Frequently Asked Questions

By Elena Sunbeam

For the past year, I spoke to several thousand professionals in almost every country from around the globe. I decided to sum up all of the most frequently asked questions:

Why have you chosen Prague for the market venue?

It happened accidentally … I explored many locations. First, I wanted to do it in Dubai, and then I explored 7 cities in Western Europe, but I could not find the hotel that could offer me the best business arrangements for the hotel-based event. When I did my first promotional brochure, I needed an image for the market. I didn't have an image, I didn't have the venue and I decided to use an image of aristocratic red roofs of a city that I made during my travels. I knew that roofs look the same in all European cities and this image will be relevant for any venue I could find. This image was made in Prague, I did not remember when I did it and why, but it looked so beautiful, like it was made for my own brochure. Finally, I came up to an idea to keep in touch with hotels in Prague (why not?) and I was lucky! All hotels wanted to work with me. I have chosen Movenpick Hotel because it was very good for our event and because the hotel name looked like “Movie-Pick”… Prague appeared to be a perfect venue: beautiful and glamorous, attractive and mysterious, easy accessible and not expensive. It ' s right in the middle of Europe; it ' s neither East nor West. It is cosmopolitan and charismatic. It has an international spirit.

Is it one more market for Eastern Europe?

The final choice of this venue provoked this question. Of course not! It ' s for every country spinning on the globe. Prague is just a venue, like Cannes, like any other good city. It sounds paradoxical: if it is in Prague, it should be for Eastern Europe. And if tomorrow, it will be in Dubai, should it be for the Middle East? I am cosmopolitan, I don ' t believe in regional strategies. I don ' t believe in effective markets in regions. What is a regional market? This market can be interesting to a small number of people. An international market can be interesting to everybody. I believe in high quality programming not depending where it was produced, and I believe that buyers from every country on the globe are looking for high quality programming. Every country, every genre, and every format are welcome to the World Content Market!

What is the idea of the new market?

Of course, any successful initiative is based on a very innovative idea! I offered people with another model of work. The idea of our new trade show is based upon pre-arranged meetings between acquisition and sales executives. We contact buyers before the trade show, and we ask for a commitment to attend a number of pre-scheduled appointments with other exhibitors of their choice.

What is the structure of the new market?

Two floors with meeting rooms where exhibitors offer their programming to buyers on pre-arranged meetings. One floor is devoted to Market Screenings with a very large DVD library. Buyers can find programs from many countries in our Official Guide and screen them in this area. In 2009, we are also planning to do conferences devoted to co- production and we will need more halls in the Movenpick Hotel.

Can you pay my ticket and accommodation?

We have a trade market where people are coming to do serious business. If you are interested in coming to Prague, your accommodation can cost from 28 Euros per night (apartment) to 100 Euros per night (4 star hotel). If you are based in Europe, your travel will cost not more than 400-500 Euros (ticket + accommodation). This travel is affordable to any acquisition or sales executive.

Do you have sponsors or investors?

No, our market is a private initiative. We don ' t have government support and we don ' t have any private investors. We have companies from the audiovisual industry that are interested in participating in our event. Concerning the debut of 2008, please open the first page of World Content Market Guide and you will find all of our industry partners: we had Deutsche Welle, sponsor of our badges, Animation Studio Souzmultfilm, sponsor of our Official Bag, Zodiak Vostok, sponsor of our heavy Official Guide, and Gateway4M, sponsor of our beautiful Market Poster.

What market publications do you have?

We have a very complete Official Guide: you will find buyers, sellers, thousands of programs... Our debut Official Guide had more than 250 pages! We also have Market Preview, Market Map (floor plan) and for 2009, we are planning to produce Dailies during the World Content Market. Therefore, you will enjoy reading at least 6 market publications in February 2009!

What are the advantages of your new event?

1) Our market is a client-oriented event. We pay close attention to the needs of each exhibitor. You will meet people that you have chosen, and who have expressed interest in meeting you before the market. You will receive very good results, because you will maximize your chances of doing business by meeting the right people.

2) Our prices for participation are not expensive and affordable to any company, regardless of its size or budget.

3) We have very good timing. The World Content Market is the first European television market of the New Year, and you will have an excellent opportunity to meet people from every corner of the world in the relaxed atmosphere of our hotel-based event. It will help you to develop your strategies with your usual clients before your travels to the bigger markets in Cannes, and you will surely be ahead of your competitors. Finally, you will also get the chance to meet many people whom you never meet during expensive markets; you will meet new clients and partners.

4) We have an excellent venue for the market. Prague is a wonderful city; it ' s in the heart of Europe. It ' s not an expensive venue. Prague can be easily reached by executives from any European country, as well as a very attractive city for our American and Asian participants, who dream of traveling through old mysterious European cities.

Your debut market was very well organized. How did you do it?

I have many years of valuable experience in the exhibition industry, and I like to do everything on a very professional level.

Are you happy about the debut edition?

Of course, people from 59 countries supported my initiative; I personally moved to Prague, the city where my market was born; we have already attained a strong level of reservations for the 2009 market . I feel like I won the jackpot. ...

Can you give us statistics of your debut edition?

What are your plans for 2009?

We are waiting for more than 400 sales executives, many national pavilions from European and Asian countries, and more than 600 acquisition executives. Altogether, we are anticipating more than 1000 participants in 2009!