Written by on Nov 2, 2012. Posted in General Interest

Global Production Network holds fourth annual summit

Global Production Network (GPN) held its fourth annual summit in Istanbul recently. Set up in 2003, the organisation specialises in recognising accountability throughout the production service industry. It encompasses 34 companies representing 64 countries.

Harry Tracosas first set up GPN back in 2003, drawing on his extensive industry experience as a key grip, an underwater cinematographer and also as the owner of a production services company in Miami Beach, Florida, from 1987 to 1998.

In the early days of GPN the service companies that approached Tracosas were looking for representation in the US and Canada. These days it is more about building the brand on a global scale, as well as giving members the chance to get to know each other at the annual summit.

Tracosas comments: “At this year’s three-day summit in Istanbul we had 29 companies in attendance, representing 42 countries. It’s a great opportunity to discuss the philosophy of the international servicing business and it’s a chance to bond as a group. The surroundings are more intimate, members can network and I can focus on building the GPN brand.”

GPN selects its members carefully and takes on a single service company to represent one or several countries. Tracosas vets each prospective firm to check that producers have a credible international reputation and to gain an understanding of a company’s business ethos.

At this year’s three-day summit in Istanbul we had 29 companies in attendance, representing 42 countries.

Harry Tracosas, GPN President

Alongside their production credibility, being proficient with technology is an important component of a company’s GPN membership. This includes offering resources such as online location libraries and the ability to share relevant information quickly and effectively.

GPN recently took part in the Pre-Production Seminar at the Ciclope International Advertising Craft Festival in Buenos Aires. The seminar included Veronica Beach from David The Agency as a panellist and was moderated by The Location Guide. Tracosas also recently added an extra member to his team, opening an office in Munich: “As the GPN brand grows and our international dealings become more extensive, I’ve increased our presence in Europe.”

GPN does not charge fees for collaborating or consulting, but instead takes a commission from the projects that its members work on. Recent work includes commercials for Dell in Romania, Rexona in Chile, Nike in Russia and Carlsberg in Hungary.