CABSAT, the premier event for broadcast, media, satellite, and entertainment industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, will commemorate its 30th anniversary by renewing its partnership with HConsult, a prominent content market specialist in the Arabic-speaking MENA region, to present the MENA Co-Production Salon. Scheduled from May 21 to 23, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, this exclusive gathering aims to amplify the collaborative ethos that has long characterised the annual event.
Situated within a specially curated VIP lounge adjacent to the Content Congress area, the Co-Production Salon is an invite-only enclave that brings together the region’s foremost production houses, OTT platforms, TV networks, content investors, and brand representatives. Serving as a pivotal platform for exploring co-production and investment opportunities, it seeks to foster the creation of internationally marketable TV and film content.
Last year’s Co-Production Salon witnessed high demand, with over 250 companies vying for participation. However, stringent selection criteria and the intimate nature of the event meant that only around a quarter of applicants gained admission. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in an average of 15 high-quality meetings each, resulting in numerous collaborative investment agreements in content production within and beyond the MENA region.
Heba Korayem, Content Market and Partnerships Specialist at HConsult and the MENA Co-Production Salon host, highlighted the event’s significant outcomes. “Tremendous developments are occurring within this seemingly compact space. We have tracked USD 8m in content investment through partnership deals directly stemming from the meetings held at the Co-Production Salon in CABSAT,” she stated.
She added, “The best part about consistently having the Co-Production Salon at CABSAT is the diverse mix of companies it attracts. It serves as an ideal one-stop shop for our participants, producers, and broadcasters. When they attend the Co-Production Salon, they stick around because they can find everything they need, from new technologies to cameras and filming equipment to broadcast support for their content.”
Elena Brodskaia, Head of International Content Strategy at ‘Yango’, the MENA region’s Entertainment super App, shared her experience from the previous year, which coincided with the app’s remarkable launch in the MENA region. She highlighted the impact of the Co-Production Salon at CABSAT. She commented: “Participating in the Co-production Salon at CABSAT 2023 provided a unique opportunity to connect with numerous leading production houses of the region all in one place. The panel discussions and insightful analytics presented by HConsult were invaluable in shaping our content strategy for the app’s launch.”
