The event breaks all attendance records this year, with more than 1,000 registered professionals from 41 countries.
The seventh edition of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment concludes today in Toledo, meeting point for a large group of professionals from the global fiction and entertainment industry, gathered for four days with the aim of promoting co-production between America and Europe.
The press conference at which the summary of this international event was presented this morning, has been attended by Mike Villanueva, Manager of the Castilla La-Mancha Film Commission and the Director of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment, Géraldine Gonard.
Villanueva highlighted how the celebration of Conecta Fiction & Entertainment last year has helped Castilla-La Mancha to turn the audiovisual industry into one of its growth vectors. “So far in 2023, we have almost doubled the number of shootings in our region, with a significant increase in entertainment programmes”.
Gonard provided the main figures of this second edition held in Toledo: with a total of 1,031 accredited professionals (around 30% more than last year) from 41 countries from both continents, the seventh edition broke all attendance records to date.
In terms of participation by country, she mentioned that 68% of the participants were Spanish, while the presence of European and American executives was very balanced, with the United States, France, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Poland, the United Kingdom and Germany being the countries with the largest number of delegates.
As for the profile of the participants, the director pointed out that the majority of the participants were producers, scriptwriters, distributors, TV channels, platforms, talent and institutions, as well as national and regional audiovisual support organisations, both Spanish and from other countries.
More than 5,000 face-to-face meetings were held at the Palacio de Congresos El Greco, and a total of 23 panels, 8 keynotes, 6 open pitching sessions, 6 private pitching sessions, 8 workshops, 6 tips and 5 after work meetings were offered to the attendees. Of these, 5 were part of the special programme dedicated to Mexico and Poland as focus countries.
The performance of the premium activities has been unbeatable: 83 top-level delegates debated on Monday about present and future challenges of the audiovisual industry in the fourth edition of Conecta THINK TANK (its conclusions can be found below); more than 120 attendees have participated in the matchmaking activities offered by the Conecta MEET LUNCH, and 4 networking breakfasts have been organised in collaboration with various sponsors. All of them have become ideal moments to make new professional connections and alliances.
Finally, the successful first edition of the Spain Content Showcase brought together around thirty international buyers and acquisition executives, who were able to see first-hand the latest contents presented by Atresmedia Television, Filmax, Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group, Movistar Plus+ International, Onza Distribution and The Mediapro Studio Distribution.
Conecta Think Tank 2023’s Conclusions
The coexistence of traditional television and video-on-demand services is necessary: video-on-demand services are giving new life to generalist television content, even years after its original broadcast.
Coexistence makes it possible to finance and develop more ambitious content.
On-demand services have improved aspects such as music, post-production and product marketing.
OTTs are more interested in unscripted, as it can guarantee more profit and impact at a lower cost. They are betting on formats and self-contained series and even shorter content to capture younger audiences and compete with Tik Tok and others.
In terms of genres, “Feel Good” and “Guilty Pleasure” are trending against drama and other traditional genres.
On audiences, it seems clear that audiences appreciate that content is distributed across multiple platforms and media.
Platforms are opting for premium brands and talent (actors, writers, directors and showrunners).
Linear TV is struggling to attract new audiences. Its main focus is still on big entertainment formats and the creation of consumption habits.
Artificial Intelligence is to be reckoned with: despite fears, it can be a great tool to facilitate certain tasks.
Next focus countries: Brazil and Portugal
During the press conference, the countries that will be the protagonists of the next edition of the event were announced. Returning to the classic Conecta formula, once again a European and an American country have been chosen as Focus Countries: Brazil and Portugal with their respective industries, content and talent. Both countries have been represented during the press conference by Alex Medeiros, Director of Drama and Documentary Content at Globoplay+; Luisa Ribeiro, Financial Director and Member of the Executive Board of public broadcaster RTP, and Susana Gato, Executive President of APIT (Association of Independent Television Producers), spoke on behalf of Portugal.
