Animation Ireland attended a four day mission to Los Angeles lead by Heather Humphreys T.D Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA Ireland, supported by the Irish Film Board.
The Irish animation industry was the main focus of the mission, aiming to connect 15 Irish companies in this dynamic, growing industry in Ireland, to many of the largest names in global entertainment. Animation Ireland member companies who attended were Giant Animation, Igloo Films, Moetion Films, Piranha Bar and Treehouse Republic, alongside Animation Ireland’s Industry Chair, Moe Honan.
Minister Humphreys lead the Enterprise Ireland client delegation to meetings with world-renowned animation studios; Activation Blizzard, Amazon Studios, Cartoon Network, The Jim Henson Company, Disney Animation Studios, Jakks Pacific, Netflix, Nickelodeon Company, Paramount Pictures and The Gotham Group during the mission.
Speaking on the first day of the trade mission in Los Angeles, Minister Humphreys said;
“I am delighted to lead this delegation of 15 Irish animation companies to the heart of the global entertainment industry, which is projected to be worth US$ 270 billion by 2020. This is an enormous opportunity for the participating companies to showcase Ireland’s vibrant animation sector, which currently employs over 1,600 highly skilled people.
The ecosystem is enhanced further by State supports through Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Film Board supports, Animation Ireland and the Animation Skillnet and more generally through RTÉ and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Not only are the Irish companies in this growing sector creating jobs and contributing to the economy, but they are creating valuable cultural exports reaching substantial global audiences, which brings benefits to other industries including the tourism sector”.
“In the context of Brexit, it has never been more important to support Irish companies to achieve their global ambition. This Enterprise Ireland / IDA Ireland trade mission, which I am leading to the USA, supports early entrants and established Irish companies in the animation sector to expand key business relationships with their US counterparts. Throughout this mission I will be engaging with key decision-makers in Government and industry to promote the innovative capabilities and competitive offers of Irish companies.”
Julie Sinnamon, Enterprise Ireland CEO said;
“The Irish animation and digital entertainment sector is an important element of Ireland’s digital and creative economy. The sector has experienced significant growth in recent years and now employs more than 1,600 skilled workers and contributes more than €100m to the Irish economy. The growth has been achieved by award-winning Irish studios that combine the Irish capacity for story-telling with highly innovative visual effects and technology. Ireland is now globally recognized and a leading source of creative content for the TV, Film, and Games industry. We are excited about showcasing these Irish animation and VFX technologies in home of the U.S. film industry. Our ambition is to expand the export footprint of this growth sector even further, connecting Irish animators to some of the world’s best-known digital animation names in the world, through this trade mission”.
Other highlights for the participating animation clients included a “masterclass” session delivered by US animation industry veterans on topics including how to market fund, licence, market and sell animation outputs.
Minister Humphreys also addressed an event dedicated to increasing female entrepreneurship in this sector where she met with senior political figures from the City of Los Angeles. This event was hosted by the US organization Women in Animation and included Animation Ireland Chair, Moe Honan on the panel.
The trade mission as jointly co-ordinated by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland in operation with the Irish Film Board on behalf of the Government of Ireland.