EM Media's Producer Forum - Acessing Funds: The Money Is Out There January 15, 2009

The next event in EM Media’s Talent Network calendar is all about Accessing Funds: The Money is Out There….

The session features some fantastic speakers and aims to cover the following:

• A chance to hear about a range of finance opportunities available to producers working across film, television and interactive sectors;
• An opportunity to discuss the suitability of these investment sources for your project or company needs;
• Offers an unmissable opportunity to talk to investors directly during networking breaks and ask questions in an open forum of debate;
• Establish whether your project is ready to take to market or needs further development.

Here’s our line up of fantastic speakers for The Money is Out There…

Alec McPhedran, McPhedran Co Ltd (Chairing the evening)

Alec McPhedran is an experienced developer of people, mainly working within the creative industries. He is the managing director of mcphedran co uk and its broadcasting arm, Skills Channel TV. The business provides training for busy creative people. Previously, he’s held senior roles with Channel 4, Financial Times Management, The Pearson Group, Railtrack, Henley Distance Learning and The Open College. This range of learning, management and broadcast experience uniquely places him as a key provider of high level multiple people development projects.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and member of BAFTA and the Royal Television Society. Alec’s former leadership projects have included being part of the UK Ofcom Task Force to set the Memorandum of Understanding for Training in the Broadcast Industry, a director of The Research Television for Television and Interactivity, a board member of the Northamptonshire Learning and Skills Council, director of the National Council for Drama Training, a director of FT2, chair of the Scottish Broadcasters Development Group and member of the Skillset TV Skills Strategy group and Freelance Training Fund. Alec is also a Prince’s Trust mentor and a Creative Connections business adviser.
Jason Hall, Head of Innovation, Screen West Midlands
4iP is a creative pilot fund that aims to re-invent how publicly-valuable content is conceived, funded and delivered on new media platforms. The eagerly awaited launch of 4iP in the West Midlands took place last November, with Birmingham becoming one of the first UK commissioning hubs for England and Wales for 4iP, when regional screen agency Screen WM and Channel 4 unveiled their £10 million joint investment 4iP fund, supported by Advantage West Midlands.
Jason Hall, Head of Innovation at Screen WM will talk about his involvement in the 4iP project, and how East Midlands digital content producers could benefit from this project, as the funds for it extend beyond regional boundaries.

Agnieska Moody, MEDIA Desk
The UK MEDIA Desk is the UK-wide MEDIA information office hosted by the UK Film Council. The London-based UK MEDIA Desk offers information specifically aimed towards film, TV, and new media professionals based in England and Northern Ireland. It works in partnership with other UK MEDIA offices: MEDIA Antenna Scotland and MEDIA Antenna Wales.

Agnieszka Moody is the Director of the UK MEDIA Desk, an information office of the European funding programme MEDIA 2007, hosted by the UK Film Council. Her responsibilities include promotion of the Programme to the UK film, TV and new media industries as well as providing information and advice about the Programme to individuals, companies and industry bodies in the UK. Over seven years Agnieszka has helped over three hundred British companies secure funding for their projects from the EU and also organised a range of industry events and conferences fostering international collaboration, including the Co-production Express at BAFTA in 2005.

Toby Reid, East Midlands Growth Investment Network
The East Midlands Growth Investment Network is a not for profit organisation sponsored by the East Midlands Development Agency and funded by members’ subscriptions. Members include top industry specialists and leading organisations in the East Midlands. Together this forms a powerful network of support for entrepreneurs, in which experts work together to get business propositions ready for investment.

The Network makes business owners aware of the possibilities of raising investment and has a network of East Midlands people you should know if you want to take your business successfully to the next level. People with the cash you need. People to guide you. People who can give you answers - and ask the questions you never knew to ask.
Toby Reid, Operations Manger, joins us to talk about the range of investment available through the Growth Investment Network.

Plus there’s our Ask The Experts service…
This service offers the opportunity to ask questions and add to the debate. Just email your question in advance of the event to Talent Network Questions. Cut-off point for questions is 12 noon on Wednesday 14 January.

EM Media’s Talent Network is funded via the Skillset Film Skills Fund as part of ‘A Bigger Future’, the UK film skills strategy. The Skillset Film Skills Fund is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.