DISCOP EAST Attendance Continues To Grow In '09

Organisers of the 17th edition of the international content market DISCOP EAST have announced that more than 1200 participants have already confirmed their attendance at the event which will take place between June 17 and 19 2009.
The three-day event at the Sofitel Atrium Hotel will be preceded by a one-day DISCOPRO conference which will focus on co-production opportunities within Central and Eastern Europe.
This year's DISCOPRO will include a workshop on the production of archival-based news segments and documentaries and a pitching session promoting a selection of ten projects. DISCOPRO is co-sponsored by the European Commission, Directorate-General Communication and Bavaria Media.
New for 2009 and targeted at television air-time sales executives, DISCOP East 09 will also run a conference titled "How to Turn Blocks of Airtime into Gold', featuring speakers including Ross Biggam, President of Association of Commercial Televisions in Europe and Michel Gregoire, President of the Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses.
Industry experts will discuss the growth of bargain basement airtime selling blocks filled with infomercials, poker tournaments and appeals for charitable donations and how these paid-for programs now occupy a growing portion of the late-evening slots on TV stations, eager to find alternative revenue streams for their air-time.
Social functions at DISCOP East will include the Telenovela Gala Evening hosted by Dori Media and the Danube Boat Party hosted by HBO Central Europe.
Patrick Jucaud, Managing Director of DISCOP EAST 09, commented: "We are very pleased so see our delegate attendance continue to rise and anticipate more than 350 international vendors and 1000 buyers will join us in June. Many new thematic channels have launched across Central and Eastern European region and, despite the current economic environment, programmers are still investing in content and original production and co-production in order to strengthen their channel's brand and position in this crowded market."
Philipp Kreuzer, Head of Production Finance & Co-Production, Bavaria Media, added: "Bavaria Media's mother company Bavaria Film is involved in national and international productions. It is encouraging to see the local production boom in the emerging CEE markets continue and we look forward to meeting potential partners, discussing programming ideas and discovering new trends at DISCOP EAST and DISCOPRO."
Founded in 1991, DISCOP is the only television content market strictly targeted at Central and Eastern Europe. After 15 years of operating independently, the DISCOP organisation has partnered since 2005 with the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE).
NATPE is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms, across all mature and emerging media platforms..
(KMcA/BMcc)