MIPCOM Attendance Up

CANNES: Reed MIDEM announced this morning that attendance at the market is up to 12,400, with a 4-percent increase in buyers to 4,200, and also revealed plans for a new forum at MIPTV, in association with GSMA, organizers of the Mobile World Congress.

Speaking at a wrap-up press conference this morning, Laurine Garaude, director of the television division, discussed the overall trends at the market, noting an "intangible energy" that is reflecting renewed confidence in the content business. Garaude cited the flurry of new deals, announcements of new partnerships and discussions of new business models. On the attendance front, Garaude also stressed the number of new participants—some 80 companies are firstimers at the market—and the slew of celebrities in town, from Jon Hamm, promoting Lionsgate’s Mad Men, to Sarah Jessica Parker, on site with FremantleMedia Enterprises for Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.

"We have seen an unprecedented number of entertainment stars at this year’s MIPCOM," Garaude said. "I think this reflects renewed confidence in this industry, a willingness to go that extra mile to support a show and recognition that MIPCOM is an extremely effective way of communicating with international television partners and the media."

Other highlights of the last week, Garaude said, included the raft of co-production announcements, the spotlight on Australia—delivering 270-plus delegates from the country—and the rise in the Asian presence at the market, with some 1,200 delegates, new pavilions and a packed Asian Content Exchange. There was also a growing Latin American presence, with pavilions for Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Brazil.

Garaude went on to note the market’s continued emphasis on how best to exploit new platforms, a theme that Anne de Kerckhove, entertainment division director at Reed MIDEM, highlighted in discussing the organization’s new partnership with GSMA. Working with the organizers of the Mobile World Congress and the Mobile Asian Congress, MIPTV will introduce the Connected Creativity Forum. Taking place April 5 to 7 during MIPTV, the new event is being billed as the first conference and exhibition specifically designed for the global entertainment and technology marketplace. It will bring content creators and distributors together with those in the mobile space, from makers of smartphones and tablets to mobile phone operators and manufacturers of networked televisions. "Convergence is happening now," de Kerckhove said, noting that the event will feature a Connected Entertainment Experience Hub where the latest technology and interactive content will be showcased. The Connected Creativity Forum will be an added-value service for MIPTV exhibitors and is expected to bring in new attendees.

In a release announcing the launch of the forum, Paul Zilk, chief executive of Reed MIDEM, commented, "Together with GSMA, MIPTV will address the needs of both the connected device community and the creative entertainment industries in this exciting digital space, including television, music and film, among others."