will not need to walk between the conference hall and the suites. It’s a great solution for the buyers.” GRB svp Marielle Zuccarelli expressed a different sentiment, noting, “I don’t find the ‘allsuite exhibition’ inviting for buyers who don’t have an appointment set up. We can’t benefit from walk-ins because it is intimidating for buyers to come into a suite if they do not have an appointment.” So perhaps the message should be – buyers do not beware? Participants want buyers to maximize the ease of mobility and flow created by the new logistics, rather than be afraid of them. The next logical question is just whowill be in attendance this year? Well for starters, Doug Schwalbe, evp Production and Program Sales for Classic Media, won’t be. “We’re not going to NATPE this year,” he said. “We don’t think it’s an important market for the independent sector of family entertainment business, and the allsuite format makes it more expensive for independent companies to participate. We also feel that fewer and fewer international buyers are coming, and that we are better served in our domestic dealings by traveling to buyers’ offices and meeting with them when they have time to see us.” Also missing from the exhibition will be heavyweights like Disney Latin America and Sony. Even past NATPE aficionados like FremantleMedia are scaling down their presence. Among the U.S. Studios, only four will be exhibiting this year. Clearly market organizers lost touch with the 800-pound gorillas (as the studios tend to be called). In addition, organizers seem unwilling to take new steps, clinging to the obsolete notion that the event is still a domestic (i.e. U.S.) market. On the other hand, Marcel Vinay, Jr. of Comarex said his team is expecting greater sales success than past years because of the strength of their product offerings, not necessarily because of an abundance of buyers. GRB’s Zuccarelli added, “I believe there will be fewer buyers attending the market this year. I don’t expect to meet many European buyers, but I hope that NATPE will remain strong in terms of Latin American attendance.” CableReady’s Gary Lico saw things slightly differently, pointing out, “To us, NATPE is not just about buyers. It’ s producers, ad agencies and also networking and seeing old friends. You can’t just use ‘buyers’ as a gauge.” So if participants aren’t relying heavily on attendance numbers, what makes them so confident that NATPE 2010 will be worth their while? “Our three titles ( Pasion Morena, Pobre Diabla, La Fuerza del Destino) performed fantastically in international markets,” Comarex’s Vinay said. “We think we will have a better result in sales compared to last year.” Zuccarelli said she is hoping to follow up on the 85 hours of programming GRB launched at MIPCOM, which includes documentary-style shows like Now, The Bureauand Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men as well as sports-themed competition Pros Vs. Joes . Susan Bender of Bender Media Services said, “We are very excited about our offerings for 2010. In addition to a second season of Wolverine and the XMen, we are delighted to now be representing Speed Racer: The Next Generation and Speed Racer: The Complete Classic Series as well as Guiness World Records SMASHED! ” In addition, Bender commented, “The world of Mexican cinema has long been a fascination of many in our industry. Bender Media Services is now representing a group of films from the Agrasanchez Film Library.” Essentially, both exhibiting and nonexhibiting companies are hoping that the convergence of industry representatives promised by NATPE’s organizers will prove beneficial to a slate of internationally appealing programming. With NATPE’s emphasis on networking and symbiosis between traditional distributors and new outlets like online and ad agencies, it should serve as a step forward. Gary Lico summed it up for us nicely, stating, “Looks like ad sales and Wall Street are sending positive signals all around, so I think we’ll see a better focus on the future and less dread about the past and present.” President and CEO of NATPE, Rick Feldman told the media, “For professionals involved in all aspects of content and distribution, NATPE has always been about networking, and this year, we’ve doubled our efforts to facilitate meaningful business opportunities for every attendee, from the top tier executive ranks to the young professionals who will drive the future of our business.” High-level executives include David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications, who is giving a talk on the Monday morning. Elisabeth Murdoch, chairman and CEO of Shine Group will deliver the International Keynote on Wednesday. Tuesday will feature an advertising track in association with Michael Kassan, MediaLink LLC, which will open with Esther Lee, senior vice president at AT&T. On the other end of the spectrum, three aspiring independent television producers have been invited to pitch their projects at NATPE 2010. Gary Lico, who’s also president and CEO of CableU (in affiliation with CABLEready, who organized the competition) also serves as a member of the NATPE Board of Directors. He commented, “NATPE and our company recognize the enormous number of talented aspiring producers who are seeking an opportunity to put their ideas in front of industry professionals who can assist them in their career development. CableU’s competition along with NATPE’s ongoing outreach to these potential hit-makers is one way that all of us can help emerging talent find a place in our business.” V I D E O • A G E JA N U A R Y 2 0 1 0 (Continued from Cover) NATPE 2010 28 NATPE prez Rick Feldman at last year’s event Comarex’s Marcel Vinay Jr. Bender Media’s Susan Bender RSI’s Beatrice Grossmann (pictured on the right) withVideoAge hostesses Florence and Caroline Intertaglia at NATPE 2009
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