Just 49 days from today, the annual NATPE Global/Realscreen will open its doors to participants at the InterContinental Miami. The event is scheduled for February 3-7, 2025.
NATPE has added Realscreen Summit to next year’s event. This year, the Summit, which is described as an unscripted and nonfiction conference, was held in New Orleans, January 28-February 1. The Summit is now scheduled for February 3-5, 2025 and NATPE for February 5-7, 2025, but some participants are planning to treat it as one five-day market stretching from February 3 to February 7.
To answer a few questions that were on the minds of many participants at the end of the 2024 event, but still linger on some 11 months later, VideoAge‘s Water Cooler called upon Claire Macdonald, NATPE Global Executive Director, and Mary Maddever, NATPE Executive Content Director and EVP of Realscreen (pictured above, l. to r.), both from the Toronto, Canada-based Brunico publishing group that organizes various international TV conventions, including the NATPEs.
VideoAge: Will the exhibitors’ list be released well in advance (so that buyers can schedule their meetings in a convenient way)?
Claire Macdonald: Yes, we intend to share the first floorplan and exhibitor list by December 20th. That’s over six weeks in advance of the event. In the meantime, buyers are able to connect with exhibitors and other attendees via our custom platform, natpeXchange. They are also already able to book meetings in our exclusive buyer’s lounge. [The lounge is a physical space where one can book a table online.]
VA: How will the 13-day gap between Content and NATPE help NATPE?
CM: The decision to move the event to February was based on a number of factors, including requests from both exhibitors and buyers to nudge a bit away from the start of the year and extended holidays. This has been well-received by both exhibitors and buyers who are appreciative of the time to prep and schedule meetings with a little less stress.
VA: How many first-time exhibitors are you expecting?
CM: We continue to confirm exhibitors on a daily basis, so it’s tough to predict where we’ll land. As of December 4, we can confirm 10 exhibitors who were not with us last year.
VA: How many content buyers are you envisioning?
CM: We’re expecting somewhere in the order of 450-550 buyers from all over the world.
VA: What are the recreational events (parties, luncheons, cocktails, etc.) that have thus far been planned?
CM: We’ll have a huge cocktail party on Wednesday night straddling Realscreen Summit and NATPE. That same evening features NATPE Honors, our new recognition program designed to celebrate the visionary leaders in the industry who are raising the bar and changing the status quo. This is a VIP by-invitation event. The WAWA Woman of the Year Awards presentation and networking cocktail takes place on Thursday. We’re also hosting our Streaming+ breakfast, which was a highlight last year, as well as Lunch with a Decision-maker, an incredible networking opportunity.
VA: In your opinion, what’s the one conference that distributors shouldn’t miss? And what’s the one conference that buyers shouldn’t miss?
Mary Maddever: A lot of the agenda is designed to appeal to both buyers and distributors. The Wednesday line-up is a great example of that, kicking off with “The Future of Media” session. Everyone is impacted by the investment shifts that underpin the industry, so sessions like “Welcome to 2030,” with speakers like Group M CEO Sharb Farjami sharing his insights on how advertisers’ spending strategies will impact the mediascape, will affect us all. Ditto for the keynotes from Roku’s David Eilenberg and YouTube’s Fede Goldenberg. From how Roku is working differently with new collaborators like brands and sports leagues, to how YouTube continues to evolve how content is consumed and created, the focus is on enabling a deeper understanding of the strategies, data and tech that are fueling change, and how your business priorities also need to change.
Editor’s note: In terms of media coverage, all major TV trade publications will be present at NATPE Global/ Realscreen Summit. VideoAge will be publishing its Monthly (both printed and digital), plus two Water Cooler features and three NATPE/Summit-focused daily newsletters.
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