Event Preview: MyContent

November 23, 2011 World Screen Top Stories
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November 30 to December 1
Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre

 

The MyContent entertainment market, serving the Middle East and North Africa, is returning this month in its second edition, taking place November 30 to December 1 in Dubai. The inaugural MyContent drew in more than 3,000 professionals from 44 countries over its two-day event, with 144 exhibitors on hand. The market, organized by INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions Organisation Establishment, is running in conjunction with the Dubai International Character & Licensing Fair and the Dubai World Game Expo.
 
Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, MyContent is expecting attendance this year from companies such as twofour54, Turner CN Enterprises, Caracol Television, Televisa Internacional, MBC and Turkish Radio & TV (TRT), among others, along with a Spanish pavilion that will host Imagina International Sales, Edebé Audiovisual, BRB Internacional, Zinkia and more. A host of other professionals from the TV, film, animation, digital, mobile and social media industries will be heading to the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center for MyContent as well, eager to do some deal-making and take advantage the production and co-production opportunities the region has to offer.
 
The event kicks off with a session on the licensing business model, featuring speakers from Carrefour UAE, Turner Broadcasting Arabia and East West Licensing. Mobile content and applications are next up on the agenda, spotlighting how these digital extensions are redefining the ecosystem in the Middle East. Executives from Al Rai TV, Pyramedia Productions and Scenario Creative Productions will take part in a discussion on TV content production in the Arab world. Other sessions that day focus on mobile advertising and IPTV and OTT, with speakers from OSN, Samsung and Abu Dhabi Media.
 
Day two begins with a focus on international content for the Arab world, led by Fadi Ismail of MBC Group, Alan Musa of Turner Broadcasting Systems (MENA) and Rohit D’silva, from Fox International Channels Middle East. The issue of whether or not telecom operators need an online infotainment portal will be on topic, as will be the challenges and opportunities within the animation sector. Executives from Imira Entertainment, Cartoon Network Studios Arabia, Lammtara and Sketch in Motion will take part in the discussion. The event wraps with a spotlight on the importance of Arabic content, addressed by Sheikh Mohammad Al Arifi and Abdul Aziz Al Shamsan, the marketing director at the Saudi Telcom Company (STC).
 
“New Content, New Market, Endless Possibilities” is the event’s tagline, illustrating the . The growth prospects for the television market in the region are positive: By the year 2015 in three Gulf states and Egypt alone, more than 13 million households are projected to reach medium to high income levels. Limited supply and strong demand for high-quality TV series means that buyers are increasingly willing to open their checkbooks when the right product comes along. Also, Middle Eastern content suppliers have been establishing themselves as major players in not only the Arab world, but the global industry. All of these strengths bode well for another successful edition of MyContent.