Register

Agenda

Find the session you’re looking for: check out our Agenda Top Picks.

Expand All
  1. 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

    Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall

    Grab some grub before we kick off a big day of digital media discussion.

  2. 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM

    Welcome to OPS

    Publisher Rob Beeler opens the conference and sets the expectations for the day.

  3. 9:10 AM – 9:20 AM

    A Native Case Study Presented by Meredith and TripleLift

    Sponsored by

  4. 9:20 AM – 10:00 AM

    How Technology Is Powering The Washington Post’s Future

    Over the last year, The Washington Post has seen incomparable growth in readership and engagement. Chief Information Officer Shailesh Prakash will discuss how The Post’s strategic focus on experimentation, speed of product development, and the reader experience is driving its success in an ever-changing media landscape. Prakash, who has transformed the tech culture at The Post, will delve into new products and tools developed by his team of world-class engineers, sharing how these solve for industry-wide issues and can benefit brands as well as journalists.

  5. 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM

    How Time Inc. Uses Header Tag to Enable Democratized Automated Media Buying

    As more buyers shift dollars to programmatic, header bidding presents more opportunities for them to reach audiences across sites and secure inventory that was once only reserved for direct deals. Though header is an empowering innovation for the demand side, many advertisers mistakenly fear that header is just a means for publishers to drive more yield. During this panel, Time Inc.’s VP of Programmatic, Kavata Mbondo, will join Index Exchange's SVP Supply, Alex Gardner, to discuss how header tag offers opportunities for collaboration between the buy and sell sides that will strengthen the programmatic marketplace and improve the transparency and effectiveness involved in automated digital media trading.

    Sponsored by

  6. 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM

    Site Speed and the Battle Against Latency

    Ad technology is enabled by systems engineered to handle millions of transactions in fractions of a second. This session will dissect the elements of speed including page design, network transit, auction timing, and measurement.

    Sponsored by

  7. 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM

    The Bottom Line on Viewability

    As viewability has infiltrated the industry, the effects have reached much further than simple measurement – it’s quickly impacting the bottom lines of leading publishers. How can publishers use viewability to their benefit? How are advertisers using viewability to measure publisher performance? Where is the industry heading? Join a lively discussion with senior executives at leading publishers, agencies, and viewability technologists as they answer these questions and more.

  8. 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

    Two-Headed Beast: Viewability and Ad Blocking

    Ad blocking and viewability are two longstanding industry issues that have put the industry in a virtual headlock over the last few years. Is one more important than the other? Is there truly a viable solution for either? Two distinguished representatives of the buy and sell sides – GroupM's Joe Barone and Forbes' Mark Howard, respectively – will debate the urgency of ad blocking versus viewability, and note as well how they are linked.

  9. 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

    How Publishers Can Increase Their Programmatic Video Revenue

    Video ad campaigns can increase publisher revenue significantly, but inventory creation needs to be informed by data to provide relevance and preserve user experience. Genesis Media will explain how it leverages the full-stack ad platform of Smart AdServer to deliver more meaningful, effective video advertising on premium sites. Along with its proprietary Attention Platform, Genesis uses holistic yield optimization in its monetization channels (direct, RTB, deal ID and mediation) in order to extract the highest yield from every available video impression.

    Sponsored by

  10. 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

    How Univision Reaches Hispanic Voters on the Local Level: Ops and Sales Team Up

    Election season is madness, with a variety of candidates desperate to reach the Hispanic audiences Univision proudly cultivates. But getting so many campaigns off the ground – many of them last-minute – requires a great deal of teamwork between ops and sales. Univision’s Matthew Katz and Ted Gurley will use election season as a gateway to talking about the evolving ops-sales relationship, in particular when it comes to hyperlocal targeting and crunch-time campaigns.

    • Matthew KatzSenior Director of Ad OperationsUnivision Interactive Media
    • Ted GurleyVice President Digital SalesUnivision Interactive Media
  11. 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

    Impressions, Engagement and Time: Unifying the Yield Curve

    Fragmentation in ad tech isn't just limited to tech providers and devices. The number of transaction channels has increased rapidly, and now includes the interesting angles of engagement and time. This panel explores these while contemplating how they fit together to form an overarching yield curve.

    Sponsored by

  12. 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

    The Future of Media Buying

    Nowhere has the effect of transactional technology been more apparent than in media buying. Once the realm of powerful media-buying agencies, programmatic channels and other developments have upended who is doing the buying and where. A diverse group of buy-side professionals debate recent trends while discussing the effect of brands building programmatic buying platforms, integrated creative and media-buying operations and the fate of trading desks.

  13. 11:10 AM – 11:50 AM

    Header Bidding: Understanding the Developer Perspective for Non-Developers

    While proven effective in driving yield, header bidding redefines the roles of developers and the increasing need for dev resources in ad tech. In this session, Kristina Dzenis of StudyBreak Media explores the operational and yield shifts publishers face with developer-dependent work, and later dives into these changes with a panel of developers working directly with header bidding technology: what approaches work, what isn't working, and how tech can improve moving forward.

  14. 11:50 AM – 12:20 PM

    Morning Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall

  15. 12:20 PM – 1:00 PM

    Content Marketing in a Native Landscape

    Content marketing has fresh wind in its sails thanks to the rise of native content – advertisers are massively improving consumer engagement while publishers are nurturing a salient revenue stream by opening in-house creative studios. Many of the age-old handicaps are still present – namely challenges with scaling and streamlining creative production – but doors are opening constantly, including a wealth of burgeoning platforms (e.g., OTT, Snapchat) to reach new audiences. This session will analyze the relationships between brands, creative agencies and publishers in building effective campaigns, as well as dive into breakthroughs in developing content and creative and potential for cross-platform success.

  16. 12:20 PM – 12:40 PM

    Optimizing Ad Operations With Growing 2nd Channel Monetization

    Geoff Wolinetz, VP, Enterprise Solutions and Sabrina Alimi, Manager, Advisory Services, Freewheel, sit down with Lee Barstow, VP, Digital Ad Operations, A+E Networks, to discuss a recent collaboration that helped A+E audit their online video player, identify and reduce latency, and streamline their programmatic delivery channel, in an effort to improve performance and user experience.

    Sponsored by

  17. 12:20 PM – 1:00 PM

    What Makes a Publisher Premium?

    In digital media, premium has long been such an arbitrary term that it's been nearly rendered meaningless. However, a slew of trends - including greater awareness of non-human traffic and ad blocking - are giving the term a true definition again and separating premium publishers from the chaff.

  18. 12:20 PM – 1:00 PM

    Pre-Roll and Beyond: Top Video Monetization Practices of Mobile App Publishers

    kik. iHeartRadio. Wishbone. What innovative strategies for mobile video monetization do these publishers share despite their differing backgrounds? They’ve transformed their monetization strategies with initiatives that range from the simple to sophisticated -- but how has all of it been effective? How do these publishers integrate video advertising to command higher dollars while growing user session time and session frequency? Join a panel of leading mobile app publishers to learn the best practices that they employ with video ads to have their cake and eat it too.

    Sponsored by

  19. 12:20 PM – 1:00 PM

    All in the Terms and Conditions: Viewability, Data Ownership and More

    Viewability. Data Ownership. Measurement. None of these issues are sufficiently covered in standard contract terms and conditions, which is taking a toll on both the buy and sell sides. While programmatic addresses some of the challenges, it also manages to create a new set of quandaries. This session will walk through current buy- and sell-side issues with T&Cs as well as the increasingly important role they play in future transactions.

    • Richard MonihanDirector, Sales Operations Policy and Contract OversightESPN Business Operations
    • Angelina EngVP of Media Platforms and OperationsMerkle, Inc.
  20. 12:20 PM – 1:00 PM

    Inside the IAB's Data 1.0 Initiative

    Data field headers, which aren't standardized across the industry, create all kinds of headaches when data sets overlap. The process of ETL -- extracting, transforming and loading data -- can be highly manual, and can require extensive mapping to deal with combining fields that contain the same kind of data, but were given different names going in. That's why the IAB has undertaken the Data Field Nomenclature Initiative, to meet the demand for standardization and reduce friction between players in the digital space. Learn more about the challenges the IAB is working to overcome with this initiative, and how the organization is planning to move forward.

  21. 1:00 PM – 2:10 PM

    Lunch in the Exhibit Hall

  22. 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM

    Diversity in Digital Media

    Ad operations plays a crucial role in tech and media, by creating a stepping stone for a skilled and curious person to progress out of the back room and into the C-suite. In considering the future of our industry, it’s very important to hire, manage and cultivate a diverse workforce. The IAB has called for strengthening racial, gender, cultural and economic diversity in digital media, and the AdMonsters community itself demonstrates the growing diversity of ops teams. This discussion features Jack Myers, Chairman of MyersBizNet and author (most recently) of The Future of Men: Masculinity in the 21st Century; and Sheila Buckley, a veteran of several leading publications and tech vendor companies, currently SVP of Sales for Business Insider, President of AWNY (Advertising Women of New York) and Co-Chair of the IAB's Sales Executive Council and Carol Watson, founder of Tangerine Watson, the largest cross-cultural talent consultancy in the ad industry and now a diversity and inclusion thought leader and advisor to companies at Diversity Best Practices.

  23. 2:10 PM – 2:30 PM

    Native Advertising, Hot Off the Wire

    The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world. AP’s Content Services division — separate from the AP newsroom — helps companies increase brand awareness to build consumer engagement and drive sales. The AP’s Paul Caluori speaks with Nativo’s Chris Rooke about how the two organizations have teamed up to offer an industry-leading native advertising solution — and additional revenue opportunities — for brands and AP member publishers.


    Sponsored by

  24. 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM

    The Wonderful World of OTT and Connected TV

    IP-delivered TV isn’t just for cord-cutters – research firm NPD estimates that 49 million U.S. households (or approximately half) have either an Internet-connected TV or an over-the-top streaming media device like an Apple TV, Roku or gaming console. Connected TVs and OTTs represent a particularly interesting avenue for digital publishers to make their way onto the TV screen. However, building audiences and monetizing content on OTT come with their own challenges – this panel will use anecdotes to explore how a digital publisher can establish a viable (and profitable) OTT presence.

  25. 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM

    Angling in on Attribution

    Sure, reporting has improved in leaps and bounds over the years with developments like engagement measurement, but has attribution actually gotten anywhere? With more ad spend spread out across an ever-increasing number of channels, the old Wanamaker dilemma of not understanding where your marketing is actually working has only grown more pertinent. This panel will examine the latest attribution developments, how brands are working with their marketing partners to best analyze performance and what obstacles, are hobbling attribution efforts.

    • Will RandDirector of Programmatic OperationsZiff Davis
    • Phanessa RomeroSenior Analyst, Analytics Implementation & Data StrategyAmerican Airlines
    • Nate GasserEmerging Media and TechnologyCamelot Communications
  26. 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM

    Quality Control: Stop Ad Blocking Before It Starts!

    For all the recent industry panic over growing use of Ad blockers, not enough attention is given to why consumer choose to turn them on in the first place - as a reaction to overwhelming and garish ad experiences as well as security concerns over malvertising and tracking. Before resorting to blocking the blockers, advertisers, service providers and publishers need to discuss ad quality control – particularly on the programmatic level – and how to stop users from seeking ad blockers in the first place.

    Sponsored by

  27. 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM

    Audience Extension and Media Buying for Publishers

    The ubiquity of programmatic tools has made audience extension a popular channel for publishers wishing to supplement revenue by tracking down users and lookalikes on third-party inventory. But for some sites – particularly data-driven media companies – audience extension is proving quite lucrative, and pubs have upped their media-buying capabilities to further drive revenue. Advance Digital’s David Rowley and Derek Nicol will discuss how to (and whether you should) set up a department dedicated to audience extension and media buying.

    • David RowleySr. Director, Digital Ad Platform StrategiesAdvance Digital
    • Derek NicolDirector of Technology - Advertising and AnalyticsAdvance Digital
  28. 2:50 PM – 3:20 PM

    Afternoon Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall

    Just one more jolt to make it through the last few sessions.

  29. 3:20 PM – 4:00 PM

    Everything That Rises Must Converge: TV and Video

    This ain’t your grandfather’s boob tube. The wealth of video-playing devices has forever changed TV advertising, for better and worse. With an abundance of targeting data, advertisers strive for the smartest ways to reach consumers, while broadcasters and other video content creators aim to aid their clients in reaching audiences and delivering seamless experiences from screen to screen. The buy side and sell side come together on this panel to discuss how device fragmentation has affected both parties’ approach to the upfronts, the rise in programmatic TV (oh, and what exactly does that mean?), the challenges in multiplatform planning and transacting, and the next steps in digital-linear convergence.

    • Mitch OscarDirector of Advanced TelevisionU.S. International Media
    • Oleg KorenfeldEVP, Ad Tech & PlatformsMediavest Spark
    • Michael ShieldsVice President, Non-Linear Sales Strategy and Business DevelopmentFox Networks Group
  30. 3:20 PM – 3:40 PM

    Location Data: Mobile Programmatic’s Secret Sauce

    Mobile advertising has long flummoxed advertisers and publishers alike, but programmatic channels are proving remarkably effective for reaching audiences on the go – according to eMarketer, mobile advertising will account for 69% of all programmatic ad spending in 2016. Yet targeting the right customer on mobile is still a struggle – cookie-based tracking is greatly limited in an environment where personal experiences are increasingly critical. Location data is a key resource here for advertisers and publishers of all stripes, but smartly and effectively leveraging them is an art in itself. This panel will dive into the opportunities and challenges in employing location data, and how location can be the fuel that powers mobile programmatic to take off.

    Sponsored by

  31. 3:20 PM – 4:00 PM

    Segments of the Future: Pinterest's Ground-Breaking Insights

    What’s in a pin? Passions, interests, intent and more. Leveraging all elements of its unique platform, Pinterest has doubled down to more deeply understand its user base – and how to market to them. Head of Integrated Marketing Eva Papoutsakis Smith details how Pinterest is deciphering these insights to not just make them actionable, but also give brands deeper understanding of their customers' needs that they can then apply across all their marketing channels.

  32. 3:20 PM – 4:00 PM

    Don’t Call It Remnant: Commerce Makes It Rain for Gawker

    The development of Gawker’s commerce and promotions teams is kind of a funny story, but the revenue these channels are driving is nothing to laugh at.

  33. 3:20 PM – 4:00 PM

    Evolution of an Industry: Monetizing Impressions to Monetizing People

    It’s 2016, and publishers remain stuck with less than ideal solutions for merchandising and monetizing their audience across the demand landscape. Brands are still limited in their ability to ensure reach to their definition of the consumer. Advances like header bidding have created incremental benefit, but leave significant revenue on the table and create a terrible consumer experience. Publishers need to think bigger than the header and ad server to expand their ability to monetize their audience while creating a valuable consumer experience. Buyers must think beyond the ad tag to maximize reach against their customers. We’ll investigate solutions for effectively managing multiple demand partners, amplifying customer reach and the path toward holistic audience management.

    Sponsored by

  34. 3:20 PM – 4:00 PM

    Where the Wild Bots Are: Understanding the Impact of Non-Human Traffic

    As digital ad spend increases, so does fraud, in the form of bot traffic and counterfeit websites. The bot fraud problem cheats publishers of revenue, cheats advertisers of attention, and creates a hole in the digital ad industry billions of dollars wide. In recent years, all sides of the industry have rallied in an attempt to combat fraud, an issue that affects everyone—and yet, many of us still stand to be educated about what bots actually do on the web and how we can detect them and prevent them from damaging our business. Dr. Augustine Fou has published and spoken extensively about cybersecurity. In this session, he’ll explain the differences between legitimate human user behavior and bot behavior, and how publishers and advertisers can turn those insights toward more meaningful analytics and more value in their digital strategies.

    • Augustine FouIndependent Ad Fraud ResearcherMarketing Science Consulting Group
  35. 4:20 PM – 4:30 PM

    AdMonsters Business

    What's going on at AdMonsters?

  36. 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM

    Time For Medium: Boldly Monetizing a Budding Platform

    With a back-to-back giant fundraising rounds under its belt, Medium is proving its worth as the next-generation self-publishing platform. However, head of partnerships Joe Purzycki will explain that Medium's boldness extends to its monetization strategy: selling advertising on a time basis.

  37. 4:50 PM – 5:10 PM

    Digital Decides: How Ad Tech Will Shake up the 2016 Election

    Election season may seem like it’s been going on forever, but the madness is only beginning as a tsunami of local elections join the presidential title fight. The digital ad landscape is more important than ever not only because of our increasingly Internet-connected lives, but also due to new ground broken in multiplatform campaigns, hyper-local targeting and data segmenting. Rising Tide Interactive Founding Partner Eli Kaplan tries to decipher just how profound an impact digital advertising will have on the 2016 elections.

  38. 5:10 PM – 5:30 PM

    I'd Like to Teach the World to Shazam a Coke

    Listen up – While Shazam’s lip-sync campaign with Coke is pretty specific to Shazam, there are lessons for everyone in digital media about leveraging the devices in consumer hands to deliver relevant marketing messages. Rob Beeler will discuss with Shazam’s Darren Klein the roots of the campaign, how it’s performing and lessons learned for everyone in the room. And we’re going to have some fun with Shazam as well – make sure you download the app and your lips are prepared.

  39. 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

    Reception

    Celebrate good times, come on!


OPS 2016