The Banff World Television Festival is banking on a big turnout of U.S. players and speed dating for producers and broadcasters as ways to grow in its 27th installment.

According to Robert Montgomery, CEO of both the festival and Achilles Media, which took over fest operations in 2004, extensive feedback from past attendees has resulted in more scheduled face-to-face meetings between producers and broadcasters, whether over breakfast or lunch or elsewhere at the event, to get more deals in hand for all involved.

"We feel our role is one of a facilitator. The number-one goal is to ensure the constituency that invests a serious amount of time and money in Banff gets the best return on that investment," Montgomery says.

The years when the festival was strictly about who would show up and the splendor of the Canadian Rockies are long gone, insists Mary Powers, VP communication at CHUM Limited and incoming chair of the Banff Television Festival Foundation, which owns the fest and contracts Achilles to run it.

"The festivals of old were merely social events. Any festival or market in Banff now has to show relevance to delegates," Powers says.

That means launching not only more one-on-ones, but also a pitch fest and broadcaster briefings - anything to send producers, and especially young ones, home with more than just bear stories.

New initiatives along this line include the Interactive Exchange Sessions, which will allow four indie producers to meet with digital media producers or digital broadcasters, while Pitch It! will offer $20,000 in prizes for the best producer pitches in kids, drama, comedy and lifestyle and reality categories.

Jamie Brown, CEO/executive producer at Winnipeg prodco Frantic Films, applauds Banff's matchmaking prowess.

"[Frantic is] bringing more people to Banff than we ever have. It's become the single most important event for us in terms of pushing programs into development or getting their orders," Brown says.

Banff delegates also told Achilles to invite more Americans "to the ball."

"I've always encouraged the festival to bring up as many Americans as it can," says producer David Paperny of Vancouver's Paperny Films. His first scheduled meeting in Banff is with HGTV U.S., which is eyeing his You Grow Girl, a hip urban gardening show already picked up by HGTV Canada.

"More of our projects will be of interest to Americans, and I hope that encourages them to come up to Banff," Paperny adds.

To woo the Americans, this year Banff organizers are handing out more awards to and scheduling more master classes with Americans, including creators of hit U.S. network series such as transplanted Canadian David Shore (House), Paul Scheuring (Prison Break) and Scott Peters (The 4400). Also invited is Armando Nuñez, Jr., president of CBS Paramount International Television, as CBS will receive Banff's 2006 outstanding achievement award.

"They are our closest neighbor," says Jennifer Harkness, Banff's director of content, of this year's stepped-up focus on U.S. network series, which also includes a panel on the continued viability of crime drama series. The session will feature Richard Lewis, director/producer/writer on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Chris Haddock, executive producer at Vancouver's Haddock Entertainment (Da Vinci's Inquest, Intelligence).

Harkness points to a host of panels with international scope beyond Hollywood, including one on the future of kids television, which is currently enjoying a global resurgence. But another panel will address selling kids series directly into the U.S. market, and will be moderated by David Wiebe, head of development at net The WB, which is soon to relaunch under the banner of The CW, following the merger between The WB and UPN.

Some Banff veterans insist the festival has a way to go before its international attendance returns to levels seen during the go-go 1990s, before the event took on water and was bailed out by sponsoring Canadian broadcasters, government agencies and other stakeholders.

"The numbers just aren't there. It's primarily a domestic event these days," says Steve Comeau, president and CEO of Halifax-based Collideascope Digital Productions (Delilah and Julius).

Comeau adds that he uses Banff to meet with Canadian industry associations, funding bodies and advisory groups holding meetings at the festival, explaining it's otherwise easier to hop a plane to Toronto to dine with broadcasters than line up for snack-sized meetings in Banff.

Paperny agrees that pitching new show ideas has its limits in Banff's hothouse climate, adding that it is best done early in the festival.

"By Tuesday afternoon, broadcasters are a bit shell-shocked. You have to get to them early," he says.

J.J. Johnson, the 25-year-old codirector of Toronto's Sinking Ship Productions (This Is Daniel Cook), had good luck last year pitching broadcasters on Roll Play, an interactive preschool series integrating black-light puppetry by Toronto theater group Famous People Players.

After two years of attempting to nail down broadcasters, Johnson was surrounded by potential partners after a five-minute pitch for Roll Play at the New Players Children's pitching session. The show is now set to premiere on Treehouse in September.

Of his Banff experience last year, Johnson says, "If you are going to play this business, you have to play it as hard as the companies that can plough $30,000 into development."

Other highlights of the 2006 fest, running June 11-14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, include an In Conversation session with Oscar-winning Crash auteur Paul Haggis, who has 30 years' experience in TV writing.

Meanwhile, international programs will duke it out in 18 categories for the Banff World Television Awards. Canadian productions or copros account for 18 nominations, all of which being eligible for the Playback-sponsored Best Canadian Award.

www.banff2006.com