Orlando, FL - Graphics of the Americas today announces that John S. Bracken, Director of Digital Media and Director of the Knight News Challenge at the Knight Foundation, will lead the show's keynote address, Inspiring Digital Innovation, on February 24, at 9 am. The GOA "Super-Event" takes place with co-located events FESPA Americas, ISS, and cre8 conference in Orlando on February 24-26, 2011 at the Orange County Convention Center.
 

GOA 2011 Keynote Speaker

John S. Bracken
Keynote address: Inspiring Digital Innovation

Bracken joins the prestigious list of keynote speakers at GOA, world-renowned for its cutting-edge educational programs. Bracken currently directs the Knight News Challenge, a groundbreaking philanthropic contest in its fifth year. The Challenge offers $5 million each year to fund new digital experiments in community news. The Challenge's goal is to spur media innovation and find new ways to inform and inspire communities.
 
During the GOA Keynote Session on February 24 from 9 - 10:30 am, Bracken will report on the innovative projects that have been funded by the Knight News Challenge, and will offer insights as to what he sees as the future for media and society.  
 
"John is a visionary, leading an important, successful initiative within a premier media organization, and himself on the front lines of the digital frontier. Under John's guidance, news organizations of every shape and size are shaking up the media landscape and laying the groundwork for future generations of communications professionals," says George Ryan, GOA President. "We are thrilled to have John Bracken as the GOA Super-Event keynote speaker, where he will inspire us with his unique perspective and a glimpse into tomorrow's communications networks."
 
John S. Bracken, Background

The Knight Foundation's director of digital media is an expert in online innovation and social entrepreneurship. He previously served as a program officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where he managed investments in technology and innovation, journalism and global Internet freedom, and worked to strengthen nonprofit start-ups. He also has worked with the Ford Foundation as a program associate in media policy and technology, and analyzed the social and policy impact of the Internet for the Center for Media Education.
 
Bracken has a master's from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in political science and international studies from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He was a 2008-09 Leadership Greater Chicago fellow and blogs on media and technology issues.

GOA educational sessions: new strategies and best practices

GOA provides comprehensive technical and management training to keep attendees keen on new strategies and best practices when reaching out to emerging markets, cultivating new prospects, and deepening relationships with current - and prospective - customers. Over 100 sessions comprise tracks in digital printing, design, marketing, and variable data printing; and 16 seminars are offered exclusively in Spanish. For a complete list of sessions, click here.