Asia-Pacific Technology Network & International Institute of Communications

Supported by: ALMT Legal and ZLWD

at

Rouse

Chinese and Indian Creative Sectors compared

13th July 2009

Hosted by Rouse & Co. International, 11th Floor Exchange Tower, 1 Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9GE

Seminar in a series comparing Chinese and Indian performance in specific sectors.

Chair
Mark Foreman, Head of UK Office, Rouse

Speakers
* Mervyn Levin, Founding Director, Levering Ltd
"Reflections on the Digital Economy in China"

* Parminder Vir OBE, Executive Producer and Media Consultant, Managing Director of PVL, Founder: Mayfair Media Club
"India and China in the Creative sector"

Mervyn Levin
Mervyn Levin is Founding Director of Levering Ltd, a digital media and ICT consultancy. Levering works closely with leading UK and Asia-based organisations across the public sector, research community and industry, sharing his time between both continents.

Clients and partners include the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board, UK Research Councils, University of Sheffield, Serious Games Institute, BBC, BT, Blitz Games, Real Networks, eTherapeutics, QinetiQ, Twofour Group, Red Redemption and EU-China Information Society Project.

From 2002 to 2007, Mervyn was Head of Digital Content Policy at the UK’s Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) – formerly DTI. Between 1980 and 2002, he spent 22 years at Reuters in a variety of senior international management roles, based in the UK, Latin America and Switzerland.

Parminder Vir
Parminder is an award-winning film and television producer with 20 years of production experience of drama, documentary, current affairs and entertainment who has worked for the BBC, ITV, Channel Four and major international channels.

Parminder is currently the Managing Director of PVL, a  media advisory service specialising in  accessing multicultural markets, doing business with the growing creative and media industries in the emerging markets and raising private equity finance for feature film production. PVL clients include: Omnicom Media Group, Goldsmiths, University of London, ITN Source, Orient Global, Spectrum Value Partners, Optimum Releasing,  National Film Video Censors Board, Timbuktu Media Group, Nigeria, Akademi and Goldcrest Films.

Previously she was the Manager in charge of Ingenious World Cinema, an equity fund, investing in  feature films from the emerging markets ( December 2005-Janaury 2008).

Prior to joining Ingenious Media she was the Business Ambassador for the Creative Industries to the London Development Agency,  and a Business Development Consultant for MTV, ITV and The Royal Shakespeare Company (all 2004-2006).

She was the Executive Producer and Diversity Adviser at Carlton Television (1996-2004) and  was a Co-Founder of the Cultural Diversity Network in 2000.

She is a Non-Executive Director of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (and has been since 2006), a Non Executive Director of Goldcrest Films, A Board Director of Screen Writers Festival, a patron of Skillset, a Board Director of the Young Vic theatre, board Director of UK India Business Council and TiE Charter member, Chair of Creative Industries Special Interest Group.

Previously she has served as a board director of the UK Film Council (1999-2005); Founder of Mayfair Media Club in 2007, where creativity meets business Parminder is a regular speaker and panellist at international film festivals and media conferences where she specialises in international film finance, co-productions and emerging media opportunities in India, China other emerging markets.Parminder was awarded an OBE for her services to the Broadcasting and Film industry in the Queen’s birthday honours list in June 2002, the Asian Women of Achievement Award for Media in May 2001, the Media and Arts Award at the Asian Jewel awards in July 2003 and the Windrush Diversity Award in 1999.