Mom-and-pop shops feed on chaos

January 23

IN A BLUR: The NATPE convention floor can be a whirlwind, but for the smaller content providers who can keep their bearings, the disorder can yield important opportunities.

While media goliaths like Sony and Warner Bros. have downplayed the importance of NATPE in recent years, the annual confab has become a goldmine of opportunity for small, independent companies…

…CABLEready founder Gary Lico says NATPE is relevant both from a business and emotional perspective.

“If America, a country whose second largest export is entertainment, cannot get together at a content convention once a year,” Lico comments, “shame on us, because it is about more than just selling or buying. It’s about community and loyalty and dedication and communication and shared learning experiences.”

Lico’s business reason is more practical. After a one-year absence from the exhibit floor, Lico says he realized the importance of being visible.

“When you are the size that we are,” Lico says, “you want to be seen by as many people as you can. That’s why the floor is so very important.”

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