We love computer games. Hundreds of man-hours are wasted every day playing them. Our children no longer hold boring ol' storybooks in their imaginations; they dream of virtual one-on-one warfare with grumpy space aliens or demons from the Pit. The gaming industry is bigger than movies. And most of them require animation. How do we break off a piece of that pie? Join WIA on Thursday, July 17 for the next Women In Animation General Meeting: "You've Played 'Em, Now Make 'Em: Careers In Game Development." A panel of creators from large and small game developers (including Lance Powell of Electronic Arts and Tim Trzepacz of softegg.com) what it takes to develop a game from first concept to final release, and what skill sets these companies looking for. Join them at the DreamWorks campus (1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California) on Thursday, July 17, 2008. Schmoozing and networking begins at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting proper starts at 7. Finger food and soft drinks should be available. RSVP early; they are expecting a lot of interest in this event. To RSVP, call the hotline at 310-535-3838 or email LAchapterrsvps@aol.com before Tuesday, July 15. Non-members are asked for a $10 donation; members are free.

IFTA Production Conference brings together key players in the independent film and television industries to discuss the impact of the introduction of new distribution technologies and content formats on a global basis.

The morning-only event will feature two panels of experts. Panel 1 will focus on how emerging technologies are affecting sales agents, distributors and producers on a practical and day-to-day level worldwide. Panel 2 will provide an overview of how independents are impacted by media consolidation worldwide and what strategies they can pursue to gain market access.

The keynote speaker is Writer/Director/Producer James Gunn (SCOOBY-DOO, SLITHER, and creator of original series Xbox Live and Ripe TV online).

The cost (which includes breakfast and parking) is $60 per person for IFTA members and $90 for non-IFTA members. The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Register online at www.ifta-online.org/productionconference/.

EREC 2008 is the U.K.'s only annual exhibition and conference focused exclusively on executive recruitment for the third year at the Business Design Centre, London. EREC has over the last two years become an established event within the recruitment industry and has now reached the enviable position where significant growth is expected over the next two-three years. For more information, visit www.erec08.com.

Singapore Expo will again welcome a brand new AV forum for Southeast Asia, evenTech Singapore. The inaugural show is gearing up to open its doors to the key decision makers involved in the entertainment and AV installation and integration sectors at the state of the art Singapore Expo from June 25-26, 2008.

Buoyed in confidence by the recent debut success of the evenTech Scotland B2B regional networking model where exhibitors expressed great satisfaction with the caliber of attendees the regional forum attracted.

Visitors to evenTech Singapore can expect an informative and tailored educational program of seminars across the two-day format, alongside the trade exhibition and social networking functions -- ensuring a vibrant and vital burst of essential industry information on their doorstep that is easily accessible without the impact of valuable time away from the office. Key exhibitors and sponsors of the inaugural event include DAS Audio, d&b audiotechnik, Audio Technica and ProAktiv Systems.

Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre was chosen specifically to comply with the evenTech ethos. Located just a five minute train ride from Changi Airport, the exhibition is conveniently and ideally placed as a day trip for both international visitors and locals alike.

The show will feature the latest pro audio technology from manufacturers like Allen & Heath, AMS Neve, Adam Audio, Audio-Technica S.E.A, Aviom, Clockaudio, d&b audiotechnik S.E.A, DiGiCo, EAW, Fostex, Genelec, JZ Microphones, KV2 Audio, Lab.gruppen, Powersoft, Tannoy, TAPCO, TiMax/Out Board (Sheriff Technology Ltd) and many others.

b.TWEEN is the U.K.'s biggest interactive media industry gathering. Keynotes by industry dignitaries will set the scene for two days of presentations, workshops, sessions, one2ones, Q&As, and break-outs. Speakers feature an array of creative and business pioneers. For more information, visit www.just-b.com/between.

The Southern California Chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), the world's largest organization devoted to entrepreneurship, will present "An Evening with Ashok Amritraj," on Thursday evening, June 19, at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. Amritraj, Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Ent., has produced or executive produced, and arranged financing for, 100 motion pictures during a career spanning 25 years. He will be interviewed on-stage about his life, his career, and his unique approach to the financing and production of motion pictures by veteran U.S. and India media expert, Ken Silverman. Questions from attendees will also be addressed. Additionally, film clips will be screened from upcoming Hyde Park motion pictures, including STREET FIGHTER (20th Century Fox) and THE OTHER END OF THE LINE (MGM). The evening will commence with a cocktail reception and dinner in Amritraj's honor. Those interested in attending "An Evening with Ashok Amritraj," or interested in attending, sponsoring, or addressing a future TiE-SC event, or in TiE membership, should log on to the TiE-SC Web site, www.socal.tie.org, or contact Executive Director Jay Proano, at jay.proano@socal.tie.org, or (562 )483-0426.

If communications is your business, NXTcomm08 is your show. NXTcomm08 (formerly SUPERCOMM) is the one event delivering the entire ecosystem of networked voice, video and data Mark Burnett headlines Thursday morning with a keynote that sets an adventurous tone, embracing innovation, uncovering emerging technologies and focusing on the consumer experience. His success with THE APPRENTICE and SURVIVOR is proof positive: he's a content king, and he's at NXTcomm08 sharing his insights on digital content delivery. IP convergence means channel convergence, which translates into this: no matter what you do in the communications world, small business or established brand, carrier or other service provider, IPTV changes the landscape entirely. The competition is fierce and deployment is spreading, but major challenges are still on the horizon. No one has the illegal downloading issue secured, and distribution channels are still up for grabs. The truth is, IPTV is complex to deliver, and minor content impairments significantly affect the end user experience. Which is another way of saying that consumer demands have not been met. Register for NXTcomm08, June 16 - 19, 2008 in Las Vegas and meet the people, see the products, hear from the visionaries and get up close and personal with the technologies that are making digital content not only possible, but profitable. Register at www.nxtcommshow.com.

Are you an animation industry professional, student or simply a fan? Do you want to know what it really takes to reach the dizzy heights of international success and recognition in the animation industry? This full-day event covers the technology, the artistry and the commercial concept. It will feature key figures in the animation industry, including:

--Nickson Fong from Singapore, vfx Technical Director of THE MATRIX RELOADED, KUNG FU GECKO, STUART LITTLE and THE PATRIOT.
-- David Parrish, international creative industries guru and author of T-SHIRTS AND SUITS: A GUIDE TO THE BUSINESS OF CREATIVITY.
--Producers from Welsh animation companies Calon, Dinamo and Moo Noo.

The event is located in the ATRiuM Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries at the University of Glamorgan. Directions are available at www.glam.ac.uk/visiting.

Cost: 25 pounds per attendee (10 pounds student concession). If you wish to book a place or for more information contact simon@cyfle.co.uk this week.

Since last year's highly successful event with more than 400 participants, we have had an ongoing dialogue with our amazing group of advisory board members about how to build on our success and make the event even bigger and better this year. This year's event will focus on "The Future of Connected Games & Entertainment" -- a theme that reflects much of the innovation and mindset in the industry. It provides a great platform to involve companies and participants from a broad range of areas -- from game publishers and developers to technology innovators to online and mobile entertainment platforms such as communities, social networks, user-generated content platforms and virtual worlds. Plenty of new ideas are sure to come of this "must attend" two-day event as we bring together the industry's best of the best for two eventful days of high level discussions, networking and fun focused around the future of connected entertainment. The 2008 event will be held at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, which boasts three large conference rooms, plenty of networking space, room for exhibitors and a poolside bar and cabanas, right in the heart of Hollywood. For more information, please contact: Ellen Gildersleeve: ellen@digitalmediawire.com or Tinzar Sherman: tinzar@digitalmediawire.com. Contact us by phone at (310) 855-003.

Women In Film Chicago hosts this breakfast discussion focusing on the implications of sexual imagery in media and advertising. What effect do advertisements have on women as consumers and how is society being shaped as a result? Who defines what is beautiful and how is this reflected in the world of film and advertising?

Location: Grand Lux Cafe, 600 North Michigan Avenue, 8-10 a.m. WIFC members $40, Non-members $50. For more info visit www.wifchicago.org and RSVP: rsvp@wifchicago.org.