NATPE Budapest Expecting 400-Plus Buyers

LOS ANGELES: More than 400 buyers from 49 territories are registered to attend the upcoming NATPE Budapest, which has unveiled its lineup of sessions for the June event.

The registered buyers hail from 217 companies. NATPE says that buyers from all the major TV stations within 25 CEE countries are on board.

NATPE Budapest will feature dedicated screenings to showcase new programming from U.S. studios, including CBS, Lionsgate, NBC and Warner Bros., as well as a range of local and international exhibitors. New exhibitors for the event include Bonneville Distribution, Comarex, EastWest License, HNFF World Sales, Horizon Film, Newen Distribution, One Connxt and Sonar Entertainment, with Paramount returning to the event after a five-year hiatus.

On Monday, June 27, the program kicks off with a CEE Content Showcase, during which Danny Kershaw, K7 Media’s international research manager, will shine the spotlight on the very best in Central and Eastern European original unscripted programming. This will be followed by The Practicalities of Making a European Co-Production masterclass.

June 28 will see a fireside keynote with Peter Kolosi, the deputy CEO of RTL Hungary at RTL Group, who will discuss the opportunities and challenges of local scripted content in the CEE. The Tuesday lineup also features a Case Study session spotlighting HBO’s eight-hour drama Aranyélet.

The Wednesday roster features the breakfast session Global Formats: What’s Working, What’s Failing, What’s Next? The panel taking part includes Mike Beale, ITV Studios’s executive VP of global development and formats; Merrily Ross, VP of formats and content development at Modern Times Group; Amos Neumann, COO of Armoza Formats; and Pascal Dalton, regional sales director of TV formats and new media for CEE at Endemol Shine Group.

Also part of the event is Pitch & Play Live, which will showcase original non-scripted format ideas with international potential from across the CEE region.

“We are pleased that our return to Budapest, with an expanded market and content summit, has been met with such enthusiasm from all parts of the industry and we are delighted to see both buyer and exhibitor registration numbers continue to build,” said NATPE’s COO and managing director, JP Bommel.

“Our focus is to promote a mutually-beneficial flow of programming across borders, encouraging local CEE producers to come together with international exhibitors, studio executives and acquisitions experts to explore the many opportunities benefiting the region and the wider global market. We believe there is a huge, untapped opportunity for content both entering and leaving the CEE, and NATPE Budapest is the perfect venue to learn about the current possibilities and optimize business prospects.”