The event had an excellent first day, both in attendance, dynamics and level of its conferences, demonstrating its validity for any company that wants to approach the US market.
*By Luis Cabrera, from Miami, Florida
There is a very common expression within the Latin community residing in Miami that states that in this American city, English is never spoken. However, within the Intercontinental Miami hotel, where the 2025 edition of Natpe Global is taking place, the reality is different.
The event, which had the first of its three days this Wednesday, has quickly become an excellent gateway to the American audiovisual industry, something that differentiates it from other markets and, with the endorsement provided by the number of attendees and the comments from the companies present, gives it a distinctive value.
This is not to say that there is no Latin presence at Natpe Global 2025, but that the objectives of those who are here are different: “The company’s next steps are to enter the American and Canadian markets; and this event has given us the opportunity to have good meetings [in that sense],” shared Rosalind Rotundo, VP of VIP 2000, who is celebrating in Miami the recent new sales of its titles Valentina and Kuma.
“The market has differentiated itself and that is good; although there is still a Latin American presence, at Natpe Global one can find clients that one does not see in other markets,” said Silvana D’Angelo, CEO of Glowstar Media.
Other companies that have bet on Natpe Global as a bridge with the North American industry are the Romanian ones, present at an important stand under the umbrella of the Creative Romanian Film Makers Association. “The first thing we have to convey is the quality of the film products we can supply from Romania,” said Viorel Chesaru, its president. “Now we, as a country, can also offer a 30% cash back incentive, which is much easier to access. We have just started giving this incentive, it is a new law from last year.”
TELEVISION OF THE FUTURE
The conference agenda with which the event began also deserves to be highlighted, from the dynamic of “The Great Media Debate: Are Creators Bigger?”, presented by Evan Shapiro, to the keynote by Cris Abrego, as well as the attractive panel “Welcome to 2030: Exploring the (near) future”, which included the words of Michael MacMillan from Blue Ant Media; Alexandra Panousis from Thinkingbox; and the renowned executive Lauren Zalaznick.
The panel tried to foresee the challenges of the industry in the future and the possible forms that content consumption will take within five years. MacMillan, founder of Blue Ant Media, suggested that the coming years will be about niche content and companies that are flexible and have multiple business areas, which will make them ideal partners within the industry. “I’ve been in the market for a while and I’ve seen how technology changes,” he said. “Only players that are remarkably flexible can survive.”
Panousis, meanwhile, focused on the challenges that the advertising industry faces in a changing environment, within the industry and society: “I’ll give you the example of Meta, which came out and said that it will no longer verify information. Advertisers want to buy content on behalf of their clients, and it has to be safe and appropriate. And because the volume of content is so large, they trust that these platforms are really doing their due diligence to filter this content,” said the executive.
THE OPENING DAY OF THE NATPE GALA
The first day of the event closed with a big news: the first edition of the Natpe Honors Gala, which honor executives who “inspire us with their bold ideas and unwavering commitment to excellence”. Host Nischelle Turner said that it was time for executives to have their moment to shine, before conducting fun interviews with the executives present.
The first award to be presented was one of the two North Star Awards, created for those executives who inspire and lead the way, for Luis Fernández, from NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “I dedicate this recognition to my own North Stars: my parents, who gave me the values for which I have worked all my life; my family and especially my wife, who has been a constant support; and to my colleagues, because any award is for the team,” said Fernández. “Leadership is not about making decisions: it is about empowering others. As Alfredo Di Stéfano said: “No player is as good as all of them together”.”
The second North Star Award went to Paul Buccieri, president and chairman of A+E Networks Group. “This is a time in which we all have the opportunity to create change with intention,” he said about the moment the industry is living. “My parents taught me that a life dedicated to helping others is a life well lived. In these moments, we must have empathy, compassion and respect for others. These are the times that require leadership and as a global media that is what we aspire to, not always we do not achieve it, but that is our North Star.”
“The smallest gesture can generate replicas of inspiration and hope. Let us use our platforms to share the greatest gift we can share: being of service to others,” added the executive in his inspiring speech.
Kelly Day, the Prime Video executive who will be giving a keynote tomorrow, was another of the honorees, in this case with the Shift Disturber Award. “Our transformation journey at Prime Video has been a collaborative effort whose goal was to become the first stop for our customers when searching for content to watch,” said Day.
The second Shift Disturber Award went to Betsy Beers, Shondaland’s creative partner. “I’ve always had very little patience for people who can’t keep up with me. My lack of patience is a handicap, but also a gift: I know there’s so much to create and build and there’s no time to waste,” said the executive.
Brian Tannenbaum, from Roku Media, received the New Establishment Award, whose emotional and funny speech was one of the high points of the gala.
The Cause & Action Award, which celebrates “champions of change,” went to Ri-Karlo Handy, founder of The Handy Foundation. “Being recognized in any field by your peers is amazing and feels very special,” said the executive. “Diversity is not an obstacle, it is an opportunity. Our community is powerful and places talent in all types of productions.”
