ATF Opens with Attendance Up 22 Percent

SINGAPORE: The Asia TV Forum opened here in Singapore today with attendance up 22 percent, according to Reed Exhibitions, with almost 3,500 participants from more than 950 companies.

Taking place today through Friday at a new venue, the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center, ATF 2011 is at an all-time high participation level. The show floor includes 14 official pavilions from Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Finland, Italy, Spain and Singapore, plus three from China and two each from South Korea and France. The attendance list also features new participants from Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, plus new buyers from territories such as China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea and Vietnam.

"Participation numbers this year continue to reflect ATF as the preferred gateway in Asia for international sellers to meet buyers in the region," said Michelle Lim, managing director of Reed Exhibitions, at the opening ceremony this morning. "Even as we see increased buyer participation from Asian countries, we are heartened to receive tremendous support from international content providers that recognize the value of Asia in the global content market."

The boost in attendance, Lim continued, "is a strong indicator [of] the robust exchange of content deals and collaborations we can expect on the market floor."

On the market’s future, Lim said "our vision is to evolve ATF beyond an effective trading platform. ATF aspires to champion Asian content and innovation, and also strengthen in-depth understanding of this region through comprehensive learning sessions. The future of ATF will be crafted in collaboration with Reed MIDEM, our sister company behind both MIPTV and MIPCOM."