14 VIDEOAGE April 2024 Miami Marts Report Two TV Trade Shows at Once. Competing Dates Caused Dismay “Negatives for both events were that many participants from foreign countries couldn’t afford to remain in Miami for two weeks with a fourday gap between markets.” Attending two competing TV content markets in the same city one after the other was a unique experience that NATPE Global and Content Americas offered to the international TV sector last January. The sector had experienced twomarket events before, but they were always held in different countries. One example was when MIPCOM was held October 7-11, 1985 in Cannes, France, and MIFED took place four days later in Milan, Italy. Then, in 1986, MIPCOM (October 27-31) had to do battle with The London Market, which was held three days later (November 3-7). However, the recent back-to-back schedule of NATPE Global (January 16-18, 2024) and Content Americas (January 23-25, 2024), held in two different nearby hotels in Miami, was a new experience — even for old timers. And there wasn’t a way to benefit from a two-market discount, since the event organizers couldn’t reach a compromise. Each market had its pluses and minuses. One major NATPE minus was its calendar dates, which many felt were too close to the Christmas holidays. “We weren’t ready,” said one TV executive from Argentina. Similar sentiments were heard often at Content Americas, which was held later. NATPE organizers explained that they picked up the dates from the old NATPE (whose brand they acquired after the old NATPE declared bankruptcy) without realizing that those dates had always been problematic for the European and Latin contingents, but endured since there was just one market to contend with. On the plus side, NATPE attracted a wide variety of participants and a large number of top TV executives. Plus its hotel, the InterContinental, was recognized as a quality venue. As for Content Americas, the pluses were its later calendar dates, the large number of exhibitors and participants, and a record number of content buyers from Latin America. On the minus side were the very slow Hilton hotel elevators, which could hinder the market’s future growth. Negatives for both events were that many participants from foreign countries couldn’t afford to remain in Miami for two weeks with a four-day gap between markets. Miami-based executives were able to attend both events, while out-of-town U.S. participants returned to Content after flying home. Many overseas delegates chose just one market. Content America’s organizers (U.K.-based publisher C21) have announced that the dates for next year’s event are January 21-23, 2025, and are deciding about a possible new hotel venue. NATPE Global organizers (publisher Brunico from Canada) have announced the new dates as February 3-7, 2025. They will combine NATPE with their Realscreen Summit event, both to be held at the Miami InterContinental Hotel. In an informal survey conducted by VideoAge, a number of buyers complained that without an advanced list of exhibitors at both markets, it was difficult to avoid making appointments with sellers located on floors far apart. The opening day saw the NATPE market floor — located on the hotel’s second level — pick up steam. The six elevators at the InterContinental should have been able to move people to where they were going quickly, but lots of traffic meant longer wait times. The market floor housed three pavilions, 21 company booths, and 27 company meeting tables. Plus, there was one meeting room on the market floor (Escorial Room). The private suites (on the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd floors) housed 17 companies, including a number of major U.S. studios (excluding NBCUniversal and Disney), with Lionsgate also taking a cabana by the hotel’s pool on the fifth floor, in addition to a suite. The five cabanas housed a total of five different companies. The pool area was also supposed to be used for the opening party, but a passing storm required a move indoors, to the second floor. Fox Entertainment’s Fernando Szew at NATPE Global At the WAWA luncheon during NATPE Global: VIP 2000’s Roxana Rotundo, RCN’s Maria Lucia Hernandez, Universal Cinergia’s Liliam Hernandez, Tondero’s Cecilia Gomez de la Torre, Banijay’s Michelle Wasserman Disney Entertainment Latin America’s Jack Morera, Heather Harris, Alis Perez, Fabiola Bovino, Barbara Lorenzo, Federico Llaver at Content Americas Mediaset’s Maurizio Colombo and Claudia Marra at Content Americas (Continued on Page 16)
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