Delegates complaining about a market venue isnt exactly novel.
Even the French Riviera will draw complaints from regulars.
However, the American Film Market in particular has found itself in the cross hairs in recent years.
Palms Casino Resort Las VegasPalms Casino Resort
The event wraps tomorrow but the early returns arent promising.
Were missing meetings left and right.
The elevators are a disaster and the only breakfast option is McDonalds.
There is hardly any outside space for the buyers to congregate and talk.
Its a bad scene.
The screening rooms are modern and comfy.
Thats a big plus.
But they added: Its surreal having to walk through a loud casino to get to meetings.
The elevators cant cope with the numbers and being off the strip doesnt help in terms of options.
Overall, being here youre faced with too much soulless consumerism and waste.
One CEO concurred, calling the venue soul-crushing.
But the offices are nice, wide corridors and great views.
Its always nice to see a lot of people you know in the same space.
The goal … is certainly to do whats best for the community and the industry, he told Deadline.
And if that means staying in Vegas, were going to do everything we can to make that work.
And if that means … an alternative has to happen … we would look at whatever that alternative is.
And I think thats kind of whats important.
The negativity is interesting, he added.
I also have my own economic targets and budgets I need to fall within.
So, Im looking at it from both positions.
Putting on the event is an enormous undertaking.
Its not a car show.
And so that presents challenges and obstacles.
Did it not work?
Did it work for some of us, but not others?
How many people did it not work for?
Its too soon to tell …
But you want to ensure that you get as much feedback as you’ve got the option to.
Attendees have repeatedly questioned the Palms as a venue.
Clay responded: You really need a hotel.
You have different size offices.
Then you need it to be a nice space.
It has to be around an area that has food choices.
And it needs to be near cinemas where you’re free to take over screens for a week.
It needs to be near an international airport.
It needs to be these dates.
Theres really no other time to have AFM.
The rooms are nice.
it’s possible for you to take the beds out.
So it checked a lot of boxes, it made sense.
The lively Strip is an Uber ride or a harrowing 40-minute walk.
Why not on the Strip if it has to be in Vegas, many wondered.
Epstein said the hotels there were enormous, with huge convention center floors.
It wasnt what we needed, wasnt really what our show is.
Or they would not take the beds out.
Or just the environment that wasnt really suited to our industry.
And then, there were no screens.
And that just did not seem like wed want to put our attendees through that.
Los Angeles back on the table or more Vegas?
The biggest question many attendees had was LA really not an option?
No, Epstein and Prewitt said, not this year.
LA is not a conference town.
Certainly, the Delfina did not work last year, Prewitt said.
It was … too expensive.
There were no screens nearby.
We really cant go to Pasadena, right?
And no one wants to hear about Long Beach.
So yeah, there were places.
But when you actually looked at what they could offer overall, it didnt make much sense.
It shouldnt take you half an hour.
So, in that sense, theres always going to be a learning curve, anywhere.
I think we have to get a little bit past that part.
Some say the location hasnt aided business.
The distraction hasnt helped focus minds.
Others found it brisk.
That said, Do I think Vegas is the right environment for AFM long term?
Absolutely not, he continued to cheers and clapping from the audience, a ballroom-filling crowd.
