TV event industry eyes boutique shift

The 10^th anniversary of Conecta took place in Magaluf-Mallorca last week, with attendees looking to share new ideas and build long lasting relationships in order to navigate an ever more turbulent audiovisual sector.

Amidst the panels, debates, workshops and networking sessions, delegate aims were varied. Some, like many Morad Koufane, head of international and young adult fiction at France Televisions, came to not only learn more about the Spanish market but also to expore the potential of “shooting there and working with Spain’s incredible talents.”

Others had more specific goals: producer and format developer Leuarta Gjidoda sought a Spanish partner for Two Coasts, a microdrama developed by Croatia’s Next Talent and Balkiva Entertainment, the vertical media studio and platform she is chief exec and founder of. “The Spanish-language vertical drama market has solved problems at scale that we are about to solve in the Balkan-language cluster. There is so much we can learn from each other, and the cultural distance is much smaller than people assume,” she says.  

As more power shifts from incumbent broadcasters and their streamers to giant American operators, Conecta attracted those looking for opportunities among these shifting sands.

Inspired by a market that is changing in thw US too, two-time Emmy winner Josh Haygood, who is head of Bandito Films, made his way to the Balearic island to seek out partners.

“International co-productions are becoming ever more common in our industry. I went to the market to meet other producers and production companies in Europe to work with on our slate of fiction and non-fiction content.”

He was also attracted by how Spain’s language means it is connected to other coveted markets. “The Latin media market is huge and growing all the time. It’s important for our company to be where our viewers are and we know that a significant segment of the Spanish speaking market is interested in the kinds of shows we produce.”

Others, such as creators Samuel Jefferson (Apple TV’s Krank Berlin) and Berlin-based Pierre Puget, were here with projects. Their drama, Idyllic, won best drama series at Conecta this year, with the show a Mallorca-set ‘cosy-crime’ meets AI series. “We gained valuable feedback on our project, receiving advice from top European TV professionals on how to make it even more market-ready,” he says in relation to what will be an almost 100% Spanish shoot.

Major players were also present, with the likes of HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube, France TV, Rai, RTVE, SkyShowtime, TVI, Atresmedia, Telemundo Studios, Mediaset Italia, Movistar Plus+, 3Cat and IB3 all in attendance. But the intimate event - roughly 400 professionals from 30 countries - seemed particularly conducive to the needs of attendees.

“The size of the event allows participants to connect more easily than at many larger markets,”  said Miroslav Radojevic, sales director for MENA & Africa at Global Agency.

”Large international markets will always play an important role, but smaller boutique events offer a different kind of value. They allow for deeper conversations, easier access to decision-makers, and a stronger sense of community.”

And whilst Spain was naturally at the heart of the event, international opportunities were also a driver for attendees. “I met professionals from Israel, Latin America, Southern Europe, and many other regions. From the perspective of an international distributor, this diversity is extremely valuable,” he explains. 

Gjidoda shared a similar sentiment. “At larger festivals you spend three days trying to get 15 minutes with someone. At Conecta, you spend three days actually building relationships with the people who are shaping this category right now,” she says.

Puget does not miss the bigger events. “I don’t have the bandwidth for 20 meetings a day, so yes, I like smaller events where you meet fewer people, but more often, and conversations that are more relaxed and meaningful,” he says.

And Haygood summed up another element of Conecta’s appeal. “It didn’t hurt that the venue was right on the beach. Mallorca was really stunning.”