Here East’s pioneering Future Talks series continues – this time convening experts and local communities to explore how emerging technologies are sparking an exciting new era in entertainment.
From AI to the metaverse to smart cities, Here East’s Future Talks series navigates the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and creativity; examining some of the biggest questions shaping today and tomorrow’s world.
The Seven Hills team has been proud to support Here East on all of the insightful events in this series; most recently, we were thrilled to see the fourth instalment come to life and pose the question – ‘Is Technology Killing Entertainment?’.
Bringing industry-leading innovators together with the vibrant East London community, this event explored how technology is changing the entertainment sector and whether these changes are for the better or worse. This was an evening of captivating discussions, networking opportunities, and crucial conversations on what the future of the entertainment industry might look like.
Here East COO, Mike Magan opened the event by underscoring Here East’s collaborative, creative and innovative power: “I truly believe London is the best city for the entertainment industry – brimming with some of the strongest talent and brightest minds,” he said. “I believe nothing better represents this innovation and creativity in London than this very campus. Here East is a microcosm of London’s innovative spirit, we have grown to over 6,500 people on our campus over the last decade and this convening power is important to us.”
The event featured a dynamic fireside chat between Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor at The Times, and Jamie Hindhaugh, VP Content and Host at Broadcast Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, which examined the interaction between technology and entertainment.
This conversation dived deeper into what’s next for the evolving relationship, how the way we experience entertainment is changing, whether AI could replace human creativity, and what benefits technology can bring to the industry when it comes to increasing scale, bridging labour shortages, and streamlining data capture.
Katie also moderated a lively panel discussion between Adam Perry, Tutor & Consultant at LMA, Ruth Mortimer, Global President of Advertising Week Europe, Suhair Khan, Chair of Studio Wayne McGregor, and Solomon Rogers, Global Director of Innovation at Magnopus.
This discussion saw each of the experts share unique insights and perspectives on how technology is changing the entertainment landscape, what opportunities and challenges this presents, and what this might mean for the future.
To mark the event, Here East’s CEO, Gavin Poole, also wrote a piece for Maddyness, examining whether technology is killing entertainment: “Whether it’s exploring ancient civilisations through AR-enhanced museum exhibits, or stepping into the shoes of a character in a VR game, there is no doubt that technology is enhancing entertainment in new ways – personalising experiences, adding new dimensions, and creating a competitive edge by differentiating itself from more antiquated forms of media. Just as Spotify trumped iTunes, which usurped CDs, which replaced record players – innovation always prevails.”
As a hub of collaboration, creativity, technology, and innovation, Here East is an ideal space to convene leaders and explore conversations at the forefront of issues defining tomorrow’s world. At a time of rapid and constant change, the insights generated from such discussions will help us all to navigate the jobs, industries, communities and societies of the future.