AOL Programming Chief Looks to the Future at CONNECTIONS? Conference




Jim Bankoff, AOL Programming Chief, Looks to the Future at CONNECTIONS(TM): The Digital Home Conference and Showcase

Dallas, TX -/4 May, 2005 - Wi-Fi Technology Forum/- CONNECTIONS(TM): The Digital Home Conference and Showcase will explore the ubiquity of the Internet and its impact on all of our lives beginning on Wednesday, May 11, 2005.

In his opening keynote, Jim Bankoff, executive vice president of Programming & Products for AOL, will discuss the importance of providing compelling programming as the industry competes more and more aggressively for consumer eyeballs and advertisers.

CONNECTIONS: The Digital Home Conference and Showcase, produced by Parks Associates in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association, will take place May 11-13, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency near the San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, Calif. The opening keynote "Online Programming: The Next Frontier" begins at 4:45 on May 11, 2005.

"Roughly one-third of all U.S. households now have broadband access and nearly 20 million have a home network, creating new possibilities in entertainment and information access," said Tricia Parks, president of Parks Associates. "AOL is a market leader in making the Internet more accessible and more integral to people's lives. As connectivity continues to expand, AOL's market actions, guided by its strong place in this market, will help realize and define the role of the Internet.

Bankoff will explore the factors driving the next generation of online programming. Specifically he will examine the impact of persistent access, interactivity, video, search functions, and community on domains such as music, news, sports, personal finance, and movies. He will also explore the resultant changes in ways consumers live, get information, and stay entertained.

Says Bankoff, "As the Internet universe expands increasing competition across the board, compelling programming will draw audience. But what is compelling on the Internet? How important is originality or interactivity? How do we think about audience segments? Or community? These are the questions we are all asking about the next generation of online content."

More information on sponsoring and attending CONNECTIONS(TM), including online registration, is available at http://www.connectionsconference.com. For information about sponsoring CONNECTIONS, contact sales@parksassociates.com or call 972-490-1113.

About CONNECTIONS(TM)
CONNECTIONS(TM): The Digital Home Conference and Showcase, produced by Parks Associates in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association, is the largest international executive conference for digital home technologies.

This executive conference features 80+ sponsors and 90+ speakers supporting the industry through their participation. With 700+ attendees, the conference will focus on the following market areas: Digital Entertainment and Multimedia Applications; Home Networking and Residential Gateways; Consumer Mobility and Device/Content Portability; Applications, Services, and Consumer Value; and Home Controls, Security, and Health Management. http://www.connectionsconference.com.