According to Reuters, Hollywood Studios are cutting back on their investment at trade events -- such as the annual Consumer Electronics Show -- as studios seek cheaper or more effective ways to sell movies and television programs.
The shift has occurred as new alternative marketing strategies have displaced the old methods. Viral campaigns and digital marketing techniques, using videos and other rich media online, are creating the forward-looking momentum. Perhaps, more along the lines of the mystery-filled Web promos for the 2008 sci-fi movie Cloverfield.
"As part of our larger cost containment initiatives, we're curtailing travel unless it's really critical for business reasons and I'd imagine that fewer people are going to conferences," said one studio executive, referring to CES as well as the Sundance Film festival and the National Association of Television Program Executives conference in Las Vegas.
"Some of these shows have grown less relevant as programmers find different ways to market their material," said another interviewed executive from a different major studio.
Meanwhile, technology's role in advancing economic development in emerging markets, and predictions for the next big trends in technology, were the focus of day two at the 2009 International CES.
Intel Chairman Craig Barrett delivered a keynote, as part of the Technology and Emerging Countries Program (TEC) at CES. Barrett discussed a number of technology initiatives that are key in advancing economic development in emerging regions: access to inexpensive technology, network connectivity and content.
Following Barrett's address was the TEC panel, "Reaching the Promise of Universal Access to Technology: Creating the Global Tech Ecosystem," in which industry leaders discussed the importance of technological innovation as a catalyst for advancement in developing countries.
John Chambers, Cisco Systems CEO, delivered the closing TEC keynote address. He outlined five key pillars of strength for a country -- education; infrastructure; high-speed broadband to allow information to be shared; innovation and market transitions and a supportive government.
"The Great Rewrite: How Digitization and Changing Consumer Behaviors are Revising the Entertainment Industry's Script," featured a panel discussion on data from Deloitte's State of the Media Democracy Survey. They revealed results showing how consumers between the ages of 14 and 75 are interacting with media across five international markets.