Media Leaders to Redefine the Future of the Indust

The Avid Customer Association’s fourth annual gathering will reveal the results of the inaugural ACA Vote, feature an unmatched speaker lineup, and herald a new chapter for Avid with the unveiling of Avid’s most significant developments since the launch of the Avid MediaCentral platform.

BURLINGTON, Mass., March 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --   Avid ^® (Nasdaq: AVID ) today announced a jam-packed agenda for Avid Connect 2017 , the annual gathering of the Avid Customer Association (ACA). Avid Connect is a unique industry event that brings together hundreds of media industry leaders, technologists and creative professionals from all over the world to explore new ideas, strengthen their knowledge, expand their network and prepare for the year ahead. Avid Connect 2017 will take place April 22-23, 2017 at Wynn Las Vegas prior to The NAB Show.

Avid Chairman and CEO Louis Hernandez, Jr.’s opening keynote will reveal the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Avid’s transformation and unveil the most significant developments to the Avid MediaCentral® Platform —the industry’s most open, tightly integrated and efficient platform designed for media—since its launch three years ago. Attendees will be first to learn about industry-defining cloud innovations that will take MediaCentral and Avid’s comprehensive tools and workflow solutions for creating, distributing and optimizing media to the next level.

Avid will also unveil the results of the inaugural ACA Vote, which has given ACA members the unique and unprecedented opportunity to directly influence the company’s future technology direction, product roadmap and service offerings. Attendees will not only learn the outcome of the collective vote, but also learn how Avid will use the results to aid the company in prioritizing its plans in order to best support the media industry in addressing its most pressing challenges and seizing the most important opportunities.

Avid Connect will feature dozens of thought-provoking and insightful sessions led by the industry’s foremost thought leaders, business trendsetters, technology innovators and award-winning creative artists from Avid’s preeminent client and user community. This year’s growing speakers list includes:

• Mohammed Abuagla, CIO/CTO of Technology and Operations at Al Jazeera
• Fabrice Lorenceau, Co-Founder and Head of Production at LiveLike
• Editor Catherine Haight, ACE ( Transparent, Girls, New Girl )
• Sound editor James Mather ( Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation, Me Before You, Wonder Woman )
• Editor Kabir Akhtar, ACE ( Arrested Development, Crazy Ex Girlfriend ).

This year’s sessions are organized around three top-level tracks, offering something for everyone—whether they’re a media industry executive, part of a creative team, or an independent creative professional:

• Transforming the Media Enterprise: Innovation in Business and Technology
• Empowering Collaboration: The Talent, Tools, and Technology
• Mastering Your Craft: The Art of Cutting-edge Storytelling

This year’s inspiring keynotes and interactive breakout sessions will cover everything from the latest in cloud technologies and the newest workflow innovations, to groundbreaking immersive viewing experiences and building long-term viewer loyalty.

“We’re coming together for the fourth consecutive annual event, at a time when the industry and Avid stand at the threshold of an exciting new chapter,” said Avid Chairman and CEO Louis Hernandez Jr. “With an outstanding lineup of speakers, we’re looking forward to another sell-out event. The Avid Customer Association is a shining example of what we can accomplish together when the community works collaboratively to define the future of our industry.”

At the Avid Connect partner pavilion, dozens of industry-leading companies that are part of a rich ecosystem made possible by the openness of the Avid MediaCentral platform will showcase their latest products and technology innovations for Avid workflows. The list of Avid Connect and ACA sponsors continues to expand, demonstrating the growing recognition of their importance to the industry by organizations like NAB, the IABM and Sports Video Group, and companies like HP, Dell, AMD, Dolby, Aspera, an IBM company, PACE Anti-Piracy, Quantum, Telestream, Oracle Diva, and HGST, a Western Digital Brand.

With last year’s Avid Connect selling out before the event, attendees are encouraged to register soon to secure their spot. For more information, including a complete agenda and registration details, visit http://www.avidconnect2017.com .

About the Avid Customer Association (ACA) With a rapidly growing membership of nearly 10,000 media professionals, the Avid Customer Association (ACA) is led by a dedicated group of global media leaders and visionaries representing Avid’s distinguished client and user community. The ACA provides essential strategic leadership to the media industry with a multifaceted program that engages an extensive network of broadcasters, creative professionals, and other media and technology partners to address the most important strategic issues facing the community and proactively shape the industry’s collective future. For more information about the ACA and to join, visit: www.avidcustomerassociation.com . 

About Avid Through  Avid Everywhere™ , Avid delivers the most open and efficient media platform, connecting content creation with collaboration, asset protection, distribution and consumption. Avid’s preeminent customer community uses Avid’s comprehensive tools and workflow solutions to create, distribute and monetize the most watched, loved and listened to media in the world—from prestigious and award-winning feature films, to popular television shows, news programs and televised sporting events, and celebrated music recordings and live concerts. With the most flexible deployment and pricing options, Avid’s industry-leading solutions include Pro Tools®, Media Composer®, Avid NEXIS™, Interplay®, ProSet™ and RealSet™, Maestro™, PlayMaker™, and Sibelius®. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit  www.avid.com , connect with Avid on  Facebook ,  Instagram , Twitter , YouTube ,  LinkedIn , or subscribe to  Avid Blogs .

© 2017 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Avid, the Avid logo, Avid Everywhere, Avid NEXIS, iNEWS, MediaCentral, Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice.

PR Contacts: Sara Griggs Avid sara.griggs@avid.com Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (Avid’s PR agency)  Josh Paterson – UK Tanya Roberts – USA                        avid@rlyl.com