Attended by representatives from leading international television channels and films producers such as MTV Networks Latin America, Turner Broadcasting System Latin America, FOX International Channels ,Discovery Networks Latin America and The Sean Daniel Company/ Universal Studios, to name only a few, the first Audiovisual Business and Investment Symposium took place on Jan. 21-22 at the AR Convention Center in Bogotá. The event was organized by the Colombian Ministry of Information Technology and Communications, headed by María Carolina Hoyos (former director of the National Television Commission), with support from PROIMÁGENES en Movimiento, Invest in Bogotá and the Centro de Investigación de las Telecomunicaciones (CINTEL) to internationally promote Colombia as a prime choice for development of audiovisual projects. Opening ceremonies were attended by the President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, and by the Minister of Information Technology and Communications, María del Rosario Guerra.

“Colombia has innumerable advantages making it an ideal ally and service supplier to the world’s audiovisual industry, given its location and easy access by plane, its competitive costs, incentives granted the industry and foreign investors, availability of resources and, above all, the proven experience of national companies in developing internationally competitive productions exported to the remotest corners of the globe,” said the Minister of Information Technology and Communications. “The Colombian government is interested in familiarizing international guests with the advantages and benefits of investing in the country and all Colombia has to offer through personalized business contacts in the sector and in many cases, visits to these companies’ facilities”, she later added.

The agenda for representatives from participating businesses included a meeting with Luis Silberwasser, Senior Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Hispanic Networks Discovery Networks during the opening ceremonies and three subsequent sessions with Colombian companies and a visit to their facilities.

International participants included Miguel Angel Oliva, Vice President Public Relations and Corporate Affairs at HBO Latin American Group; Federico Cuervo, Vice President of Programming and Production for MTV Networks Latin America; Christian Prada Forero, Director of Sales for MTV Networks Colombia S.A.S.; Yanira Puy, Director of Marketing for The Andes and Caribbean, Luis Bolio, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mexico, Andes, Central American and Caribbean, Mark Hertfelder, Director of Sales for the Andean and Caribbean Regions, Antonio Pereyra, Accountants Manager for Mexico and Colombia, and Juan Andrés Lozano, Head of Colombian Advertising Sales for Turner Broadcasting System Latin America - Turner International Colombia S.A; Hernan Bidegain, Head of Production and Ariel R. Droyeski, Latin American Sales Director for Fox Sports Latin America; Samuel Duque Duque from Fox-Telecolombia, Sofía Higuera, Director Andean Region and Samuel Duque Rozo, President and CEO of Fox-Telecolombia for Fox International Channels; Luis Siberwasser, Executive Vice President Managing Director, Gustavo López, VP Regional Counsel, Michela Giorelli, VP Production and Development and Fernando Pinzón, General Manager Discovmedios at Discovery Networks Latin America/ US Hispanic; Fraser Townley, CEO and founder of Plywood Entertainment Group/ Self Made Cinema; Enrique Fuentes, CEO at Teravision Games; Maja Zimmermann, Producer and Head of Acquisitions at Altadena Films; Jason Brown, Director of Development at The Sean Daniel Co. / Universal Studios; Miguel Sierralta, President of Sierralta Entertainment; Arnaldo Salazar, Executive Producer for Rubirosa Entertainment; Norm Bolen, President and CEO of The Canadian Film and Television Production Association –CFTPA-; Chevonne O’Shaughnessy, President of American Cinema International; Fernando Mancha, Executive Producer at Open Circuit Television Producciones; Carlos Argüello, CEO and Juanita Uribe, Colombian Director of Studio C; Angel García Crespo, Head of Foreign Actions for the Spanish Center for Subtitling and Audio Description, Universidad Carlos III of Madrid; Márcia Nuñez, International Acquisitions and Sales at Goldcrest Films Internacional; Miguel Felipe Berg, Senior Production Director and Gloria Torcoroma Berg, partner at Frosty Palm Studios; Jone Miren Landaluce, Head of Development at Baleuko S.L.; Sean Spencer, President and Carolina Peña, Consultant at TAP.

Colombian companies participating in the event included 64 A Films; AR Solutions; Blurental; ARTTV Producciones; Babilla Cine; Brash 3D; Teveandina-Canal 13; Casa Editorial EL Tiempo; Corporación Canal Universitario Nacional ZOOM; Caracol Televisión; Centauro Comunicaciones; Cine Colombia; Cinemark Colombia; Citurna; Compañía de Medio de Información CM& Televisión; CMO Producciones; Colombiana de Televisión; CompuRedes; Corporación Sueños Urbanos; Covisual; Direktor; Dragon Films; Dynamo; E-nnovva; Francisco Ortiz Producciones Ltda.; Fundación Pensar Verde; GTG Producciones EU; Inmersión Software & Graphics; Incomsa; Jaguar Taller Digital; Javier Coronado y/o 3Dpixel; Jimeno Acevedo S.A.; Laberinto Producciones; Latribu Ltda - Carlos Millán; Mauricio Inventor; Media Concept; Miro Producciones; Naska Digital; Producciones Contraluz; Programar Televisión; PROIMÁGENES en Movimiento; Provideo; Rafael Poveda Televisión; Raquel Sofía Amaya Producciones; Rhayuela Films; RTVC; Selvanegra Producciones; Sociedad de Televisión del Pacífico; Studio TV Video; Teleantioquia; Teleset; Teleservicios L; Televideo; C.I. Videobase; UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones; Uniminuto; Centro Ático Universidad Javeriana; Video Móvil; Voodoo E.U.; Contento Films; Yuma Video Cine; Zerofractal; Conexión Creativa; Dago García Producciones; Factory Toon; Imagen Digital; Metro Studio; RCN Televisión; Rodrigo Triana; Zstudios; and Telmex Colombia.