NATPE Chief Promises More Digital, Buyers, Exhibitors, Station Groups, And Advertisers — Plus Phil Rosenthal Quizzing James L. Brooks — At January Confab

Registration for both domestic and international buyers attending January’s 2014 NATPE conference in Miami Beach is pacing well ahead of last year, with double digit growth, NATPE president and CEO Rod Perth said this morning,  citing more exhibitors, more buyers, advertisers, more stations groups, and a more prominent digital presence. Forty-four percent of the registered buyers are international, representing 46 different countries, and 28 station groups are participating this time, Perth said on a conference call with the press. At last count, there were 225 exhibitors — 34 of them attending NATPE for the first time, and five returning in January after years of absence, said Perth, who is in his second year at NATPE. For the second year in a row, each of the major studios will be at NATPE.  Exhibitors, meanwhile, come from 23 different countries, including increased participation from the UK, France, Spain and Germany, he said.

Oscar and Emmy-winning director/producer James L. Brooks will chat with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal in a session at NATPE, joining Bravo’s Andy Cohen, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, documentarian Morgan Spurlock, and Boardwalk Empire exec producer Terence Winter in sessions staged during the confab’s The Storytellers Who Have Shaped Pop Culture track. Brooks is among those receiving the 11th annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award at the NATPE conference, held again at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach. New to NATPE, there will be a presentation of findings from a two-part independent research study commissioned by NATPE and the Consumer Electronics Association, in re how how and why consumers use second-screen devices to engage with video content. The first part of the findings will be presented at the 2014 International CES, where the focus will be primarily on technology, devices and the user experience. The second part, which will be presented at NATPE, will consist of qualitative research based on interviews with TV program producers and showrunners, examining how second screen affects the way they develop content and incorporate it into their programs.

From today’s NATPE announcement:

Speakers in the Game Changers track include Sean Atkins, SVP/GM, Digital Networks & Commerce, Discovery Communications; Drew Buckley, COO and Head of Digital, Electus; Alex Carloss, Global Head of Entertainment, YouTube; Fred Graver, Head of TV, Twitter Media; Erin McPherson, Chief Content Officer, Maker Studios, Inc.; Jim Packer, President, Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution, Lionsgate; Babs Rangaiah, VP, Global Media Innovation & Ventures, Unilever; and Valari Dobson Staab, President, NBC-Owned Television Stations, NBCUniversal Television Stations.

The Masters of Marketing track features Andy Donkin, Head of Worldwide Brand and Mass Marketing, Amazon.com; Joseph Feczko, SVP, Innovation Integration and Broadcast, Macy’s Corporate Marketing; Rob De Feo, Innovation Leader, Expedia, Inc.; David Levy, President, Turner Broadcasting; and Bryan Thoensen, Director, Head of Brand Content, Hulu.

The lineup of Global Navigators includes Emilio Azcarraga Jean, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer, Televisa Internacional; Alberto Ciurana, President, Programming and Content Univision Networks, Univision; Mike Beale, Director of International Formats, ITV Studios; Andy Kaplan, President SPT Networks, Sony Pictures Television; and Andrew Zein, SVP, Creative, Format Development and Sales, Warner Bros. International Television Production.

The Platforms Accelerated track, which is new this year, features Dana Brunetti, President & CEO, Trigger Street Productions; Alex Moulle-Berteaux, Chief Commercial Officer, Aereo; David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corp.; Wayne Scholes, CEO, Red Touch Media; Frank Sinton, Founder & CEO, Beachfront Media; Sima Sistani, Director of Mobile Growth, Yahoo!; Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku, Inc.

Also new this year is the Access to Insight: 30 Minutes at C-Level track, a series of closed-door sessions offering an unparalleled opportunity to attend a variety of “master classes” with trend-defining media industry leaders, executives and creators, and participate in unique conversations regarding current business models, strategies and best practices.  These sessions will feature presentations by Mark Crumpacker, Chief Marketing Officer, Chipotle; Kris Magel, Chief Investment Officer, Initiative; David McKillop, EVP and GM, A&E; Bill O’Dowd, CEO, Dolphin; Howard T. Owens, President, National Geographic Channel; Tony Pace, Chief Marketing Officer, Subway; John P. Roberts, SVP Digital Media and Commercial Affairs, Endemol; Tim Spengler, President, Clear Channel Media; and Michael Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Televisa USA, and Ryan C. Likes, Chief of Operations and Business Affairs, Televisa USA.