Claire Macdonald: Our vision is to position Natpe Global as a truly international TV market

Claire Macdonald, SVP and CEO of Natpe Global visited Miami touring the facilities at the downtown InterContinental Miami hotel, which will host the event in January 2024.

Macdonald told PRODU that the main difference in this new stage of the event is its international character. “Our intention is for Natpe Global to position it as an international event, not just a regional one. At the moment we have already confirmed 200 attendees from more than 34 different countries – most buyers – and the estimate is to reach 1,500 attendees,” she said. Key executives from A&E Networks, Amazon Prime Video, Blue Ant Media, ¡HOLA! TV, National Geographic Channel, Paramount+, Pluto TV, REELZ Channel, Roku, SVT TelevisaUnivision, TV Globo, and Warner Bros. Discovery are amongst those that have confirmed their participation.

“Our vision is to produce a truly international TV market. I think that with the participation of 30 countries that we have at the moment we are fulfilling this goal,” she added.

She said Miami is the “natural and logical place” to celebrate Natpe Global and the InterContinental is a venue they know very well since the Kidscreen Summit, which is also organized by Brunico – the new owners of Natpe -, has been held there for the last 10 years.

“The InterContinental Miami is very well laid out for our purposes to house a sprawling exhibit floor and keep content close so people don’t have to spend 30 minutes walking from meeting to meeting. How this hotel is distributed will help us meet our goal,” Macdonald said.

Macdonald explained that because the InterContinental Miami doesn’t have a huge inventory of suites like the Fontainebleau where Natpe was previously held, they’re suggesting attendees consider doing the meetings and their displays on the floor and not in the suites. “There are booths and meeting rooms around the exhibition floor and multiple access roads in the hotel to be able to go up and down the main floor. We have been planning ahead of time to facilitate the movement of attendees,” she said.

Regarding the conference program, Macdonald said that they are about to announce a major keynote speaker this week. “We will have keynotes, discussion panels, fireside chats, we are organizing the topics and there will be two announcements in the coming weeks. We will have a great series of networking, very structured, where attendees will have access to personalities who normally they do not have. This is a hallmark of Brunico events, that we have a very active networking program covering all instances: from original programming, pitching, and development, to sales of finished products and delivery to platforms,” she added.

“I am very excited for Natpe’s future, I think it is time for a change and reimagining the event and that is what we are doing, positioning as the North American and international market is key. Of course, we will be focusing on strategic markets such as Latin America, Europe, Turkey, and Asia, all producing communities will be welcome. It’s global,” she emphasized.

Regarding the fact that Natpe Global and Content Americas are held within a week of each other, Macdonald indicated that it is a confusing time for the industry. “People will have to make decisions, some will be able to attend both markets, the two are very different and I think that many clients are strongly reasoning to attend both.”

Other changes Macdonald aspires to introduce at Natpe Global mentoring programs ‘to create a true community.’

She also referred to José Sánchez and César Díaz, part of the Natpe team. “We have great chemistry and both have a great passion for what they do. I feel very blessed to have them aboard.”