide range of companies. APOS has hosted women executives from Astro, CNN, Cignal, Endemol- Shine, NBCU, PCCW Media, Viacom and more, and will continue to do so in the future.”
Well, that’s OK then.
Mumbo Jumbo:
In this age of repentance and politically correct bedwetters, I don’t blame you for your invective, so let’s applaud APOS for being so thoroughly incorrect and unrepentant.
MATE, the agenda isn’t about TV or millennials or even anything that limiting or whatever colours your incredibly myopic lens.
The themes say enough as does the heavy asian rep (think india, china, korea, southeast asia) about the diversity of the event.
check out the themes and speakers.
About female leadership and representation — unforgivable. agree with Cindy, your diversity champion. Perhaps it also says a lot that only Astro, PCCW are led by women in the media, telco & OTT industry and few others are making it to the top yet – why, how, when – but that’s another discussion, Mumbo Jungo Bozo.
ReplySame old faces, same old topics. Yawn.
To the comment above, it has little to do with who is leading the company (although I agree with your point) and more about who those companies put forward to speak for them. Inevitably, all the big sponsors (who get a speaker as part of the package – yawn again) see it as a PR exercise for their CEO. So they will put up the usual person (male) who will read from the usual script. Boxes ticked. CEO happy that he was on stage and his photo in the programme. Similar to CASBAA, its a huge talking shop.
You telling me that the BBC, Disney or whoever, don’t have women in senior positions? Likewise, the females from CNN or PCCW are not running those particular organizations.
It’s a shame. But the conference organisers are hardly to blame, except that they could start demanding speakers be a little more challenging, but then this is true of most industry conferences. They are just trying to earn some dollars. The onus is on the participants to be more inclusive in how they present themselves in the world.
ReplyBs
Replymikey, they have youtube and plenty of companies on there who are not sponsoring the event. people like reed hastings or james murdoch who have been there previously don’t read from the usual scripts and I doubt Andy Bird or Ted Sarandos will. Not sure who you think really runs PCCW Media but if it’s not Janice Lee, then pls let me know. Balance between PR and real insights is important, I agree, but I’m looking forward to the event for the discussion and the meetings. casbah is also a good event as is media360. when is umbrella360
ReplyWell, I can only say that I have not been to this event so you could be right, but you also say Casbaa is a good event. Having been to Casbaa for six years running, I could count on one hand the number of sessions that were in any way provocative. And many of the same Casbaa faces appear to be at this event.
ReplyIt’s my second time there and I don’t see much overlap. I don’t see any of the frontline speakers at apos anywhere in asia ever at any event and like you I attend a few.
ReplyWho wrote this Mumbo sausage piece
A pommie or colonial aussie unhappy with his or her place in the world
A pommie or colonial aussie that has just landed in asia and hates the media world
Or someone who is about to conquer the world
Grow up. Play the game. And then search and destroy.
There’s bacon too here. some stuffing. chips and mushrooms. how about some HP sauce.
ReplyYou know a conference has become big time, when someone can be bothered to say they don’t want to go….
ReplyHave your say