Have Lunch with a Commissioning Editor

Want to talk to the people who actually commission programs? Need advice on what sorts of programs broadcasters are looking for? Take a lunch with a commissioning editor at HISTORY 2003 and find all this out! All delegates registered at the History Congress are eligible to sign up for the draw to join a luncheon table with the commissioning editor of their choice.
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Conference Highlights

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

-- Ernest Hemingway

Anyone who knows Paris knows you don't have to be a young man to experience the City of Light as Hemingway's "moveable feast." Anyone who makes, or cares about, History and Biography programs on television knows that the World Congress of History Producers is another moveable feast - an annual celebration of achievements in the genre; a content-oriented exploration of the challenges and issues in History and Biography television, and a host of opportunities for industry professionals to renew friendships, make new acquaintances, build relationships and do business.

The inaugural History Congress took place in Boston in 2001; the second edition was in Berlin last year. This year's "moveable feast" - presented by Host Broadcaster France 5 and Le Groupe France Télévisions - will be launched in Paris on Sunday, December 7, with an opening reception for the 300-plus delegates in attendance. The working sessions of the Congress start the next morning, with opening ceremonies and the 2003 Keynote Address to be delivered by Hélène Carrère d'Encausse - an internationally renowned historian and speaker who is one of the world's leading authorities on Russian and Slavic History; an Officer of the Legion of Honour; and only the second woman to be admitted to the French Academy in its 350-year history!

The 2003 World Congress of History Producers will feature a diverse and wide-ranging mix of lively debates, controversial discussions, Master Classes, screenings, and more. The list of participants promises to be a "who's who" in History and Biography Television. Scheduled topics include: "Facts and Fakes"; "Academics Meet History Television"; "Napoleon: How Has History Television Served Him?"; "Fashions and Trends"; and "The Great Debate: Is History Television Failing Its Audience?" For details of these and many other sessions, click here and come back often - this schedule is a work-in-progress and subject to change (usually for the better!).

While content is king at the History Congress, collaboration is its consort. If you're in the business of History and Biography television, and you're looking for partners and / or financing, you'll want to take a very close look at the opportunities on offer to "Meet the Commissioning Editors." Likewise, you'll be keen to take advantage of the exclusive Commissioning Editors lunches - by appointment only, details at the History website.

Food for thought is one thing; commercial sustenance is another. But the feast goes on: your ticket to the History Congress includes the opening reception at the historic Hôtel Lutetia; daily lunches at the Lutetia; an evening at the Hôtel de Ville ( Paris City Hall), and a reception at the beautifully ornate Hôtel de la Monnaie - the former French mint, which is now a museum.

History in Paris - A Moveable Feast. Your feast. Your opportunity.

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