The 16th edition of the Asia TV Forum will take place December 2-4, with a pre-market conference on the first. About 4,500 are expected to attend from 60 countries.
Film industry-centric ScreenSingapore will once again be held alongside ATF. This year, ScreenSingapore will include the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market, in which 10 selected projects will be matched with financiers and commissioners.
This year, there’s also a focus on kids entertainment and formats. To find out more about the event, which will take place at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, we caught up with Yeow Hui Leng, senior project director at Reed Exhibitions.
VAI: What’s new at the Asia TV Forum this year?
The overall ATF lineup this year presents a greater variety in the Asian countries covered, giving ATF 2015 a more holistic view of the industry in Asia. Last year’s edition hosted more than 71 speakers and 658 exhibitors and 2015’s ATF attendees can expect to be a part of the gears that are the great clockwork of Asian television.
This year’s ATF offers an eclectic program, including serious discussions from brands pushing for the best digital strategy. Successful case studies are investigated, conjointly evaluating emerging challenges and opportunities, today’s risk, new business models, major investments and radical innovations. All these are presented from the business mindset at the pre-market conference on December 1. Buyers and producers will also be presented with the latest know-how and trends for kids’ content at Junior@ATF, alongside the deployment of a dragnet on narratives for new formats and ideas that can travel across borders at Formats@ATF.
VAI: There seemed to be growth in terms of Latin American and Canadian distributors between 2013 and 2014. Will that continue? Was that a conscious effort on your part?
We believe that the growth will continue given the growing importance of the Asian markets. There has been always a strong demand for engaging content regardless of geographical locations. Last year at ATF, TV Azteca announced a co-production partnership with Astro, one of the leading players in Malaysia. Our outreach is to international distributors who have keen interest to Asian buyers. We are witnessing a growth in foreign distributors, not just from Latin America and Canada but also Europe. These regions are increasingly placing more emphasis on distributing content to Asia and expanding their global footprint.
VAI: How do you hope to expand the market?
As the leading platform for the TV and digital entertainment content eco-system in Asia, ATF has been a proven platform to generate sales, build relationships, seal deals and learn about the evolving Asian entertainment content industry.
2015 will marks our 16th edition and it has been a must-attend event among content exhibitors and media professionals as we strive to create a dynamic marketplace where they can connect with international content sellers and Asian buyers. We have fostered an engaging business environment where industry players can easily acquire, engage regional or international content across all genres and platforms, find content, distributors, seek financiers and identify new co-production partners.
ATF continuously strives to create new and relevant show features that are reflective of the industry trends; such as Formats@ATF where participants learn to create, develop market ideas with industry format experts and Junior@ATF where leading commissioners, financiers and buyers can uncover talent and new kid’s content.
Held alongside ATF is the ScreenSingapore event which serves the film community. ScreenSingapore will feature the new Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market whereby 10 selected projects will be present at the market and be matched with financiers and commissioners.
The entire TV and film community in Asia and beyond will gather in Singapore for a buzzing and synergistic week long of creative exchanges, deal making, networking and relationship building.
VAI: How many attendees are expected? From how many territories?
Visitors who are planning to attend ATF will be able to access over 650 international exhibiting companies, top-level conference sessions, screenings and networking sessions. Those interested in exploring new business models, trends, technologies to boost their business while promoting their company and projects through above the line methods via traditional and digital media would find that ATF & SS 2015 has much to offer them.
If you are in the entertainment content industry and looking to make a lasting impression on the 4.800 attendees from over 60 countries, ATF 2015 is event you should be present at.
VAI: Which territories are best represented both in terms of buyers and sellers?
With media professionals from 60 countries attending the Asia TV Forum & Market, the countries are pretty well represented. All our buyers are from Asia, which is the uniqueness of ATF, which serves to be your channel to tap onto the demands from Asian TV content industry. As for the sellers at ATF, the representation is fairly well distributed amongst Asia, Europe and America, re-affirming ATF as the proven connector between international content sellers and Asian buyers.
VAI: What would you like readers to know about the Asia TV Forum that they may not already?
Attendees can expect four full days of opportunities to stay on top of industry trends, and to network with some of the most influential and brightest leaders in TV, film, digital media and brands at ATF through the various event components.
ATF is part of the Singapore Media Festival, which co-locates with other synergizing events such as the Singapore International Film Festival. Attendees can look forward to networking and interacting with the film financiers, distributors, regional directors and producers who will be in Singapore for the festival. Some of our exhibitor’s content will be represented at the festival.
It will be an exciting and dynamic week-long congregation of the content and media industry at one platform and location.
