Rich will be joined on the judging panel by David Wilding, planning director at PHD; Tom Dunn, digital strategy director at Maxus; Karen Stacey, broadcast sales director for Bauer Media, Clare Rush, joint head of investment at MEC and Media Week editor Jeremy King, in judging the sector's emerging talent.
The judges will be tasked with going through the entrants' videos and written submissions, before deciding upon the final 30.
This list will then be revealed at a ceremony on Wednesday 11 July at a West End venue to be announced next month.
This revered list allows Media Week to showcase the 30 most talented figures under the age of 30, currently working in the industry.
It is an opportunity for anyone working within the industry, who will be under 30-years of age on 1 July 2012 and believes they have what it takes to be a major player in the media world's future.
Candidates can either put themselves forward, or have a colleague recommend them for this prestigious list.
This year, Media Week has partnered with The Mail on Sunday, which turns 30 this year. To celebrate, a new format has been introduced to the entry process.
To apply, candidates must send in a short video (in a mov. file) that answers the criteria and two questions posed by The Mail on Sunday (listed below). It must be backed up by a piece of writing of no more than 400 words, which explains why they deserve to be part of the 30 Under 30. A high-resolution head and shoulders picture of the applicant must also be included.
The 400 words should be shaped around the following factors:
- Greatest achievement in the media arena
- An example of problem solving for one of their clients
- What they hope to achieve in their jobs by the end of the year
- What contribution they have made to the media industry
The two questions from The Mail on Sunday are:
- Which of the celebrity columnists in The Mail on Sundays' Live magazine is your favourite, and why?
- Research has proved that 9.58am is the time that we are happiest on a Sunday. When is your happiest time on a Sunday, and why?
Entries and videos need to be sent to media.week@haymarket.com by Friday 8 June