IAC Chairman Barry Diller walks to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Wednedsday in Sun Valley, Idaho. This years contingent from the Fourth Estate includes Diane Sawyer, Anderson Cooper, Van Jones, Tom Brokaw, Gayle King, New Yorker reporter Evan Osnos, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, Squawk Box co-hosts Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin, and Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times. Shari Redstone, chairman of Paramount Global, and David Zaslav, CEO of the newly minted Warner Bros. Thats a deal thats expected to usher in more than 280-characters worth of changes at Twitter. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After all, Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek, fresh off a contract extension, is on the guest list, as is his predecessor Bob Iger. The annual event is described to be a mixer for major tech and media moguls, according to a reporter for NPR's All Things Considered program, David Gura, who is at the event. Afternoons are spent biking, whitewater rafting and barbecuing. [1] The conference has taken place in Sun Valley, Idaho for one week each July since 1983. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. The conference is organized and operated by private investment firm, Allen and Company, which is known for avoiding publicity and its work in technology, media and entertainment. On Thursday, he and his girlfriend, Lauren Snchez, strolled past a group of journalists gathered outside the Sun Valley Lodge. Reversals of Fortune A sign is seen at the entrance to the Sun Valley Resort ahead of the Sun Valley conference organized by Allen & Co. in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 5. That all helps with the brand and marketing perspective.. Invites to the conference are highly coveted among tech titans and media moguls, but the conference's guest list doesn't change that much from year to year. Or as close to it as possible. But the moguls who flock to the Allen & Co. retreat may not be as relaxed as usual when they touch down at the Sun Valley Lodge in the Idaho resort town: From darkening economic clouds to choppy leadership transitions at some of the most storied media companies, there are plenty of reasons for the 1% of the 1% to be breaking a sweat these days. The Sun Valley conference is officially in full swing. Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE:GORO) Q4 2022 Earnings Conference Call March 3, 2023 10:00 AM ETCompany Participants. This is driving significant increases in content spending (including local content) globally along with an uptick in churn for leading services such as Netflix (and the majority of net add growth skewing towards newer entrants)., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Full restaurants, hotel rooms and retail shops bring dollars. hide caption. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. The conferences guest list is notably lacking in diversity, with only a few people of color and Black media leaders invited. Apple CEO Tim Cook waves at photographers as he attends the Sun Valley Conference on Thursday. Allen & Co. was an underwriter on Google's and Facebook's IPOs. With few exceptions, the CEOs at the elite event are largely white males. Griffith said the influx of visitors may come back and continue spending dollars down the road. There were also plenty of opportunities for golf and kayaking, or just strolling to take in the mountain air. Kim Perry - Chief Financial Officer. Right after Independence Day, media and technology titans will once again jet to the Idaho resort to mingle at the annual gathering of investment bank Allen & Co., which has been nicknamed summer camp for moguls.. Those sitting Sun Valley out this time include Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan (though ex-wife Wendi Deng Murdoch is named on the list), as well as billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Behind closed doors, guests are treated to talks on everything from global terrorism to public education to global warming. From Warner Bros. Click here to subscribe. Because so much of the conference took place outside this year, reporters were kept even farther away than usual. But of course, moguls have products and services to sell, and you can't do that without some media exposure. Over the years, industry titans have also enjoyed bike rides, white-water rafting and other activities. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. (The agenda and speakers are kept secret, though CNBC puts up an interview set to try to wrangle the more press-friendly attendees.). The confabs 2019 attendee list included Zaslav, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, Shari Redstone (before Viacom and CBS re-merged), Apple CEO Tim Cook, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg and IAC chairman Barry Diller. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg walks with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg at the Sun Valley conference. The secretive and exclusive gathering of media, tech and other power brokers traditionally mixes presentations, discussions and such social activities as hiking, rafting and golf. NPR scored its own exclusive interview with IAC Chairman Barry Diller, in which he argued the movie business "is over.". Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg walks with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg at the Sun Valley conference. During a press conference announcing the deal May 17, Zaslav said it brings together the most valuable, important and exciting IP in the world., This summer, Zaslav and a slew of tech and media moguls once again are poised to board their private jets for Sun Valley, marking the return of horseback riding, rafting, guided hikes, golf and perhaps more billion-dollar deals. David Zaslav at Allen & Company's Sun Valley Conference in 2021. Given weakened media and entertainment stock prices amid a difficult first half of 2022 and fears of a recession, which would hit advertising revenue of companies, many executives could over the near-term concentrate more on the blocking and tackling needed to navigate the new uncertainty than on striking big, transformative deals. It's unlike any summer camp you have heard of. Contact her at, Annual spotlight on Sun Valley helps Idahos economy in ways large and small, Inside Idahos native fisher; and why its name is ironic, ICYMI: Idaho lake known for world record catch draws anglers, ICYMI: The Center of the Universe? Wall Street observers expect industry bosses to also discuss in Sun Valley whether in formal sessions or during social gatherings indoors or outdoors such challenges as rising inflation, which could impact the upside for sector giants pivot to streaming services. And of course, there was also the dealmaking, all of it behind closed doors or more accurately, behind high hedge trees and heavy security. Recession Blues 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Among members of the media attending the event were CNN's Anderson Cooper and Van Jones; Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times and CNBC; CBS News's Gayle King; and The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. Almost everyone wears casual clothes and a simple name tag. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook Inc., attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Wednesday in Sun Valley, Idaho. In the end, the lure of Sun Valley was too strong, apparently. The annual event, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic, has historically been a breeding ground for blockbuster deals: Jeff Bezos' purchase of The Washington Post was born out of conversations at Sun Valley, and Disney's $19 billion acquisition of ABC was hatched at Sun Valley as well. Sun Valley also played matchmaker for AOL and Time Warners unhappy union, which, until AT&Ts short-lived ownership of WarnerMedia, was far-and-away the worst thing that ever happened to the company that brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner founded in 1923 (it probably still is, but at least it now has a rival in the AT&T merger). The annual event some call mogulfest, hosted by Allen & Company, is where major deals are struck and corporate disputes are settled or sparked. The conference has taken place in Sun Valley, Idaho for one week each July since 1983. Because of pandemic restrictions, children were not allowed. With the proliferation of several new direct-to-consumer services, the competitive landscape in streaming has intensified, Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich wrote in a mid-June report. Diane Warren Performs Her 14 Oscar-Nominated Songs in Six Minutes (Exclusive Video), Comcasts NBCU and Sky Partner With MultiChoice on Showmax Streaming Service in Africa, ITV Studios 2022 Revenue Jumps 19 Percent, ITV Ad Revenue Drops Slightly, First Quarter to Fall 11 Percent, Twickenham Film Studios Chair Buys 6.95 Percent Stake in APX Group, HGTV Orders More of Two Young Shows, With an Eye on Diversifying Talent and Streaming Output, Australia's Foxtel Inks Multi-Year Deal to Retain Warner Bros. Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley conference on July 8 in Sun Valley, Idaho. For example, as CEO of Discovery, David Zaslav has long been one of the media moguls attending the annual gathering and one who has been sought after by his peers and media reporters alike. And at time when some journalists can be as famous, or even more famous than some of the participants, it's natural that some members of the media would attend not to cover the events, but to hobknob as participants. Caterers took over a restaurant in the middle of the resort to prepare meals. They have an extraordinarily powerful platform. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Film and television producer Brian Grazer, Fashion designer and Alice + Olivia CEO Stacey Bendet. A-list guests have arrived in Sun Valley, Idaho, the site of the annual Allen & Co. conference. West St Paul, MN 55118. There may be some tense moments by the duck pond. Discovery's David Zaslav and Bruce Campbell to Walt Disney boss Bob Chapek as well as his predecessor Bob Iger media and tech titans will flock to the annual gathering organized by Allen & Co. First, July 4. The informal setting and preponderance of casual wear has led some to dub the week-long event summer camp for moguls.. Allen The gathering is geared towards one thing: building relationships that may one day pay off in the shape of a major deal, NPR noted. And though Rupert Murdoch may be sitting out this conference, sons James and Lachlan are expected to attend. The guest list for Sun Valley is once again overflowing with bold faced names with the cash and egos to spur a fresh wave of M&A. Or as close to it as possible. The Allen & Co. conference typically features a heavy dose of politics and looks-ahead at technology trends in its morning conference sessions, which are Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said June 15 the Fed is not trying to induce a recession with the recent hike in short-term interest rates. Because of the pandemic, more of the conference's proceedings were held outside. We all have platform envy, but they need IP to attract people to their platform.. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. The high-profile event saw an influx of private jets arriving at Friedman Memorial Airport near Sun Valley. The ultra-exclusive event lures some of the biggest names in finance, tech, and media. Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, and that Jeff Bezos guy to name a few. All Rights Reserved. With new mandates in boardrooms across the country to increase diversity in almost all major sectors, its very unlikely the summer camp for moguls can keep going Moguls gather for Allen & Co.s annual event in Sun Valley, Then theres Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder who is trying to wrap up his $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform. Discoverys WarnerMedia deal, Amazons $8.45 billion takeover of MGM and the reopening of the economy are likely to feature among the topics of debate at the retreat, which traditionally starts after the Fourth of July holiday (Allen & Co., as it happened, was an adviser to Discovery on the WarnerMedia deal). After upending the media landscape with his deal to combine Discovery with WarnerMedia, David Zaslav will touch down in Sun Valley, Idaho this July for Allen & Co.s annual media conference. The Black community has historically been the most underrepresented, despite the number of Black power players in media and entertainment. Discovery is barely three months old in this configuration, rumors about the next big deal for the company (and whether it might involve Redstones assets) will follow Zaslav throughout the week. If he doesnt attend, hell have company. Sun Valley is a forty-year tradition for Allen & Company, a family-owned New York boutique investment bank thats worked on some of the media and tech industries biggest deals. The giant shake-ups, large transactions and dips in stock prices across the entertainment landscape over the past year could make for a change in standing among colleagues in Idaho this July. Through the years, several major mergers, acquisitions and other deals have reportedly been made following discussions at the Sun Valley conference, such as Bezos' purchase of The Washington Post as well as Disney's acquisition of ABC, Insider reported. Duluth, MN 55802 Over the past few days, the annual superconference hosted by Allen & Company, a pretty prestigious boutique investment bank in NYC, has taken place in Sun Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (another Sun Valley regular) said the impetus for the MGM deal was its vast, deep catalog of much beloved intellectual property, but Zaslav saw it coming in 2019. Moguls, Deals And Patagonia Vests: A Look Inside 'Summer Camp For Billionaires', Barry Diller Headed 2 Hollywood Studios. co-founder Jerry Yang, financer George Soros, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, media mogul Rupert Murdoch,[5] eBay CEO Meg Whitman, BET founder Robert Johnson, Time Warner Chairman Richard Parsons, Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight,[6] Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell,[7] NBA player LeBron James, Professor and entrepreneur Sebastian Thrun, Governor Chris Christie, entertainer Dan Chandler, Katharine Graham of The Washington Post, Diane Sawyer, InterActiveCorp Chairman Barry Diller, Linkedin co-founder Reid Hoffman, entrepreneur Wences Casares, EXOR and FCA Chairman John Elkann, and Washington Post CEO Donald E. Graham, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner,[8] Bob Iger, Warner Bros.