Tropfest’s John Polson joins Caxtons 2010 seminar line-up – final four speakers revealed

CB Exclusive – The four final speakers for the 2010 Caxton Seminar and Awards will be award-winning actor and director John Polson (left), Lion Nathan Brands Director Jon Bradshaw, News Ltd Entertainment editor-at-large Rebekah Devlin and Fairfax 360 Manager Shaun Morgan, who will join a powerhouse list of world-class speaking talent set to make this year’s Caxtons the most provocative ever.

Polson is the founder of the world’s largest short film festival Tropfest, which now attracts a live audience of more than 150,000 on a single night. His first passion is as a film director and his credits include Siam Sunset, Swimfan and Hide and Seek. His latest film, Tenderness, starring Russell Crowe, was released in 2009.

Now based in New York, Polson has taken the Tropfest concept to New York, Berlin, London, Bangkok, Beijing and Aspen. He has also produced TV shows including Fringe, The Mentalist, The Good Wife and Flash Forward and won Cannes and AFI awards.

Bradshaw (left), who describes himself as “another bloody Pom” began hiscareer with drinks giant Diageo, working on Smirnoff, Guinness, Baileysand Johnnie Walker. He moved to Australia to join Virgin Mobile in 2007before being lured to Lion Nathan as Brands Director, working onTooheys and XXXX. In 2010 he was voted “Biggest thinker” at theAustralian Planning Group’s inaugural “Battle of big thinking”.

Beginning her journalistic career at The Advertiser, Devlin (below left) then movedto The Age, eventually landing in Sydney as News Ltd NationalEntertainment Editor to oversee the launch of a new nationalentertainment section, Hit. She is now editor-at-large at News, with afocus on online innovation.

Morgan (left) has more than 12 years experience in the creation ofmulti-platform solutions for advertisers. He joined Fairfax Media in2007, and created ‘Fairfax 360’, a multi award-winning creativebusiness team within Fairfax Media that focuses on delivering creativeled solutions for both advertisers and Fairfax’s audience across allavailable platforms and channels.

In the past year Fairfax 360 has created products such as ‘3D’newspapers, transparent wraps, developed an integrated model ofeditorial and creative partnerships and created formats for advertisersto reach the Fairfax audience with greater impact and in unique ways.

These four additional speakers, bring the Caxton line-up to ten including:

•    Keynote speaker Nick Law – the New York-based Chief Creative Officer of global digital agency R/GA (far left).

•    Duncan Marshall – Droga5 Founding Partner and Executive Creative Director (left) •   Jon Wilkins – Founding Partner, Naked •   Ted Horton – Co-founder, Big Red •   Justin Drape – Co-founder and Executive Creative Director at Three Drunk Monkeys •   Darren Woolley – Managing Director of TrinityP3. In addition, award-winning News Ltd cartoonist Warren Brown will MC the Caxton Awards presentation at the event.

Caxton Committee chairman Rob Belgiovane said the calibre of speakersthis year and their ability to provoke and enlighten would make thisyear’s Caxtons a must-do: “Adapting to change in media, technology andconsumer socialisation is our primary objective in marketing right now- and that’s what the Caxton Seminar is all about this year,”Belgiovane said.

“Where else can you get an intimate creative seminar where you get tohear some of the world’s best creative and digital talent, andthen get to mix with them to argue, debate and be inspired in Noosa forthe entire weekend.

“No other Australian event can do or will ever do what the Caxtons does.”

The 2010 Caxton Seminar will be held at the Quay West Noosa resort on October 22 to 24.

For further information on the 2010 Caxton Seminar and Awards,including booking enquiries, please contact Justine Kendall at Two deForce, +61 2 9281 8788 or email justine@twodeforce.com.au