Alexandre Lippens, of CDC and SCOPE Invest met with clients at NATPE. CDC helped change Belgium tax laws that will aid co-productions. All photos by Sarah Baisley.

Heeding the need to herd in NATPE exhibitors from outlying hotels, which plagued NATPE in 2003 in New Orleans, market organizers did a much better job of getting them back on the convention floor or at least grouped in the connecting Venetian Hotel, making it much easier for attendees to cover the show. Attendance figures were up a bit from last year, slightly more than 7,000, as more exhibitors returned to the convention floor amongst the 289 companies exhibiting at the Sands Expo Center, while 64 companies where in suites at the Venetian and a few chose outlying hotels.

One can’t help but miss giant booths, the lavish entertaining and gifts, both on the floor and at parties, prevalent at NATPE markets less than a decade ago. Celebrity appearances for autograph and photo sessions for distributors were up from the past couple year. A few majors returned to the floor, such as Universal Television, which had a well-decorated, lively big booth (designed as a Hollywood movie set, replete with Star Wagon trailers — used as offices — and backdrops.

However, as in recent years, companies sent less reps and country-themed cooperatives had fewer companies from their territory participating. Animation companies scattered throughout the floor and the Venetian, instead of grouping at the Animation Pavilion (Cybergraphix was the lone animation studio). These exhibitors remained busy while new outfits tested the market; some with booths, and many using the independents lounge to hold meetings. That turned out to be the hot place to connect, thanks partly to the good supply of meeting tables, comfy coach groupings, its own refreshment center (with a NATPE-sponsored cocktail mixer the first two nights), a silent auction and messieurs on-hand to relieve aching, bag-toting shoulders and weary feet.

Playhut Entertainment’s Pamela Harris helped the company make its NAPTE exhibitor debut with Chinamation, comprised of five series that feature China’s top independent animators.

Frank Saperstein, exec producer at pasi, based in the Philippines, observed one could just sit there and run into or spot pretty much everyone you wanted to see, including many unscheduled but pleasant surprises. With this less hectic pass of a MIPCOM, or MIP-TV, it was easy and enjoyable to work in a drink or catch a bite with chance encounters amongst the pre-planned itinerary, he said.

Saperstein was extremely happy and proud to be directing his first CGI movie for the Media Development Authority in Singapore called, Sing to the Dawn. Based upon a book, he wrote the screenplay and was then asked to direct it. The studio he co-founded, pasi, is giving him some time to work on this outside venture and contributing some consulting talent as well. Raintree Pictures is the other partner on the movie, being produced at Silicon Illusions, by a group of young kids Saperstein says he’s really enjoying working with.

His home studio, pasi, recently completed a 13-epsiode Flash series, Life’s a Bitch, an adult series for Oxygen network in the U.S. and Comedy Network in Canada. The studio has also been busy with service work on Telemaginations Heidi film and did the first Leapfrog home videos for PorchLight Entertainment. His studio has undergone a $500,000 renovation, upgrading the electrical and technical infrastructure and is going into Flash production heavily, as well as doing gaming content for cell phones.

While NATPE attendance is still notably down from five years ago, Saperstein said it’s considered quite important for visibility. “If you’re not here, you’re not in the game,” according to Saperstein. With the demise of syndicated television in the U.S., NATPE has evolved to more of an opportunity to network and stay in touch with people, he said.