Changer co-founders, Fred and Ant were recently in Abu Dhabi speaking at one of the world’s largest media conferences - The BRIDGE Summit.
BRIDGE is an event to rethink the future of media, content, technology, and the creator economy. More importantly, it set out to explore how those worlds come together and how we might chart a better course for the media industry as a whole.
Here are some of the learnings that really stood out.
The media ecosystem needs to be seen as a single, connected system.
From traditional media to the creator economy, the future lies in understanding how these worlds converge and what can be built in the dynamic spaces between them.
The pluralisation of perspectives genuinely matters.
We met experts and industry leaders from across media, beauty, sport, and technology, each bringing a distinct and valuable lens on where things are heading. The diversity of thinking created a more nuanced understanding of the media landscape and showed the value of having multiple perspectives.
The UAE is serious about investing in the future of media.
This commitment shows in its earnest investment in infrastructure and talent, and (critically) in how it actively listens to and engages a broad range of industry leaders.
The incredible talks from creators, media experts and thought leaders made one thing clear - the idea of “dual fluency” or having an understanding of both the traditional and new media landscape is imperative and unlocks a powerful strategic advantage.
Creators and new media professionals bring speed, audience intimacy, data fluency, and direct distribution, while traditional media offers scale, craft, financing, regulatory experience, and long-term IP development.
When you understand both worlds, you can spot opportunities others miss - for example translating creator-led audiences into premium formats, adapting broadcast-quality storytelling for digital platforms, and designing business models that have both reach and audience ownership.
This “dual fluency” enables smarter partnerships, more resilient revenue streams, and opportunities that travel across platforms, formats, and generations rather than being trapped in a single ecosystem.
Happy Holidays!
Wishing you a happy and restful holiday season from all of us at the Changer team. Thanks for being part of our community this year - we’re excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to keep building, learning, and creating with you in the year to come.
We’re taking a short break to recharge over the next couple of weeks. We’ll be back in your inboxes in the new year!
✌️
The Changer Team