Hispanic USA for the U.K.’s FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), will also be taking a place on the floor at NATPE 2009. “FME is bringing its full international sales team,” said Aguirre, “so the floor allows us a big enough space to accommodate the whole group.” While Aguirre admitted to being a bit worried that “the economic climate will make buyers more selective,” she’s confident that things will work out in FME’s favor. “I believe the U.S. Spanish-language channels could benefit from our catalogue this year because, during this difficult economic period, our finished programming catalogue offers them an option to bypass high production costs. They can also localize some of our programs by adding a popular regional host or using segments to create a program. There are many resourceful and creative options available to them, which we would be keen to help them realize,” she said. Another company exhibiting on the floor this year is Sherman Oaks, Californiabased Rive Gauche Television. According to Dorothy Crompton, senior vp, International Sales for the firm, “NATPE is still very much relevant as it allows Rive Gauche to be very focused on its Latin American clients.” The company, which will be bringing a number of series to Vegas, including reality shows Scare Tactics and Bear Whisperer , is hopeful, but, said Crompton, “because of the cloud hanging over the worldwide economy, we are unsure how that will affect the market.” But regardless of how many companies are still choosing to rough it out on the floor, many insiders suspect that in the future, NATPE will be an all-suite market. Guadalupe D’Agostino, vp and general manager of RCTV International is one individual who’s seen the light and switched to THEhotel. “We have shifted from our former stand on the floor to the hotel suite because given the fast-paced rhythm of the festival, it’s the most comfortable atmosphere to conduct business in at NATPE,” she said. And despite what she terms the “volatile times” we are living in, she said she’s “optimistic” about things. “With the worldwide transition to a digital signal around the corner and the need for more content and a healthy and productive industry, NATPE 2009 looks very bright.” As usual, NATPE will host a slew of seminars, including a keynote from Lionsgate’s Jon Feltheimer, a Think Tank hosted by Disney’s Anne Sweeney and a presentation called: “Digital Studios: Where’s the $$$?” While it remains to be seen whether the current economic climate will yield stormy skies or smooth sailing for the market, one thing is clear: for the Latins, NATPE will just be business as usual. LHR JA N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 distributed by 150 Central Park South Suite 310 New York, NY 10019 phone 212 707 8244 email susan@bendermediaservices.net Kordavision MEN7 Bikini Destinations Green Minute Kleo the Misfit Unicorn Ultimate Guinness World Records Over the Edge believes that TPI, which will be in Vegas showcasing docudrama Run or Die: The Fernando Araujo Story, will remain unscathed. “There will certainly be economic concerns at NATPE ’09 on the domestic side of the business. However, TPI focuses on the international market and we believe the international business — especially for acquisitions — will stay strong.” DanWaite, from the Los Angeles offices of Canada-based Cookie Jar, said that his company will also stay true to the floor this year. “We’ll be in the kids’ pavilion,” he said. “I prefer being on the floor. You get more traffic that way.” Waite, who will be promoting such animated Cookie Jar fare as Magi-Nation and Hurray for Huckle! , noted that while he, like everyone else, is worried about the economy, he’s confident that Cookie Jar will do well at NATPE. “People are being more cautious as to how to spend money,” he said. “There have been big fluctuations in currencies in Latin America so people are watching their programming budgets closely. Despite this, my business has stayed steady. I still have contracts coming in.” And while many of his colleagues have opted out of the convention floor booths, Waite said he sometimes wishes that things could be as they once were. “I wish we could do it in the old style,” he said, “have everyone back in one place on the floor. But I certainly understand the economics of it.” But, added Waite, if he had it his way, once NATPE is forced to leave Vegas, he hopes it’ll return to New Orleans, a region he said he would love “to help get back on its feet.” Like Waite, Sheila Aguirre, vp of Sales and Development, Latin America and N A T P E P r e v i e w ( c o n t ’ d ) (Continued from Page 10)
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