Entertainment IP Summit 2027 announces Anthony Horowitz and Evan Shapiro as keynotes for global industry gathering on the future of IP ownership
Posted: 11th November 2026
The free, two-day virtual event returns on 13-14 January 2027 as the entertainment industry grapples with a fundamental shift: the companies building lasting value are no longer those that produce the most content, they are the ones that own it.
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The only living author entrusted with both Sherlock Holmes and James Bond - Anthony Horowitz - and media analyst Evan Shapiro, whose maps of the global media universe have become required reading for studio executives worldwide, have both been confirmed as keynote speakers.
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Music catalogues are selling for billions. Sports rights are reshaping broadcaster strategies. Entertainment IP is following the same trajectory - the Summit examines what the emergence of IP as an investable asset class means for every creator, studio and rights-holder in the market.
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Registration is free at entertainmentipsummit.com; the 2026 edition drew 728 senior attendees, including producers, studio executives, investors and rights-holders.
The Entertainment IP Summit 2027 has confirmed Anthony Horowitz and Evan Shapiro as keynote speakers for its second annual edition, taking place online on 13 and 14 January 2027. The timing on this is deliberate. The global entertainment industry is facing a fundamental reckoning: lasting value no longer belongs to the biggest content producers, it belongs to those who own the IP.
Horowitz, the only author commissioned to write official continuations of both Sherlock Holmes and James Bond and creator of Alex Rider and Foyle’s War, opens Day 1 with Telling Stories, Building IP, drawing on three decades of building some of the most durable franchise IP in contemporary publishing and television.
Day 2 opens with Evan Shapiro of ESHAP Media, whose maps of the global media universe have become required reading for studio executives worldwide. His keynote, Mapping the IP Universe, will examine where power in entertainment is shifting as consolidation, AI and the convergence of games, film and publishing reshape the landscape.
The free, two-day virtual event, supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and partnered by Beachhut PR and RTÉ, also introduces a new IP Lab Pitch Day on 15 January, in which eight companies present projects developed through a new eight-week accelerator. The IP Lab is supported by Coimisiún na Meán, Cultural and Creative Industries Skillnet and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. Registration for the Summit is free with 90-day on-demand access included.
Suzanne Leyden of Calico Media Interactive, said:
Every successful entertainment company today is asking the same question: how do we build IP that we own, that travels, and that compounds in value over time? That’s the conversation we built this Summit around, and it’s only become more urgent.
Anthony Horowitz has spent 30 years doing exactly that - building worlds that outlast any single book or series. And Evan Shapiro can show you exactly where the power in this industry sits right now. Together they represent what this Summit is for: understanding the rules of IP ownership before the window to compete closes.
Simon Fine of DV4, said:
What our first edition showed us is that this conversation is genuinely global. Almost a third of our 2026 audience joined from outside Ireland - producers, studio executives, rights-holders and investors who are all working through the same fundamental shift in how entertainment value is created and captured. We’re building on that in 2027 with a programme that goes deeper on the business of IP: how you finance it, how you protect it, and how you turn a great creative idea into an asset that lasts.
Colman Farrell, Head of Skills and Professional Development at Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said:
Screen Ireland is delighted to continue its support for the Entertainment IP Summit 2027 through our Screen Stakeholders Funding scheme. Following the success of the inaugural edition in 2026, the Summit provides a necessary opportunity for Irish screen professionals to access valuable insights and international expertise on the creation, development and sustainability of IP. As the screen industry continues to evolve, programmes such as this provide an important role in supporting the sector.
Speakers & More to Come
- Anthony Horowitz, best-selling author and screenwriter, creator of Alex Rider and Foyle’s War
- Evan Shapiro, ESHAP Media, on mapping the IP universe
- Dan Marks, Theseus Agency, on finding the DNA of successful IP
- Colum Slevin, StoryToys, on operationalising IP development
- Jeff Gomez, Starlight Runner, on building transmedia IP through the collective hero’s journey
- Dean Rodgers, Secret Cinema, on IP as experience and the rise of live
- James Hickey, former Chief Executive of Screen Ireland, chairing panels on Ireland as a global hub for entertainment IP and on IP financing for the new economy
Who Should Attend
If you’re a creator, producer, studio executive, rights-holder, broadcaster, game developer, publisher or IP strategist looking to stay ahead of global entertainment trends, this event is designed for you. With speakers spanning academia, production, legal and digital innovation, the Summit offers rich cross-sector perspective.
Additional speaker announcements—including a marquee keynote—will follow in the coming weeks.
About the Entertainment IP Summit
The Entertainment IP Summit is the premier online event for senior decision-makers in film, TV, games, animation, publishing, XR/VR and transmedia. It delivers expert guidance on protecting, managing and monetising IP in a fast-changing global entertainment landscape.
In addition to support by by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the Summit partners are Beachhut PR and RTÉ.
Registration & Sponsorship
Registration is entirely free and open now via the Summit website. Sponsors and partners interested in aligning with this high-level global gathering are invited to contact the event team at entertainmentipsummit.com