Byron Allen Comes to DPAA Global Video Everywhere Summit with Opening Keynote Conversation: Your Brand’s Best Storyteller is Video
Founder of One of the Largest Independent Studios in the World to Talk about the Future of Media and Advertising on October 13th in NYC
DPAA to Bring Together Allen, Anthony Scaramucci, Leading CMOs and Agency Executives Around the Theme “Real Connections” and to Discuss the Value of Digital OOH to Brands
NEW YORK – September 24, 2026 – Byron Allen – founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, will be taking the stage in the opening keynote conversation at the 14th annual DPAA Global Video Everywhere Summit. Allen will talk about the power of video as the primary storytelling tool for brands looking to meaningfully connect with consumers.
Digital screens and video are now prolific and growing aggressively outside the home, from Times Square and Piccadilly to movie theaters, office buildings, airports, highways plus retail and transit centers. These screen advertising and storytelling opportunities will be showcased and discussed, attracting media and marketing decision makers to the Summit — October 13th in Chelsea Piers, NY.
Curated around the theme of Real Connections, this year’s Summit intentionally brings together influential voices who would not ordinarily share the same stage. From Byron Allen and former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci to agency leaders from Mediahub and Stagwell and CMOs representing American Eagle Outfitters, Major League Soccer, Expedia and more, the lineup spans media, culture, brands, business and public conversation — different worlds connected by a shared understanding of how to earn attention, build trust and ultimately move people to action.
Scaramucci, founder and managing partner of SkyBridge Capital, will join the Summit following the release of his new book, All the Wrong Moves, for a keynote fireside conversation just weeks before the U.S. midterm elections. His appearance alongside Allen and some of the world’s leading marketing and agency executives reflects the Summit’s broader ambition: bringing different perspectives into one room to explore how influence, attention and real connections are created today.
“We are intentionally putting the people shaping media, culture and public conversation in the same room as the key decisionmakers across brands, commerce and investment,” said DPAA President & CEO Barry Frey. “True to this year’s theme of Real Connections is bringing together people who have a deep understanding of how to turn attention, influence, and trust into action.”
While the Summit is designed to provide attendees with perspectives, relationships, and ideas they can apply to their advertising, marketing, media and technology businesses, DPAA also believes that in order to engage and educate you also need to entertain. As previously announced, the Broadway cast of The Book of Mormon will be performing live at the event. (Click HERE for the full lineup for the October 13 event at Pier 60 in New York City.)
The Built-in Connection of Entertainment and Brand Engagement
Byron Allen is one of the most influential media moguls in today’s entertainment and technology space. Among his portfolio are The Weather Channel and its Local Now streaming service, 13 network-affiliated broadcast television stations, cable television networks, a theatrical and digital movie production and distribution arm, and a majority stake in Buzzfeed, at which he is chairman and CEO. Allen Media Group is the largest supplier of first-run syndicated programming and network television in the industry.
Having begun his career as a performer – including being the youngest stand-up comic on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson – Allen is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his original show, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, which in May replaced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the 11:30 p.m. hour, and airs weeknights on CBS, followed by his comedy game show, Funny You Should Ask. This unique life experience has given him an intimate understanding of what it takes to stay engaging as a brand, and is one factor that makes him a much sought-after speaker at leading industry conferences.
“The media industry is going through an enormous transformation,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group and Chairman/CEO of Buzzfeed, Inc. “The disruption is creating both a massive demise and extraordinary opportunities. Without hesitation, this is the moment you must decide – are you a victim or a pioneer? I’ve chosen pioneer.”
Added Frey, who will be moderating the keynote conversation, “We are really looking forward to talking with Byron Allen about how his growing media empire thinks about the state and future of advertising, and why video is key to forming real connections between brands and consumers – although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being a little worried that he will ask me to be on Comics Unleashed as I’m not sure my comic repertoire is ready just yet. That said, by adding a pioneer in media to the lineup, we will bring a new dimension of insights to those attending the Summit, which will feature one of our most influential and impactful groups of brand, agency and industry leaders to date.”
About Byron Allen
Byron Allen founded Allen Media Group in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York and Atlanta. Allen Media Group owns/operates 13 ABC-CBS-NBC network affiliate broadcast television stations in 11 U.S. markets and ten 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 315 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, JUSTICECENTRAL.TV, THEGRIO TELEVISION NETWORK, and HBCU GO. Allen Media Group also owns the digital streaming platforms HBCU GO, SPORTS.TV, THEGRIO, THE WEATHER CHANNEL STREAMING APP, and LOCAL NOW–the free-streaming AVOD service powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. In 2026, Allen’s family office acquired a majority of the outstanding shares of the digital media platform BuzzFeed, Inc., with Byron Allen assuming the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer with a vision to build on the iconic foundations of BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Tasty by expanding into free-streaming video, audio and user-generated content. Allen Media Group also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 80 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations. With a library of over 10,000 hours of owned content across multiple genres, Allen Media Group provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, and digital platforms. Our mission is to provide excellent content to our viewers, global platforms, and Fortune 500 advertising partners. For more information, visit: www.allenmedia.tv
About the DPAA Global Video Everywhere Summit
Each year in the heart of New York City, DPAA’s flagship Summit brings approximately 1,000 industry leaders direct access to the people who influence the future of omnichannel marketing. There, people from brands, agencies, media platforms, and technology companies around the world network with others in this vibrant community; discuss marketing trends, challenges, and opportunities; and hear from CMOs, newsmakers, and agency executives. One Day. Real Connections. Year-Round Impact. The people shaping what’s next in DOOH, including real-life experiences, retail media networks, sports marketing, and more, come together at the Summit for conversations that shape the future of advertising for brands and agencies.
Over the years, speakers have included leaders representing companies ranging from Colgate-Palmolive, General Motors, Mastercard, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Kroger, Danone, Warner Bros., Paramount+, and H&R Block, to WPP, Dentsu, Omnicom, and more.
For more information, or to register to attend the Global Summit – part of Out of Home Week New York – please visit www.dpaasummit.com/global.
About DPAA
DPAA (www.dpaaglobal.com) is the global trade marketing association, driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home (OOH) advertising and its growing role in the Omnichannel mix. Membership in the DPAA community includes many business acceleration benefits and access to a wide array of products. It offers members an extensive database of research, best practices and case studies; tools for planning, training and forecasting; social media amplification of news; insights on software and hardware solutions; and further integration into the advertising ecosystem by connecting DOOH networks, brands, agencies, ad tech, and others – including through its podcast, Launchpad of Innovation. DPAA’s Video Everywhere Summit, the largest one-day media/marketing event of its kind, is October 13, 2026, at Pier 60 in New York City.
Media Contacts:
Matt Biscuiti
The Lippin Group for DPAA
Eric Peterkofsky
EVP, Talent and Public Relations
Allen Media Group
