Going to these events can be expensive. Allow £2,000 or so per person for attending the markets in Cannes, for example. It rarely makes sense to go unless you have a biggish slate of projects to sell, and unless you have researched the buyers responsible for programmes of the kind you are selling, and made appointments to see them before you go. Don't expect them to be able to see you without an appointment: they're in huge demand.

And don't expect them to sit down and watch your entire 13-hour series. Make a 3-4-minute "taster", make lots of VHS copies of it (including NTSC and SECAM versions), and

give them away. Even better, send them in advance as an inducement to getting that vital appointment with the key buyer your research has identified.

And always remember that, however brilliant you may be as a producer, you may be a terrible salesman. You may well be better advised to leave the whole thing to a distributor.

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