nextMedia - Member Receive 20% off

nextMEDIA is Canada’s leading digital media production and development marketplace, taking place Nov 30- Dec 1 at the Design Exchange, Toronto. Executives working in the digital media space can expect executive briefings, competitions and social events for executives working within the digital media space. nextMEDIA is your best opportunity to get the critical new business partnerships you need for national and international success as well as meet an international line-up of Online Broadcasters, Advertisers, Games Gurus (and Game Changers), Social Media Experts and more.

Furthermore, this year nextMEDIA has partnered with the Canadian New Media Awards - a spectacular night honouring the crème de la crème of Canadian new media talent. Join us as we recognize, celebrate, and give all out props for the accomplishments of individuals and companies in the Canadian digital media industry, in 19 prestigious award categories. Join us in Toronto at the Design Exchange on November 30 – December 1 (the CNMAs taking place on the evening of the December 1st, 2009)


Baylea Mahoney - Marketing & Communications Co-Ordinator
Achilles Media Ltd. | Tel: 416-921-3171 x 239 | bmahoney@achillesmedia.com
nextMEDIA Toronto | November 30 - December 1, 2009. |www.nextmediaevents.com/toronto
The Canadian Innovation Exchange | December 2, 2009. |www.canadianinnovationexchange.com

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Please see below for your discount on registration for your members to nextMEDIA - Toronto 2009 (20% off) as indicated in your agreement.

Registration Discount –nextMEDIA - Toronto 2009

1. To register, please click on this link: CASO - Discounted Registration - nextMEDIA - Toronto 2009

2. Follow the instructions on screen under “Create a New Account”* to complete your registration.

3. *Please create a new profile, even if you have attended an Achilles Media Event before.

4. You will receive an email message as verification of your online registration.

If you have any problems registering online, please contact our Registration Department at 403-678-1216 x 107 or email to registration@achillesmedia.com.

We appreciate your support for nextMEDIA - Toronto 2009 and look forward to working with you in the months ahead.

Call for Nominations

To all CASO members:

On October 26, 2009, we will hold the Annual General Meeting of the Association at the Veritas Restaurant, 234 King Street E, Toronto at 6:30 PM. At that time, we will elect the Board of Directors for the coming fiscal year (November 2009 – October 2010)

The Board of Directors consists of:

Immediate Past President
President
Vice President and Secretary
Six Portfolio Directors

The individual Directors’ portfolios will be assigned at the first Board meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

In accordance with the Constitution, the Nomination Committee will propose a slate of directors for ratification at the Meeting. If there are additional nominations from the membership, these will be added to the slate and, if there are more nominees than positions, an election will be held during the meeting. Send nominations to the Chair of the Nominating Committee at least two weeks prior to the meeting. Please send them to:

ron@casont.ca with copy to christa@casont.ca

specifying the position of nomination: President, Vice President and Secretary or Director.

(a) Active members not able to attend the Annual Meeting in person may request the Nominating Committee to provide telephone or internet conference facilities at the Meeting to permit them to cast their vote(s). Votes cast by means of such a facility shall be included in the determining the results of any vote at the Meeting.

Ron Estey,
Chair/Nomination Committee

SICHUAN TV FESTIVAL: SPECIAL PRICING FOR CANADIAN PRODUCERS

Canada will be a special focus at the 2009 Sichuan TV Festival, November 6 to November 8 in Chengdu, China. "Canada Day" at the festival will include preferential packages, seminars and exhibition screenings tailor-made for Canadians and designed to introduce producers to the growing market in China. The festival is offering special pricing for Canadian producers, which includes market access, invitation to all official events, access to networking tools and more for as low as 380 USD and 180 USD. For more information or to register, please contact Josie Zeng at josie@sctv-ca.com.

CASO helps create a white paper for the Digital Industry

CASO helps create a white paper for the Digital Industry
Sheridan organized a round table on digital media in August. The aim was to create a white paper for the government about how the Digital Industry is working and how it can work better. Attendees included CASO, Deluxe, C.O.R.E., Michael Hirsch, George Elliot and more.

CASO/Brazilian Trade Mission @ OAF

As part of a Federal, Ontario and Brazilian Government to increase trade and Co-Production between Brazilian and Canadian Animation producers, a Trade Mission to the Ottawa Animation Festival for 20 Brazilian companies has been arranged for Tuesday October 13, 2009.

CASO has agreed to sponsor an animation studio tours in the morning with a Panel and Breakout session in the afternoon at the Chateau Laurier. The theme of our one day event is "The Nuts and Bolts of Animation Production in Canada". The goal is to educate our Brazilian counterparts on our successful and world renowned animation business practises, with an eye to providing service and co-production opportunities to them and their ever growing Canadian Co-Production Producers. This panel however is not and will not promote the concept of outsourcing, only true Co-Production and Consulting approaches in a B2B working environment.

CASO is looking for companies to participate on the Panel and Breakout session. This is a great opportunity to meet with our Brazilian counterparts and to understand the business opportunity.

Although this program is being sponsored and organized by CASO, all animation and visual effects companies in Ontario are welcome to participate. Those who do, will be given preference when a Canadian Animation Trade Mission to Brazil happens in early 2010.

Please let Christa Tazzeo (Christa@casont.ca) or Micheal Carter (mcarter@theskonkworks.com) know early if you would like to participate in the program.

Participation in Philippine Animation Festival 2009

The Canadian Embassy in Manila has been coordinating with the Animation Council of the Philippines to highlight Canada's interest in getting involved in their annual animation festival Animahenasyon, which will be held November 25 - 28th. The Animation Council is inviting international speakers and companies from the New Media sector such as software providers, gaming and hardware, animation studios and educational institutions to participate. The event presents a lot of opportunities for Canadian content sales and distribution, outsourcing, co-production, financing and education partnerships.
http://www.animationcouncil.org/index.php?p=133

FDI Initiative to INDIA - Digital Media and ICT - Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune October 31st to November 10th, 2009

You are invited to join the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), the Town of Markham and our partners in an extra-special Executive Business Mission to India to present the GTA’s capabilities in Digital Media. One of the fastest growing sectors globally and diversifying rapidly, the digital media family now spans services, content, network and broadband technologies, software and hardware, and consumer and enterprise devices. Anchored to NASSCOM’s Animation and Gaming Forum in Hyderabad, this mission will enable you to present your city’s capabilities to prospective investors in three major Indian cities.

Join in the unique experiences and highly profitable meetings that are planned:

· Join the GTMA and its partner, the Town of Markham, at one of India’s most prestigious conferences - the NASSCOM Animation and Gaming Forum 2009, with a global reputation for attracting the world’s leading thinkers and industry leaders.

· Actively participate as a team in promoting Canada and the GTA to international audiences and to senior company executives in one-on-one meetings, roundtables and at networking events in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune.

· Make connections with Indian firms looking to invest in Canada and the GTA.

· Explore opportunities with top companies in Digital Media:

· Services (IPTV, streaming video, audio, voice, social networks, conferencing, advertising, digital signage, 3-D, interactive and new media, etc.)

· Content including a broad spectrum of producers - film, data, music, news feeds, 3-D, animation.

· Network broadband technologies including web 2.0, G-4 and digital media platforms

· Supporting Hardware and Software.

· Consumer and enterprise devices (cell phones, smart phones, smart displays, PCs etc.)

· Content users such as advertising, media and marketing firms.

· Attend high-level receptions, top level meetings and presentations as well as meet senior executives from among the top Indian companies at NASSCOM in Hyderabad.

· Meet the Province of Ontario in-market specialist and other Canadian trade specialists.

· Attend briefing sessions and orientation visits to gain a better understanding of the Indian culture, economy and how companies in India will expand globally.

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in this fully coordinated program and make incredible business connections, develop new partnerships and help to attract new investment to the GTA by Indian companies.

Kaj Pindal celebrates 40 years of Peep at a retrospective art show @ Six Degrees Muskoka

A new multi-media interactive gallery in Bracebridge called "Six Degrees Muskoka" is putting on a "40 Years of Peep" retrospective starting August 28th and Running to September 15th. Along with original artwork, Kaj will be displaying some of the original musical instruments and his Emmy and Gemini. The gallery also has a grassroots children's animation school called "Pixels on the Parallel" which I believe Kaj will do a lecture at during the opening weekend.

Message to All Members

Hello CASO Members,

It's been an exciting summer this year, while we haven’t been able to count on the weather, we have been able to rely on the Ontario Government to support the future growth of our industry. Recent highlights include The Ontario Government, through the OMDC, working to implement cost effective changes to the OPSTC and the OCASE tax credits. Further, they have pledged monies to help strengthen the industry by providing incentives to STARZ Animation Toronto and UBISOFT. These changes will help drive production volume and credibility to the region, increase our talent pool and will continue to strengthen our capacity to compete on a global scale.

At CASO, we have been working steadily to plan and develop future trade missions and events that will expand your network, increase revenue for your business, and create programs that will bring intellectual and creative value to you and your employees. On a macro level, we have been working to secure support for the Industrial Strategy initiative, which will help shape the strategy of the digital animation and visual effects industry over the next few years.

Our newly created newsletter format is part of our effort to be more responsive to industry news, events, and just generally giving you the scoop on what you need to know.
We hope you like it! And if you don’t, we’d like to hear from you, the CASO Board of Directors, Christa Tazzeo or myself are only an email away!

Sincerly Yours,

Michael
Vice President, CASO