The word from the NATPE Global camp is that they’re not really competing with Content Americas since the Miami market is meant to be a global one, while Content focuses on Latin America. Meanwhile, the folks at Content Americas seem to believe that NATPE is simply a nuisance.

Nonetheless, the two TV markets and conferences will be staged back to back –– with Content taking place January 20-23, 2025, and NATPE just after, February 5-7 –– forcing many exhibitors and buyers to attend both events. The 11-day gap between the two markets will not be a problem for Miami-based companies, and will only be a minor problem for those in Mexico, Canada, and the Northeastern U.S. states (since they can fly back home at a lower cost than a hotel stay), but it could be a major problem for participants from Europe, Asia, Central, and South America.

The fact that NATPE has added the popular Realscreen Summit to next year’s event could make the market more appealing. This year, the Summit, which is described as an unscripted and nonfiction conference, was held in New Orleans January 28-February 1. This, however, is causing some confusion since the Summit is now scheduled for February 3-5, and NATPE for February 5-7, but some participants (like WAWA, the Worldwide Audiovisual Women’s Association, and VideoAge, for example) are planning to treat it as one five-day market stretching from February 3 to February 7.

As for the location, Content will take place at its traditional Hilton Miami Downtown, and NATPE/Realscreen at the InterContinental Miami.

Both organizers –– English publisher C21 for Content, and Canadian publisher Brunico for NATPE/Realscreen –– have staying power and neither one is blinking, so it is difficult to predict which one will ultimately survive. Another unknown is how the slow elevator problem at Content Americas’ Hilton hotel will be solved since the success of the market’s first edition caused the floor traffic of its second edition to increase, creating long delays in reaching the exhibition suites.

As for VideoAge, it will publish a monthly edition and one Daily for distribution at all three markets.

Audio Version (a DV Works service)

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