EXCLUSIVE: The London TV Screenings are a whirlwind of meetings, screenings, lunches and cocktail bashes for buyers. With so many vying for their attention, one savvy distributor found a novel way to get some quality time with the in-demand execs; provide a taxi service to and from the smorgasbord of events and shop them your wares during the ride.
Belgium-based Be Entertainment is the distrib in question. It got its own cab up and running to ferry buyers to and forth events this week.
Managing Director Gepke Nederlof told Deadline that the “Be-Entertaxi” was its alternative to fixing dozens of coffee meetings or hosting a screening amid the myriad happenings in TV Screenings week.
“We created the idea after hearing many buyers talking about having too many screenings and people to see with too little time,” she said. “We thought it might be a good idea to make their London stay easier… picking them up from one screening or meeting and bringing them to the next, using our time together efficiently and trying to make it entertaining at the same time.”
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It’s a fun and inventive idea but also underscores how big the London TV Screenings have become. The advent of MIP London and the usual BBC Showcase at the start of the week only add to the diary logjam.
Be-Entertainment is well established – it is part of DPG Media, Belgium’s largest media company. But even well-known distribs find themselves battling for buyer attention. Especially so given that the biggest players and London TV Screenings founders – All3Media, Banijay, Fremantle and ITV Studios – base their distribution activities in London and are effectively on home turf (even if three of the four are not UK-owned).
Add in the likes of Amazon, Fox, Paramount Global, Sony and others throwing events and a diligent buyer can fill their diary twice over.
Be Entertainment was shopping formats including former Deadline Global Breakout The Political Assembly and singing competition format Lift You Up along the way.
Given the traffic in central London during peak hours, it probably had time to screen an episode or two between trips.
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