DISCOP Istanbul Wraps Up

ISTANBUL: Buyers and distributors ducked into the International Convention and Exhibition Center this morning to avoid a cold winter’s rain as the latest edition of DISCOP Istanbul drew to a close.

The market still had plenty to offer in terms of sessions, opening with a noon conference titled What Is Product Placement?, presented by Mehmet Akif Ebiçlioğlu, CEO and owner of 3P Product Placement Production. That talk was one in a string of sessions focused on the Branded Entertainment Day theme. Other chats included a presentation on product placement in Turkish TV series and a panel discussion titled Placement Trends, Regulations, New Initiatives.

As the market wrapped up, event-goers reflected on this edition’s quieter pace—several potential attendees canceled following the recent terrorist attacks in the city, Patrick Zuchowicki, general manager of event organizer Basic Lead, told World Screen earlier this week.

“This market was quieter than usual—even though I did miss clients who had been here in other editions, my agenda was still pretty full,” says Berta Orozco, international sales executive for Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Caracol Internacional. “We will return next year. Even though the market wasn’t so big, we’ve had fruitful meetings and will be closing deals in the following weeks.”

Ahmet Ziyalar, managing director of ITV-Inter Medya, agrees that the smaller market didn’t affect his company’s deals. “Whoever comes to the market, they come for real,” he says. “We’ve had very productive meetings, and our results have been great.”