Trade show success mirrors market's growth.

It only took 15 years, but DISCOP organizers finally managed to persuade their host hotel to open up the emergency stairs to alleviate the crowded elevators and improve traffic flow.

At DISCOP 2007, held as usual at the Sofitel Hotel in Budapest, Hungary at the end of June, there were 418 more participants than in 2006, for a total of 1,522 executives. Among the 242 exhibiting companies, there were 89 new exhibitors. Organizers had to expand the number of suites beyond the fire doors on all three floors, in order to accommodate the overflow.

Next year, a fourth floor will likely be added, as the market returns to vertical expansion. If one considers that the trade show for Central and Eastern European TV territories started with just one floor, its vertical and horizontal growths are astonishing. The current overflow of exhibitors was also evident at the hotel's basement level, where some companies exhibited with just a desk and an audiovisual set. Those desks took over the spot that formerly held the registration area, which had to be moved further back on the same floor.

DISCOP management was able to convince the hotel staff to make big improvements with the air conditioning system as well. This time participants could actually walk around fully dressed.

Another big improvement was DISCOP's handling of the "no-shows." This year, exhibitors reported an incredibly low number of buyers who missed their appointments. Some who, for whatever reason could not make scheduled meetings at the last minute, even called to cancel. This, perhaps, to avoid being embarrassed by DISCOP hostesses walking the floors with blackboards naming buyers "missing in action."

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While the structural improvements helped to make the event better organized, the success of the market is primarily due to the growth of the television industry in Eastern Europe: a region awash with cash, rushing to catch up after decades of stagnation.

As summarized by Roz Parker of National Geographic Television International, "Eastern Europe is a rapidly developing marketplace, with an increasing number of channels needing content. DISCOP is the best place to meet new buyers and establish precisely their needs."

Distraction's Barbara Vallant attributed the "liberalization of the media in many Eastern European countries and the increase of TV advertising" to the recent growth in the Eastern European television marketplace. But she feels much could still be done to try and attract more Russian buyers to the Budapest conference.

Similarly, Meggan Kimberley of Regent Entertainment said: "For so many years [the area] was oppressed, and now with the economies improving, and some of the countries joining the European Union, they have many more opportunities for growth."

But, there is an additional "plus" attached to DISCOP: The fact that some of the buyers in attendance do not go to other markets.

Stated Jo Lovell of Carsey-Werner: "I go to DISCOP to meet buyers I don't normally meet--those who can't afford to go to MIP or MIPCOM. It's also a great opportunity to meet with fellow distributors and swap information [about the Central and Eastern European territories]." Lovell mentioned that she had very few no-shows this year. She added that NATPE's takeover of DISCOP does not seem to have changed the market that much. "It's never terribly busy," she said. "But it's busy enough."

DISCOP--together with the L.A. Screenings in May, NATPE in January and to a lesser extent, MIPCOM--is also important for Latin American distributors.

Michelle Wasserman, who handles scripted sales for Telefe International, explained: "Eastern Europe is significant to us, but there's a recent tendency toward local production that makes for a very competitive market. Now in addition to the other Latin telenoveleros, I am competing with companies from places like Croatia that are producing their own novelas."

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Wasserman further explained that in the year 2000 there was a boom in telenovela sales in Eastern Europe, but now a lot of her shows are being sold for non-primetime spots. What has made up for some of the loss incurred by local producers of telenovelas is the fact that new digital platforms are popping up around Western and Eastern Europe, creating more potential homes for product. In fact, during DISCOP, Wasserman completed deals with Poland's TVN and Polsat for their new digital platforms.

Wasserman noted more buyers than last year at this year's DISCOP, and observed that things are getting more organized each year. In terms of no-shows, she said about 95 percent of scheduled meetings came to fruition. Now for the gripes: Wasserman noted that for such a long trip [from her home base in Argentina], it seems unfair that distributors are not able to take full use of the last third day of the market. She described DISCOP's final day as "disorganized," and said that some stands were being taken down while meetings were still being held. "We really need the market to be a full three-day event," she said.

Going back to the event's stats: There was an all-time high of 901 buyers from Central and Eastern Europe, representing 678 national, regional and thematic TV stations, DVD distributors, cable and satellite operators, format production companies and IPTV and mobile stations. Additionally, 530 television content sales execs, representing 383 TV content distribution companies from 41 countries were also on hand. In addition to the business that was done, DISCOP's newest program, DISCOPRO, a daylong conference and networking event dedicated to coproductions, drew 97 participants and 27 speakers at a number of panels and sessions. Its success ensures that the program will become a permanent market fixture.