2 Aug

MIPCOM, the world’s biggest television and entertainment market, will go ahead in France in October but with much of the moving and shaking going online because of the coronavirus, its organizers said Friday.

The huge gathering in the Riviera resort of Cannes has been scaled back from four to three days with the separate two-day MIPJunior -- which showcases children’s content -- now running alongside the main event.

But Netflix’s co-chief executive Ted Sarandos will be making the trip for one of the keynote speeches at the streamlined event, which has been rebranded MIPCOM Rendezvous Cannes.

“We understand that some people will be unable to travel to Cannes, so they can be part of the MIPCOM experience digitally,” said Laurine Garaude of Reed MIDEM, who run the event.

“New health and safety guidelines meant considerable disruption and extra costs for exhibitors and their stands, so we decided there will be no exhibition stands at MIPCOM Rendezvous Cannes,” she added.

Organisers said they were setting up a new digital platform for online screenings and video meetings between executives.

MIPCOM will run from October 12 to 15 alongside the international series festival, Canneseries, which was postponed because of the virus in March.

What is MIPCOM ?

MIPCOM (Marché International des Programmes de Communication, English: International Market of Communications Programmes) is an annual trade show held in the French town of Cannes, traditionally in the month of October and running for 4 days. It is owned and organized by Reed MIDEM, a subsidiary of Reed Exhibitions.

The event is geared towards the television industry, primarily attended by representatives of television studios and broadcasters, who use the event as a marketplace to buy and sell new programmes and formats for international distribution, as well as celebrities to promote programming. The event also features keynote presentations and panels featuring representatives of the industry discussing new trends and developments. Additionally, MIPCOM has been used to globally premiere highly anticipated new programmes.

Prior to MIPCOM, a spin-off event known as MIPJunior is held, which is devoted exclusively to the children’s television industry.

MIPCOM also has a sister event, MIPTV Media Market, which is a similar format also in Cannes by the same organizers, in the opposite half of the year (usually April). MIPCOM is slightly better attended than MIPTV. SOURCE: AFP