TORONTO — As anticipated, Brunico Communications, the company that stages such events as the Banff World Media Festival and is the publisher of four screen and production-focused titles, has received judiciary approval of its previously announced purchase of the assets of NATPE, which declared bankruptcy in 2022 after nixing a January 2023 Bahamas conference.
The demise of NATPE came after a bruising two years following the arrival of COVID-19, right after its 2020 NATPE Miami annual conference at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
With a 2021 NATPE Miami affair presented virtually, the 2022 NATPE Miami conference was still a go as of the evening of January 7, 2022, with press confirmation and registration information sent to reporters with a January 12 deadline to submit COVID-19 vaccination status to the organization. Less than 24 hours later, the plug was pulled on NATPE Miami — a victim of Omicron.
That proved to put the wheels in motion on a series of ultimately devastating events for the National Association of Television Program Executives. First, it announced NATPE Miami would be no more; a one-day “NATPE Hollywood” event was staged on June 1 at the W Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Then came a somewhat surprising revelation: a January event was back for NATPE, starting in 2023. But, rather than return to the Fontainebleau, which was rumored to have stuck to its costly contracts as force majure was not applicable to NATPE’s cancellation of the 2022 conference, it selected the trendy Baha Mar resort and convention centre in Nassau, Bahamas.
It would later be revealed by President/CEO JP Bommel that the nixing of 2021 and 2022 NATPE Miami events “forced NATPE to operate on its financial reserves.” This led to the October 2022 decision by Bommel to seek protection for NATPE in federal Bankruptcy Court under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. This saw a restructuring of the organization’s business affairs. Yet, at the time, NATPE said it “does not presently intend to cancel the two events scheduled for 2023.”
Twenty-three days later, that statement was amended, as NATPE confirmed it had canceled its 2023 NATPE Global Conference and Marketplace, scheduled to be held at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas from January 17-19, 2023.
By November 2022, Brunico emerged as the top bidder for NATPE’s assets; the NAB had also been bidding for some or all of NATPE’s business.
Now, Brunico will decide whether or not a January affair in a warm Caribbean locale is part of its plans, as it takes on ownership of other events including NATPE Global and NATPE Budapest, which remains on the calendar for June 26-28.
In an announcement originally scheduled for January 4 distribution but provided to the media early after the Hollywood Reporter failed to honor an embargo, Brunico confirmed that its acquisition has been approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court and is expected to close before the end of January.
Brunico Communications President/CEO Russell Goldstein commented, “The international content community has been waiting patiently for the return of NATPE, and we are
very excited to welcome back our new clients and delegates. Brunico will be reaching out to all NATPE partners in short order to discuss the transition and our plans for the future.”
In fact, Brunico says NATPE will see “a full-scale return” of its annual slate of events culminating in early 2024 with NATPE Global. Brunico added that it plans to invest “significant resources” in building the NATPE brand, in particular NATPE Global, which is the
premier U.S.-based content marketplace.
“With a distinguished track record building must-attend content markets like Realscreen Summit and Kidscreen Summit, and then reinvigorating the widely-acclaimed Banff World Media Festival, we could not be more pleased with this outcome,” said NATPE Board of Directors Chair Andy Kaplan. “With the Board’s full support, Brunico is ideally positioned to
elevate NATPE to new heights.”
