Mattel’s Chief Franchise Officer to Keynote MIPJUNIOR
MIPJUNIOR announced that Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer of Mattel will keynote at the forthcoming 32nd International Kids Screenings & Co-production Market in Cannes (18-20 Oct 2024).
Silverman joined Mattel in 2022 to support the company’s expanding entertainment offering. In his role, Silverman oversees Mattel’s franchise management, consumer products, publishing, promotions, location-based entertainment, digital gaming, music, and Mattel Television Studios. He was recently responsible for overseeing the critically acclaimed and far-reaching global consumer partnerships for Barbie.
Silverman will take to the stage at 11:15 am on Sunday 20 October for the 2024 MIPJUNIOR programme ‘Expand Your Playground’ which draws on the Kids industry’s enduring ability to innovate and transform. In a session titled Beyond the Toy Box: Shaping the Future of Play, Silverman will explore reaching new audiences and platforms, Mattel’s approach to play, and how the company’s expanding entertainment slate connects with fans worldwide as it approaches its eighth decade. Silverman will also share timely insights behind the upcoming reimagining of the iconic purple dinosaur, Barney, and how Mattel’s full franchise ecosystem will be leveraged in bringing the all-new Barney’s World series to life.
The world’s leading entertainment industry event for Kids and Junior content will again be held at the JW Marriot Cannes the weekend preceding MIPCOM CANNES (21-24 October 2024) and is set to welcome delegates from over 60 countries comprised of the most influential buyers, commissioners, producers, development executives, financiers and distributors from the global Kids TV industry. For the second year, MIPJUNIOR will open on Friday 18 October from 14:00.
Prior to joining Mattel, Silverman held senior leadership roles with The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Entertainment, most recently serving as Executive Vice President of Global Third-Party Commercialization for The Walt Disney Company. His time at The Walt Disney Company also included overseeing creative and product development, the Disney Stores, and commercialization for Disney Interactive and Disney Publishing Worldwide. Before that, Silverman was Senior Vice President of Global Strategy, Business Development and Brand Management, where he worked across Marvel divisions on global strategic and tactical matters and corporate brand management.
“I am thrilled to join the delegates at MIPJUNIOR 2024, as we share in the passion for shaping the future of family entertainment,” said Silverman. “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be at Mattel, as we advance our strategy to unlock the full value of our IP outside the toy aisle and expand our entertainment offering. I look forward to engaging with industry leaders and discussing the evolving landscape of how we inspire audiences through play.”
“Josh Silverman oversees Mattel’s extraordinary licensing portfolio of characters, brands, and storylines that have engaged multiple generations of kids across eight decades – and it feels like they are just getting started,” said Lucy Smith, Director of MIPJUNIOR and MIPCOM CANNES. “Hearing first-hand the thinking and tactics behind Mattel’s multiple touchpoint strategies will be unmissable for anybody in the Kids sector and beyond.”
The flagship entertainment content market for the international TV industry, MIPCOM CANNES was attended by over 11,000 delegates from over 100 countries in 2023. The 40th edition takes place in Cannes 21-24 October 2024.
