By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: Dubai International Content Market –DICM, the dedicated marketplace for buying, selling and co-producing content in the MENA region, will kick off on the 9th of December 2019 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel Conference Centre in Dubai.
Running until the 10th of December, the premier content fair DICM comes at an opportune time, as Dubai, which is located in the heart of the Middle East and North Africa region, has recently been named the capital of Arab Media for the year 2020 and it is certainly at the forefront of content creativity owing to a number of factors which are unique to MENA region.
Keeping this in mind, this year, DICM is expected to attract over 500 visitors and participants from across the region and the world over the 2 days and witness the participation of 20 renowned speakers from the content landscape, who will offer their unique practical insights on the most recent trends and topics in the media, entertainment and content market.
For the latest edition, DICM features a comprehensive conference agenda with a host of engaging sessions and insightful panel discussions on a number of key trending topics in the content market. In a session titled ‘Global Streaming Players and Local Content’ experts will offer their key insights on various topics such as ‘Global Value for Local Content’, ‘Audience Engagement’ and ‘Focus on Mena’ while another session under the title ‘The Pay TV and Online Video Market in MENA’ includes discussions on ‘A brief outlook of the state of the online subscription video market in the MENA region’. In addition, in a separate session titled ‘Theatre Audience in the Age of Streaming’, experts will speak about ‘Cinema Expansion in Saudi Arabia’, ‘Cinema vs OTT’ and ‘Local, Regional or International Content’ and other such topics. In addition, a special focus will be given to local trends, where content from South America and India has gained increasing popularity, confirmed by the participation of Caracol from Colombia, Televisa from Mexico, Record TV from Brazil alongwith the presence of a number of established brands from India such as Toonz, IndiaCast and GoQuest.
Commenting on the occasion, Vlad Borovina, Project Manager, Dubai International Content Market said, “We’re very excited with the list of participants for this year’s event. It shows that content is very much alive and growing in the region both in terms of creating it and consuming it.”
He added, “With an increase of 50% in the number of exhibitors, DICM positions itself as a ‘go-to’ event in December for those interested in a business-oriented and cost-effective market in the Middle East region.”
This year, DICM is expected to attract more than 60 media, entertainment and content brands such as Warner Bros, Viacom, A+E Networks and Inter Medya from over 30 countries. With the aim of offering superior ‘easy-to-work’ solutions to exhibitors and keeping abreast with the latest in the industry, DICM aims to facilitate personalized business-to-business experiences, inclusive of outstanding turnkey exhibiting concepts such as the hugely popular ‘Plug-and-Work’ concept as well aspre-arranged B2B meetings, individual networking assistance and opportunities for exclusive screenings.
Moreover, DICM provides exhibitors a chance to establish themselves in the fastest growing content market in the MENA region while also offering them a unique opportunity to build robust relationships and partnerships with major players in the local market.
Dubai International Content Market – DICM is organized annually by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions – a member of INDEX Holding and supported by Abu Dhabi Media, Dubai Film and TV Commission and mena.tv.
