Event Review: NATPE

The move to Miami has proved to be a positive one for NATPE, which had some 4,500 registered attendees for this year’s event. Up 22 percent over 2010, the 48th edition of the annual content market had the Fontainebleau abuzz, after relocating from a nine-year stint in Las Vegas.

Indeed, many were encouraged by the warm weather, taking advantage of the numerous cabanas for poolside meetings, lunches and cocktails. Kevin Beggs, the president of television programming and production for Lionsgate and outgoing NATPE chair, at the opening keynote told attendees: “The heat you feel is not only from the tropical climate…it’s the heat of content turning into dollars.”

He later credited Rick Feldman, NATPE’s president and CEO, for adopting the sunshine state as the market’s home for 2011, as he “agreed with all of us that we needed to do something different and shake it up,” Beggs said. “NATPE really reflects the health of the media business,” he continued. “As the media business changes, NATPE has to rock ‘n roll.”

Feldman, too, said he felt the market had been reinvigorated by the move. He first pointed out how last year’s refreshed branding, with the new “Content First” tagline and colorful logo, harkened of things to come. “Of all the places that we could go, Miami seemed to have the most appeal,” said Feldman. “Nothing is perfect, but you have to go with a balance of the best ups and the fewest downs.”

The issue he was referring to, perhaps with a pun in referencing “ups” and “downs,” was the situation with the elevators. The first day of the conference left many waiting in long lines to get to meetings in the Trésor Tower. A number of delegates hit the stairs, while others changed meeting locations or waited out the rush. However, the days following seemed to have the clog relatively cleared.

“We had an elevator issue on the first morning,” Feldman admitted, “but on balance this has been a good decision. People are really happy here and people are making deals here, whether they’re downstairs or upstairs, outside or inside, in the rain or in the shade, they’re making deals."

Indeed, there was a flurry of deals coming out of the market, from a range of categories. SPE (Sony Pictures Entertainment) Networks Latin America acquired the upcoming FOX U.S. version of The X Factor from FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME). FME notched up a number of deals on American Idol and Project Runway, among other projects, across Latin America. Mexican media giant Televisa secured the rights to the new Power Rangers Samurai series, which launches in the U.S. on Nickelodeon next month, in a deal with MarVista Entertainment. Also in the kids’ genre, Starz picked up Shaftesbury’s Vacation with Derek and Baxter. Toei Animation secured new licensing and merchandising deals in Latin America for a number of its animated properties.

CABLEready, which has an established reputation in factual, made its foray into the scripted arena, offering up two sitcoms to buyers. The week also saw Venevision International inking a deal to represent on the worldwide market the clips library owned by RMG News. DRG sold a package of prime-time dramas and documentaries to Brazil’s Globosat. BBC Worldwide clinched a deal with Mexican terrestrial broadcaster TV Azteca covering a host of natural history and science titles. Fireworks International licensed a range of content to SPE Networks Latin America, in a three-year deal that covers the pay-TV and Internet and mobile VOD rights to a selection of titles that will air on Sony’s outlets in South and Central America. And Globo TV International held a press conference to announce its partnership with Tony Fantozzi and Dick Robertson as part of the company’s new strategy for the U.S. and Canada.

Deals were not limited to Latin America, however. Many executives noted the increase in European attendance. Chris Grant, the president of Shine International and new NATPE co-chair, said: "The move to Miami has seen an amazing number of European clients attending…. I think the location definitely helped with this.”

Feldman echoed the positive sentiment of increased participation from a wider range of territories. “The participation from all these new players is giving a fresh excitement and energy to the conference that’s following the business as it’s happening.”

Not only was general attendance up, the number of registered buyers nearly doubled, with an increase of 94 percent. Registered individual stations, group or station owners and representatives gained 71 percent this year as well.

“Part of the reason we had a crush with the elevators is that we had [a larger number of] people than we had last year, which is very exciting,” Feldman noted. “We have to next year figure out a way where everybody can get to where they’re going with expediency, and we’ll work on that now.”