KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 28): The Malaysian Digital Economy Corp (MDEC)’s business networking platform for the digital content industry, Kre8tif!, will be held virtually this year from Sept 7 to Sept 10 to increase inclusivity.

In a statement today, MDEC said the event, themed “Kre8tif!-vity without Boundaries”, will be the regional hotspot for digital content, bringing together big names from the animation, broadcast, licensing and merchandising, visual effects, digital technology and content creation spaces.

Conferences, workshops, business ‘Xchange’ and ‘Xhibition’ sessions will be held throughout the four-day event that will be featuring industry-leading figures both domestically and abroad — including from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Netflix and MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems. Over 2,000 participants are expected to turn up.

MDEC said the conference will feature over 14 industry experts as speakers, with Octopie Studios senior vice president of development (animation) Eric Calderon delivering the keynote address entitled, “How Southeast Asia will create the next animated global hit”.

“A series of workshops are also planned, covering engaging topics that range from an introduction to technical art, creating cinematic game trailers, advanced VFX, and many more,” MDEC added.

Meanwhile, the business ‘Xchange’, a business matching session, will give creators a chance to secure funding for their ideas or projects through inviting regional buyers like Cartoon Network, Amazon and Disney to see and listen in on project ideas.

MDEC also said the ‘Xhibition’ is open to all creative and technology companies who want to showcase their intellectual properties (IPs), current hardware, software, and solutions.

“Malaysia has the right mix of talent and a burgeoning ecosystem for the animation and creative content industry to flourish,” said MDEC chief executive officer Surina Shukri.

Malaysia’s strategic position within Asia Pacific also allows it to act as industry enablers for creators, presenting endless attractive opportunities, she said.

“The impressive line-up of speakers, buyers and exhibitors this year is a testament to the growth we are envisioning — being at par with global players. Some of these sessions are designed to initiate discussions around future trends and forecasts, as well as industry best practices," said MDEC’s digital creative content arm vice president, Hasnul Hadi Samsudin.

“For aspiring content creators, they will learn tips and tricks on how to make it big in the industry from various industry leaders. With the added value of gaining deep insights from the like-minded peers, the event will be truly attractive to a wide range of creatives, those who are seeking different experience levels, and to all who want to continuously improve and tap into this robust industry,” Hasnul added.