NATPE assets were sponsored by Realscreen & Banff owner Brunico

NATPE has been saved. Brunico Communications, the Canadian company that hosts the Realscreen Summit and Banff World Media Festival, acquired the bankrupt company’s assets for approximately $150,000 and NATPE Budapest will take place as planned in the summer.

The future of the television industry’s world-famous confab was up in the air after NATPE filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October after citing the impact of Covid-19 and announcing its intention to continue holding events. However, this month’s confab, which was supposed to move from Miami to the Bahamas, was canceled a few weeks later. A number of events between 2020 and 2022 have been postponed due to Covid-19.

Russell Goldstein, president and CEO of Brunico, said that the “international content community has patiently awaited the return of NATPE and we are delighted to welcome back our new customers and delegates,” adding that Brunico will contact NATPE over time to discuss next to discuss steps.

Andy Kaplan, chairman of NATPE’s board of directors, said “We couldn’t be happier with the outcome” while praising Brunico’s “preeminent” record overseeing the Realscreen and Kidscreen Summits and Banff. Executives such as Netflix’s Bela Bajaria and Universal’s Pearlena Igbokwe headlined the latter last year.

The news will bring a sigh of relief to the international TV confab community, many of whom consider NATPE – which stands for the National Association of Television Program Executives and has been around for more than 50 years – a staple treated.

Bruneck emerged as a frontrunner to purchase NATPE assets a few weeks after Chapter 11. C21, which operates Content London, shortly before it departs in mid-November.

The first event under the new structure will be NATPE Budapest at the end of June.