Reed sets up Asian TV Forum as key broadcasting platform

SINGAPORE Reed Exhibition Companies (REC) Singapore has organised the inaugural Asian Television Forum (ATF) and is aiming to grow the event into a major Asian television exhibition. For the first time, a TV exhibition was held at a hotel, the Sentosa Shangri-La Rasa Resort. "The hotel concept is productive and keeps exhibiting costs to a more acceptable level," REC Singapore president Mr Jimmy Lau said. The Singapore Broadcasting Authority-supported ATF aimed to provide an informal and relaxed business environment by combining resort hotel ambience with business facilities. As television business is relationship-based, the market was held in hotel suites doubling as screening rooms, to create a relaxed buying environment. Mr Lau emphasised REC and co-organisers Television Asia were not trying to create a large-scale world-wide exhibition, but to concentrate on benefiting the Asian television market. "We hope to position ATF as the number one event for Asia programmes to sell to Asian and global buyers," he said. Around 800 delegates visited the 200 exhibitors. "The aim of ATF was to offer a platform for real discussion of local industry issues," Television Asia publishing director Mr Jonathan Hallett added.