NATPE Budapest Set to Welcome Broad Scope of Attendees

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NATPE Budapest International officially kicks off tomorrow, and the event has “widened its scope this year to incorporate and encourage attendance from buyers and sellers from CEE as well as the EMEA region,” according to JP Bommel.

“We are delighted to see more attendees from outside CEE join us here this week,” Bommel, the president and CEO of NATPE, tells World Screen Newsflash. This wider reach has been reflected in the event rebranding this year as NATPE Budapest International, emphasizing the global focus.

“In today’s global content economy, there are two trends that NATPE has identified: first, local productions are remarkable in breadth, quality in scripted and formats, and have a huge potential outside their country of origin,” says Bommel. “Second, while OTT is rising and consumer habits have changed, linear TV is still the dominant factor in CEE and MENA. Therefore, NATPE Budapest International has now evolved into a global marketplace that showcases content from around the world that attracts buyers and sellers in one place—from traditional broadcasters, networks as well as in digital streaming and SVOD. One market, one world for the best fresh content.”

Regarding his expectations for the days of the market ahead, Bommel says: “We always want to make sure that NATPE is relevant to all parts of the business. Looking at the buyers, the exhibitor lineup, the studios’ screening schedule, the very high level of the panelists on our carefully curated sessions and the increase in the number of local producers, I believe we are enabling real deals to be done here in Budapest. We also look forward to celebrating our industry and forging powerful new relationships at the networking events and parties on Tuesday and Wednesday night.”