The fourth day of Natpe Budapest at the InterContinental Hotel in Budapest marks the end of an event with several positive things in its favor, and some aspects that are worth analyzing for the next edition, which we will summarize in a Top 5 of aspects to improve.

By Rodrigo Ros, from Budapest

Natpe Budapest marked the return of old and new players on the international scene and on the Eastern European markets in particular. The event took place from Monday 19 to Thursday 22 of June at the InterContinental Hotel in Budapest. With a more than acceptable attendance, the event was also nourished by the participation of two large delegations within the Market Floor: on the one hand, the Spanish participation through the umbrella of ICEX: Audiovisual From Spain, and on the other hand, that of Unifrance, through a large participation of French companies.

There were also other delegations, such as Pact (the delegation of independent producers and distributors of the United Kingdom) and OUP (Organization of Ukrainian Producers), who also participated in the event, although their presence has been more diluted within the market.

Another delegation that does not participate under any umbrella but still had a standout presence during the event, was that of Turkish content distributors. Almost no one was missing: ATV Distribution, Calinos Entertainment, Eccho Rights, Global Agency, Inter Medya, Kanal D International, Madd Entertainment, MediaHub, Mistco, OGM Universe and TRT.

This is a clear representation of how important Turkish content is for the region and the growing appetite for daily dramas. This demand continues to have a preponderant place on programming schedules, and it is Turkish content which has taken over for the classic Latin American telenovela.

The Spanish delegation was represented by Atresmedia Internacional, Filmax, Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group, Motion Pictures Entertainment, Movistar Plus+, Onza Distribution, DeAPlaneta Kids & Family and RTVE.

And then there were Hispanic companies also in attendance, such as Televisa, RCN, Caracol Internacional, Dori Media Distribution, Latin Media Corp, VIP2000 or We Love, among others.

TOP 5 ASPECTS TO IMPROVE

It is now that I would like to share my thoughts on five key aspects that are worth analyzing and potentially improving for an upcoming edition:

1) Buyers: Not all buyers listed as event participants were actually present. It is logical that some may cancel their participation at the last moment, and it is understandable that this isn’t because of the organization. But it is necessary for them to show and clarify who actually participated in the event. This is where the Natpe app comes to play, but it must be said that, if it is not used by the majority of attendees, it is difficult to know if the person is at the event or not.

2) Conferences: The conference program didn’t paint a clear picture of where, how or who is leading the scene, where is the market headed, who the relevant players are today, what the trends in content production and distribution are, or how to implement new models of co-development and co-production of content between the markets of Latin America, Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Worse still, it didn’t take into account the concerns of the event’s own clients. In other words, it would’ve been productive to have conferences that addressed the interests of Spanish or Latin American companies and their ties with Eastern Europe. It is clear, as we have already said, that Hispanic participation was important, but this is not reflected in the conference agenda.

3) Event duration: The event officially started on Monday and ended on Thursday. But the truth is that for the moment the market should be shortened to two days, at most three, if we consider the first as a day of arrival.

4) Competition between markets: Let’s be frank, this month has three events aimed at the same territories, with the same participants, the same buyers, and even with similar panelists (NEM Dubrovnik, Natpe Budapest and Content Budapest). For the health of the markets themselves, a pact between organizers that allows rational and effective use of available resources should happen by 2024.

5) Networking: Over the years, it seems that from time to time the market reorganizes itself, and the rules and market players have changed. The boat party was the most anticipated part of the event without a doubt. Everyone wanted to be there, but it would be interesting to foresee, perhaps with the support of some of the delegations, a space where the new and old players in the market can meet and learn about today’s who’s who.