Paley Center and New York Comedy Festival Team Up for THE NEXT BIG THING, Beginning 11/7

The Paley Center for Media will partner with the New York Comedy Festival, which is presented in association with COMEDY CENTRAL, to present a special comedy-themed edition of Next Big Thing, the Paley Center's quarterly showcase for digital-media startups. Set for Wednesday, November 7, the event will feature demos and presentations from five comedy-related startup companies. The event will include participation from Dick Glover, CEO, Funny Or Die and Paul Greenberg, CEO, CollegeHumor.com.

The Paley Center and the New York Comedy Festival are calling for submissions by digital entrepreneurs and innovators from the comedy industry interested in presenting their company or product.

Sponsored by AdKeeper, Inc., McCann, and Mediabrands, Next Big Thing introduces emerging entrepreneurs to the Paley Center's community of industry leaders. A mix of elevator pitches and high-level conversation, Next Big Thing gatherings feature short presentations followed by intimate discussion with a select audience drawn from the Paley Center's Media Council and Generator membership communities, and other leaders and innovators in the new media, technology, and venture capitalist communities.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with The Paley Center for Media for this comedy-themed edition of its successful series, Next Big Thing," said Caroline Hirsch, founder of the New York Comedy Festival. "The development of digital media has created an entirely new and exciting platform for entrepreneurs to share comedy content, so this event will be quite an insightful and entertaining addition to our programming."

"As longtime partners of the New York Comedy Festival, we've been proud to offer our members and other comedy fans the chance to connect with the extraordinary performers and creators the festival attracts each year," said Max Robins, vice president and executive director for industry programs at The Paley Center for Media. "This collaborative edition of the Next Big Thing series will provide a smart, lively, and fun forum to explore the evolving business of comedy. And it demonstrates the Paley Center's ongoing commitment to spotlighting creativity and growth in the digital media marketplace."

Those interested in presenting at the Nov. 7 event should submit the follow information and materials to paleymediacouncil@gmail.com:

A full description of the company, including launch date and, if applicable, funding history and lists of investors and advisors.
A short bio of whoever will present on behalf of the company.
A draft slide deck of the presentation (PowerPoint or PDF preferred).
A 5-10 minute video of the designated presenter delivering the presentation (the video may be recorded for this submission or taken from a presentation at a similar event).
Complete contact information.

Submissions must be received by COB September 14, 2012 to be eligible for consideration.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m., with a cocktail reception; presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. AdKeeper Founder & CEO Scott Kurnit will moderate the conversation between the presenters and the audience.

Admission is free for Media Council and Generator members, and open to registered ticket holders. Buy tickets here or register by e-mail at mediacouncil@paleycenter.org.

The event will also be live-streamed via FORA.tv at www.paleycenter.org/nbt. Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PaleyNext.

The Next Big Thing advisory board is chaired by Scott Kurnit and includes Wendy Clark, SVP, Integrated Marketing and Communications Capabilities, Coca-Cola; Betty Cohen, Founder & President, Betty Cohen Media Consulting; Kay Koplovitz, Paley Center Trustee, Founder & CEO, Koplovitz & Co.; Alan Patricof, Founder & Managing Director, Greycroft LLC; David S. Rose, Founder & CEO, Gust; Max Robins, VP & Executive Director, Industry Program, The Paley Center for Media; Clay Shirky, Author, Associate Professor, NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program; Yossi Vardi, Chairman, International Technologies; and FrEd Wilson, Managing Partner, Flatiron Partners and Union Square Ventures. For more information about the Next Big Thing, visit our website http://www.paleycenter.org/nbt-about.

The Paley Center for Media and the New York Comedy Festival have partnered since 2006, bringing to the public events like Writers Speak! A Potentially Regrettable Evening With The Writers of THE DAILY SHOW and Louie: A Conversation with Louis C.K. Details about the Paley Center's full lineup of 2012 New York Comedy Festival events will be available on our website www.paleycenter.org in the fall.