The first wave of high-profile speakers has been announced for the RTS Cambridge Convention 2025.
Entitled Where Do We Grow From Here? BBC Director-General Tim Davie CBE will chair the event, which will see creative, executive and political leaders gather at King’s College, Cambridge (17 -18 September).
The two-day convention will be dedicated to identifying the opportunities and pathways to growth for the television industry now and in the future, whilst addressing some of the common challenges facing the creative sector. The BBC is the Principal Sponsor for the Biennial event.
The first speakers have also been revealed, including: Jonathan Allan, interim CEO of Channel 4; Ed Balls and George Osborne, former government ministers and Co-Hosts of the hit podcast Political Currency; Mark Burnett, the renowned Hollywood Producer and now US Special Envoy to the UK; Nick Clegg, Meta’s former President of Global Affairs and a former deputy prime minister; John Landgraf, Chairman of FX, who led last year’s Emmys with a total of 36 wins; Baroness Shriti Vadera, Chair of the Creative Industries Council; Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO of Roku and Jeff Zucker, CEO, Redbird IMI and former President of CNN Worldwide.
The RTS will also welcome back: Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV; Sarah Rose, President, Channel 5 and UK Regional Lead; and Dana Strong, CEO, Sky Group.
Theresa Wise, CEO of the Royal Television Society, said: “The 2025 Cambridge Convention comes at a pivotal moment for our sector, and this year’s theme is one the whole industry is wrestling with. That is why it’s so important to convene the industry, listen to the insights of our extraordinary speakers and debate the issues. We are thrilled to be working with the BBC and look forward to partnering on what will be a stimulating programme.”
Tim Davie, Director-General, BBC said: “I’m honoured that for the first time in a decade the BBC will again chair the RTS Cambridge Convention.
“We are at a critical moment for the UK creative economy, with shifts in audience behaviour, changes to business models, and big questions about funding and the impact of technology. Our theme – Where Do We Grow From Here? – looks to the future and how we can drive sustainable growth for our world-class sector.
“To help achieve this, we look forward to welcoming to Cambridge an exceptional line-up of international speakers and leading figures from across the UK’s creative community.”
Additional sponsors confirmed for the RTS Cambridge Convention 2025 include Accenture, Everyone TV and Virgin Media 02.
