The Future of Media Conference is directed towards the media, advertising and marketing sectors. Media platforms will aim to provide vehicles for brands to reach and engage with increasingly tech-savvy and discerning audiences. The changing trends in advertising, branding and content will come under the spotlight.

The event intends to attract the country's leading marketing, media and advertising strategists as they engage in various aspects that are affecting the industry today, including the tech-evolution that has taken place in the last four years.

Eben Gewers, head of advertising sales at Tiso Blackstar Group, says, "Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and the industry does not always have an opportunity to sit back and take everything in."

"We see the Future of Media Conference as an opportunity to bring our industry colleagues together under one roof, where we can hear from experts in their respective fields, debate relevant issues and leave with a well-formed view of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead," adds Gewers.

Tiso Blackstar itself is a company that, over the past few years, has transitioned significantly from being a predominantly print-based publisher to one that is the second-largest online publisher in South Africa.

The group's news websites have realised record traffic thus far in 2019, on the back of an on-going investment in technology and processes to deliver high-quality, digital-first copy. This approach has seen its websites (TimesLIVE, BusinessLIVE, SowetanLIVE, DispatchLIVE, and HeraldLIVE) draw sizeable audiences in South Africa.

Taryn Westoby, head of Tiso Blackstar events — which organises the Future of Media Conference — says, "We're very excited to once again host an event that further entrenches the group's commitment to serving the interests of the media and marketing community and enabling trust amongst consumer audiences." 

Tiso Blackstar Events also hosts the Sunday Times Top Brands Awards, Sunday Times Gen Next Awards, the South African Radio Awards, Financial Mail AdForum and the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards, the AMARA Recruitment Awards, as well as the recently acquired MOST Awards.

The conference line-up will be announced in due course and more information about the previous Future of Media events can be found on the event website.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact hoylandc@tisoblackstar.co.za. To register to participate as a speaker, contact fleishmanj@tisoblackstar.co.za.

For more information, visit www.tisoblackstarevents.co.za.