Brunico’s NATPE, Realscreen To Join Forces in Miami in 2025

Paige Albiniak
·3 min read
Miami, Florida, skyline.
Miami, Florida, skyline.

Brunico Communications will hold its two TV conferences, Realscreen Summit and NATPE Global, at the InterContinental Miami February 3-7, 2025, the Toronto-based conference producer said Tuesday.

Each conference will retain its own agenda, with Realscreen Summit kicking off the week, followed by NATPE Global. A midweek crossover day will span the two events.

Realscreen Summit traditionally has covered reality, unscripted and factual content, while NATPE has focused on syndicated TV, international programming and other topics. This year, Realscreen Summit was held January 29-February 1 at the Sheraton New Orleans, while NATPE ran January 16-18 at the InterContinental Miami.

“The co-location is designed to provide unmatched production and distribution dealmaking opportunities to attendees of both events, make attendance and exhibition more efficient, and allow delegates to conduct a broader range of business in one trip,”  Brunico said in a statement.

Russell Goldstein of Brunico Communications
Russell Goldstein of Brunico Communications

The events will be co-led by NATPE executive director Claire Macdonald, who will helm the sales effort as senior VP, revenue, NATPE & Realscreen, while Realscreen executive VP Mary Maddever will lead the content teams as executive content director for both events.

The first NATPE and Realscreen collaboration launches in June at NATPE Budapest, with a Realscreen-branded format track as part of the agenda. NATPE Budapest will be held June 24-27 at the InterContinental Budapest.

“In this challenging climate, clients and buyers alike have asked for a single market that meets the full scope of their business needs across their organizations,” Russell Goldstein, president and CEO of Brunico, said in a statement. “In response, we’re creating the most comprehensive North American-based content market available and an unbeatable value proposition.”

“Realscreen is known for its unparalleled curated networking and pitch experiences, which align perfectly with NATPE’s focus on creating a vital cross-industry space for cultivating domestic and international business relationships,” Maddever said.

In the past, the two conferences have overlapped each other, sometimes causing scheduling conflicts for speakers and attendees. While Realscreen Summit has taken place in different locations, NATPE Global was held at the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc Resort on Miami Beach from 2011-2020, with the last gathering held just before the pandemic shut the world down in March 2020. NATPE tried to come back during the pandemic but ultimately was forced to declare bankruptcy in October 2022, leading to its acquisition by Brunico.

NATPE, which stands for National Association of Television Programming Executives, was formed as a syndication conference in 1963. As consolidation in the industry on both the studio and station sides, as well as a highly fragmented audience, led to less activity in the syndication space, NATPE expanded its purview to cover many other types of content. As a result, syndicators and their studio partners have held a private event in Los Angeles the last two years that has replaced their participation in NATPE.

Besides the Realscreen Summit and NATPE Global, Toronto-based Brunico also produces Kidscreen Summit and Banff World Media Festival, and owns the publications Realscreen, Kidscreen and Playback.