Back row, left to right – Diego Lerner, President, TWDC Latin America – Jon Niermann, Managing Director, Walt Disney International, Asia Pacific – Umberto Virri, Managing Director, Italy – Stuart Warrener, Managing Director, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa – Mats Caneman, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Nordic – Stephen Knight, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Brand Management – Brian J. Spaulding, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Walt Disney International – Middle row, left to right – Katarzyna Westermark, Managing Director, Poland – Brett Chapman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Walt Disney International – Cindy Rose, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, U.K. and Ireland – Claus Gydesen, Managing Director, Germany, Austria and Switzerland – Koji Hoshino, President, TWDC Japan – Seated, left to right – Laszlo Hubay Cebrian, Managing Director, Iberia – Philippe Laco, Managing Director, France and Benelux – Michael O. Johnson, President, Walt Disney International.

Walt Disney International seeks to coordinate, expand and strengthen the company’s international operations through several activities. These include creating or acquiring new foreign businesses and distribution channels; enhancing business performance through retail coordination, franchise management, synergy, brand management and new market development; and consolidating accounting, human resources, information technology, legal, real estate and strategic sourcing resources. These latter consolidation efforts were largely completed in key markets during 2002.

Each international region is organized to achieve these objectives while recognizing regional differences and minimizing costs.

Last year, Walt Disney International worked with The Walt Disney Studios to identify opportunities to acquire and develop entertainment content outside of the United States. In Japan, this strategy resulted in continuing a long-running relationship with famed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Disney distributed the latest Miyazaki film, Spirited Away, on video and DVD in Japan and through all distribution channels outside of Japan. This was the most successful film ever released in Japan, generating more than $200 million at the Japanese box office.

In Latin America, Walt Disney International created Miravista, a joint venture with Spanish telephone operator Telefonica, to produce Spanish-language films. Miravista will follow the methods used by Disney’s Patagonic Film Group, which produced Academy Award®-nominee Son of the Bride.

Walt Disney International acquired certain distribution rights in the Asia/Pacific region to the Wiggles properties. This is an Australian entertainment group whose shows are just now appearing in the United States, including The Disney Channel. The Wiggles provide entertainment and education for preschool children.

Walt Disney International continued to coordinate major promotional campaigns across Disney business units. The largest was Walt Disney’s 100 Years of Magic. Each line of business celebrated the centennial of Walt Disney’s birth with unique product offerings. For major theatrical and home video releases such as the animated feature Lilo & Stitch and the DVD premiere of Cinderella II, Walt Disney International provided promotional and product support in Europe. Walt Disney International also coordinated support of the business units for the opening of the new theme park in Paris.

Walt Disney International seeks to maximize the value of key Disney franchises in all international markets. For example, the company brought together a full range of girls’ products offered under the Disney Princess banner. Sales of these products were supported by the video and DVD releases of The Princess Diaries, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella II. In Europe, one of the year’s highlights included the Princess Ball at Disneyland Paris in support of Princess products.

In the United Kingdom, Walt Disney International launched a trial program with Amazon, whereby consumers can click on a Disney button on the Amazon Web site to gain instant access to a full range of Disney video, publishing, music and interactive products (www.amazon.co.uk).

In traditional bricks and mortar retailers such as Target in Australia and Carrefour in France, Walt Disney International worked to coordinate presentation of a full range of Disney products. The Carrefour relationship has resulted in significant placements of Disney products at the point of sale in more than 200 hypermarkets across France, the listing of more than 120 Disney products in Carrefour’s toy catalog and the sale of tickets to Disney motion pictures throughout France.

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