On 11 May 2015, the third Eyes & Ears Conference took place at the COMEDIA Theatre in Cologne. This year, the European industry association Eyes & Ears of Europe presented the event under the motto ‘KEEP ON RUNNING’. Around 170 participants from Belgium, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany came to discuss the following questions: How can media companies keep up with the fast pace of developments and new trends? In what direction are the media and their users going? And how can different platforms be operated and usefully filled with content? The Eyes & Ears Conference was moderated by Jochen Schropp.

Zeljko Karajica, president of Eyes & Ears of Europe, pointed out in his opening speech that trends from the past are becoming more substantial: “The media landscape is changing. There are more and more technologies offering media content daily. The choice is greater and thus also the pressure to communicate the contents.” He also pointed out that traditional media companies increasingly have to adapt to the changing media consumption. “Younger audiences have a different user behavior. The challenge is to systematically exploit the technological and creative possibilities and to position yourself in this field with our know-how.”

“You, the media makers, strategists, marketers, designers and producers are the engines of these developments. We need you as motors, so Cologne can remain a popular and trendsetting metropolis,” said Elfi Scho-Antwerpes, Mayor of the City of Cologne. Additionally, she said in her welcome address that better networking is essential. “Therefore, events like this one from Eyes & Ears of Europe are so important for the media sector and the media location Cologne.”

Corinna Kamphausen, CEO of Eyes & Ears of Europe, said in her welcoming speech: “In my opinion, the slogan ‘Keep on Running’ sums up the current challenge of the industry – we need to keep at it, rethink and restructure. We should use what we have and what sets us apart. The moving image.”

Speakers of the Eyes & Ears Conference 2015

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