 HUNGARY | NATPE BUDAPEST |
|
|
| NATPE Budapest: Lukewarm First Day |
|
Fewers attendees; exhibitors up in arms about the majors' parallel screenings; and weak networking solutions are some of the main aspects of NATPE's event.
|
|
By RODRIGO ROS, from Budapest, Hungary
|
|
|
Rod Perth, president and CEO of NATPE.
|
The Sofitel Chain Bridge hotel opened its doors at the Hungarian capital to give way to NATPE Budapest's first day of activities. Organized solely by NATPE for the first time, the event intends to gain relevance in the Eastern European market. Yet, this first day showed a decrease in the amount of attendees versus its previous editions.
In addition, the screenings organized outside the event by major studios seemed to be another troubling element which also affected the market's business.
|
|
|
|
NATPE believes the screenings could attract new buyers interested in the majors' announcements. As there's still time left in this market, here's to hoping there's more movement in the upcoming days.
The amount of companies also didn't live up to expectations, as several companies from Russia, France, Latin America and Spain failed to be present.
In addition, while the top floors usually see the most movement, this time it was the lower floors which were the busiest. The reason behind this shift might be a matter of price, since in the lower floors the costs are shared.
Meanwhile, another element that differs from previous editions of this event -according to several executives in attendance- is the updates and additions made to the data base, as well as the amount of meetings scheduled. This will then be another one of the challenges the organization's new president and CEO, Rod Perth, must now face.
While things seem disappointing, there are some positive aspects worth pointing out. This first day of activities also included new companies, players and other industry representatives. From new producers such as FoxTelecolombia or Pausoka, to service providers for new platforms such as Unicorn Media, the Swedish company present for the first time.
We must now wait and see how the rest of the event pans out, with a strong presence from Turkish companies such as The Global Agency, ATV, Kanal D and ITV Inter Medya, in addition to several others from Asia and the UK.
|
|
 |
|
Where Everything Grows
