March 16, 2006, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Speaker: Ken Tompkins, Analyst with Insight Media

Title: Cultural Factors in the Global Display Industry

Abstract:  This talk will cover how Asian companies are handling the transition from low cost manufacturing to product design. Moreover, North East Asian countries like Korea and Japan are very different from Taiwan and Mainland China. The differences have broad implications on what role these countries’ manufacturers will play in the display industry. US manufacturers must understand the basics of these implications in order to be most effective in partnering with these firms.

Speaker Background:Ken Tompkins is Projection Market Analyst at Insight Media. Ken analyses front and rear projection TV markets for Insight. Previously, Ken worked for Optoma Technology, a leading display technologies manufacturer, where he was a Product Manager, responsible for researching new business and sales opportunities in the projection and TV markets.

He also acted as the company's spokesperson, generating buzz around new products and created novel ways of demonstrating new products to consumers. Having held positions at Market One Associates as a Sales Lead Analysts and at Burson-Marstellar as a Client Executive, he brings added PR and sales experience to Insight Media. Ken is also an
expert in database administration, data analysis and information technology, having held positions as a Database Marketing Manager at De Anza College and Corporate Director of MIS at Gemini Incorporated. Ken holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from USC, a Master's degree in Regional Studies - East Asia from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree in European History from Hamilton College. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has lived and worked in China and Taiwan.