Event Preview: SPP 2009

July 22 to 24
Seoul, Korea

With a vibrant animation production sector, Korea has become a key player in the global kids’ industry. From signing on as co-production partners on projects from North America and Europe to exporting locally developed ideas, Korean animation companies are keen to raise their profile worldwide. And SPP (SICAF Promotion Plan) 2009 is aiming to help them do that. A host of producers, rights-holders, investors and content buyers are expected to attend the event at the COEX Conference Center in Seoul from July 22 to 24. Organized by the Seoul Business Agency, SPP is held in conjunction with the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF) and the Seoul Character & Licensing Fair.

Highlights of the three-day SPP include a Project Competition, where 20 projects from seven countries will be showcased. A total of 83 shows from ten countries were submitted to the SPP Project Competition, which this year opened up the competition to series from outside of Asia. The lineup includes Barnacle Lou from Olive Studio in Korea, Silly Bitty Bunny from France’s Planet Nemo, Zoorocco from Malaysia’s Tripod Entertainment, Sunwoo Entertainment’s MixMaster 2 and Paranormalia from Singapore’s Scrawl Studios.

SPP 2009 will also feature a slate of panels, including one on Cartoon Network’s Asian animation co-production and acquisition strategy. The session includes Turner Entertainment Networks Asia’s Mark Eyers, the VP of content; Vishnu Athreya, the director of acquisitions and product development; and Silas Hickey, the creative director for animation development. In another panel, Andrew Beecham, the senior VP of programming at PBS KIDS Sprout, will share his views on quality preschool animation and provide tips for breaking into the U.S. market. There will also be sessions on developing successful licensing strategies for Europe, securing venture-capital investments and trends in the Middle East.

Also on the schedule is Meeting with Chief Editors, with sessions featuring representatives from Korean online portals such as Daum, Naver and Nate Toondosi, as well as animation publishers like GoBook2 Books, Daiwon CI, Poptoon and Seoul Media Group.

New to the event this year is SPP/TOP Biz-matching, in conjunction with Seoul Character & Licensing Fair, for Korean companies eyeing partnerships overseas. According to the event’s organizers, executives from Cartoon Network Asia, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel Japan, Canal+ and ABS-CBN are expected to be on site, as well as buyers from key Korean broadcasters such as EBS, SBS and SK Broadband.

Also new is the Investment Roadshow, where producers can vie for funding, and the SPP Project Launching Show, highlighting the best Korean animated titles launching in the second half of this year or early in 2010.