Event Preview: Asia TV Forum & Market

Among the highlights of the Asia TV Forum, taking place December 3 to 6 in Singapore, are a keynote address by Sunny Xiangyang Zhu, chief content officer of Youku Tudou; MIPAcademy; the ATF Animation Lab; and several new country delegations.

Zhu oversees acquisition, licensing, production and investments for all TV content at Youku.com and Tudou.com, which combined reach 400 million unique viewers each month. His keynote, titled Changing The Future of TV Content – Youku Tudou To Build Dreams, Create Awareness and Reward, will cover his content strategy, copyright issues, piracy and new developments at the company.

Prior to Zhu's speech, MDA CEO Koh Lin-Net will deliver the ATF opening address.

The event at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is again being co-located with ScreenSingapore. A new element on the schedule is MIPAcademy. The initiative is a joint collaboration by Reed MIDEM, which organizes MIPTV and MIPCOM, and Reed Exhibitions Singapore in association with The Entertainment Master Class. "It was birthed to support the Asia entertainment content industry in a more significant way and drive meaningful learning experiences, provide practical solutions and insights for the Asia region," says Hui Leng Yeow, the senior project director at Reed Exhibitions.

"This year, apart from our usual conference lineup, MIPAcademy consists of a full-day suite of non-scripted formats and factual programming master classes dedicated to TV producers and media professionals," she continues. "The East and West infusion is best represented by the theme 'Local Roots, Global Reach' that also includes some of Asia's best practices such as 'Format Hits Made in Asia,' 'From Shows to Global Superbrands,' and 'What's Hot in Non-Scripted and Factual: Fresh TV from and Around the World,' among other topics. These master classes will provide an insider's guide to navigate businesses, co-productions and content, and give practical skills to pitching and negotiating deals."

Also new for this year, ATF is introducing an initiative aimed at the animation sector, with the Animation Lab. The three-day matchmaking platform is dedicated to Asian animation producers who are looking for co-production and funding opportunities. Producers will get the chance to pitch their projects to a panel that includes BBC Worldwide's Henrietta Hurford-Jones, ZDF's Nicole Keeb, Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Barbara Uecker, Vishnu Athreya of Turner International Asia Pacific, Leslie Lee of The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia), ZDFE.junior's Arne Lohmann and Viacom International Media Networks' Syahrizan Mansor.

A total of about 15 delegations will be taking part in ATF this year, according to Yeow. "This includes Australia, China, Japan, France, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, the U.S.A. and Singapore, which have been participating annually, and new representations from South Korea and Indonesia, which are looking forward to showcasing their content to an international audience at this premium content marketplace."

The event is peppered throughout the four days with a slew of keynotes, conferences, master classes, networking events and premieres. "Delegates can expect a strong lineup of conference topics geared toward the Asian landscape such as 'Asia's Best Practices,' 'Digital Agility,' as well as hot topics like 'What Do Asia's Most Desirable Buyers Want?,' 'Hottest Formats Properties' and more," says Yeow. "There will be big keynotes and sessions focusing on formats, animation, distribution, new media, etc. We are happy to feature a myriad of the industry's best speakers and brands from the East and West, including BBC Worldwide Channels, Hunan Satellite TV, National Geographic, SK Planet, Star China and ZDF Enterprises, among others."

Yeow continues, "In addition, being held with the must-attend international film platform ScreenSingapore, the event promises an increased focus on trade components, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities. A slate of film-financing panels and spotlight series with film personalities will add on insightful analyses."