Watch List 9/07

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RoadShow Hollywood
September 18-20
Hollywood, California

"The entertainment industry is one way to predict what the trends are going to be," says Mitch Litvak, RoadShow founder. At this conference, entertainment execs premiere the next 6 to 18 months' worth of movies, TV, music, and gaming products so brand marketers can hunt for opportunities to develop Happy Meals and other tie-ins. Last year, New Line Cinema pitched its movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Hairspray. It ultimately led to Carnival Cruise Lines creating "the Hairspray experience." "We have karaoke nights, and dance instructors teach moves from the film," says Lance Still, an executive VP at New Line. Nickelodeon, Universal Music, and Warner Bros. are among this year's presenters. "We'll be highlighting Speed Racer, Steve Carell's Get Smart remake, and Where the Wild Things Are," says Warner senior VP of domestic promotions Mimi Slavin. --Aimee Rawlins

DEMO

September 24-26
San Diego

Seventy high-tech firms get just minutes to debut their latest for VCs and other players at this semiannual confab. The trend this time? Web apps that manage our entire lives--not just one aspect, such as photo sharing--says exec producer Chris Shipley. One to watch: Generate g2, which finds business opportunies by merging your contacts with company news and data.