NATPE Budapest, the most prominent global TV market focused on the CEE and EMEA regions, has revealed key speakers to lead discussions on the latest trends shaping the future of television and content consumption as well as new curated networking opportunities available at this year’s event.

In addition, Antenna Studios (part of the Antenna Group), Sony Pictures Television and ZDF Studios are confirmed to host screenings. NATPE Budapest, which has already confirmed more than 300 buyers representing nearly 60 countries and 100 exhibitors, will take place from June 24 – 27 at the InterContinental Budapest Hotel.

“We’re thrilled to announce this year’s lineup of visionary speakers, set to ignite engaging discussions and reveal insights ranging from cutting-edge technologies to the latest trends and challenges facing the industry,” said Claire Macdonald, Executive Director, NATPE Budapest.


CEO Insights from CEE

CEO-level executives from leading broadcasters across Central and Eastern Europe come together for an insightful discussion around the trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the region's media landscape with particular focus on the health of Linear TV & investment in local content.

Panelists: Stella Litou - CEO, CME Adria; CEO Pro Plus; and President of the Management Board of RTL Croatia; Ralf Bartoleit - CEO, bTV Media Group; Pavel Stanchev - CEO, TV2 Hungary; Moderated by Stewart Clarke, SVP, Content, International, Deadline.

AI & Technology: Redefining Entertainment in a Connected World

Keynote: Elif Dagdeviren, Managing Partner, Producer, Calinos Films
In a world rapidly transformed by technology, boundaries are fading, and the global media community is becoming more interconnected than ever before. At the forefront of this evolution lies the entertainment industry, a dynamic force that has adapted and thrived in response to the changing landscape of production and distribution. Producer, Tech Entrepreneur and Journalist Elif Dagdeviren will lead a thought-provoking presentation that puts AI center stage as a powerful tool for molding the business. This keynote will focus on the intersection of technology and entertainment today, and how it will evolve in the future.

CEE Breakout Hits

Keynote: Georgi R. Chakarov, President and CEO, TVBIZZ Group
Every year, the CEETV team, led by Georgi R. Chakarov, sums up the past TV season by picking the most successful premieres across the CEE region. Georgi will once again present the CEE Breakout Hits of the year to the NATPE Budapest attendees, focusing on the factors for the success of the new hits and how those could affect the programming strategies and acquisition policies of broadcasters in their respective markets moving forward.

New this year, NATPE Budapest sister brand Realscreen, the foremost authority on global non-fiction and unscripted screen entertainment via a daily newsletter, and magazine, is programming a special track at the event dedicated to the genre. The team behind the world's premier unscripted market and conference, the Realscreen Summit, will deliver panels and networking sessions highlighting the opportunities for unscripted producers in CEE and beyond, including case studies of top formats currently traveling around the globe, and invaluable insights into the programming needs of top buyers.

Attendees can also look forward to enhanced curated networking opportunities with a Media Leadership Breakfast and Meet an Expert sessions aimed at fostering connections, exploring new partnerships and driving business growth.

In addition, delegations from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Ukraine Content Club and Unifrance will also be in attendance. Representatives from these esteemed organizations will join a diverse array of industry professionals converging at NATPE Budapest, marking a significant step towards fostering international collaborations.

The highly regarded PITCH & PLAY LIVE! competition showcasing the region’s best and new format concepts will return. This format pitching competition continues NATPE Budapest’s longstanding tradition of celebrating new format concepts from the CEE region with the most international potential. Previous winners have successfully financed, produced and sold their shows globally. Deadline to submit is May 24th.