NATPE makes its move

January 1, 2011 by Barry Walsh

Relocating to Miami seems to have reinvigorated the NATPE Market and Conference, according to its organizers.

“Honestly, instead of looking at it as the 48th edition of the NATPE Market and Conference, we’re looking at it as the first edition,” said Rick Feldman, NATPE president and CEO, during a media conference call held just prior to the holiday break. Over 500 buyers from over 40 countries are registered to attend, and 250 companies, including between 15 and 20 new companies, will be exhibiting. While those exhibitor numbers are roughly in line with last year’s, importantly, all major Hollywood studios have confirmed their attendance, said Feldman.

In terms of attendance, pacing of registrations “roughly suggests 5,000″ delegates, a NATPE spokesperson confirmed two weeks before the event, which is in line with last year’s numbers. Feldman said that a “wider berth” of European companies would be making the trip to Miami, while not necessarily sending the numbers they’d send to the MIP conferences. Those who are making the trip will have more time to network, said Feldman, as event organizers have whittled the conference content by close to a third to accommodate more poolside meetings.

One-on-one interviews include chats with Electus’ Ben Silverman, All3Media’s Steve Morrison and outgoing NBC president/CEO Jeff Zucker, and WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell will provide a keynote.

The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards will honor Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports Group; Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart; longtime TV host Regis Philbin and Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of the RTL Group.

This won’t be the first time NATPE’s hit Miami, as the market and conference graced its shores during the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties. But Feldman maintains the move (which will also extend to next year’s edition) has definitely been the shot in the arm needed for the event.

“From all the evidence, we have a new lease on life here and are doing everything in our power to ensure that when people leave here, they feel the money and time was well spent,” he said.