Lucy Smith Talks MIP LONDON Highlights

Some 600-plus buyers have already signed on for MIP LONDON, with overall participation for the new RX France event taking place alongside the London TV Screenings next month at almost 1,000 and growing daily, Lucy Smith tells World Screen.

MIP LONDON is set for February 23 to 27 at the Savoy Hotel and IET London. The multi-genre market was unveiled by RX last year as the organization pulled the plug on MIPTV in Cannes.

WS: Set the stage for us again on why this evolution was needed.
SMITH: MIPTV had definitely come to a natural end—the feedback from the industry was the calendar had become too congested, with people having to make choices. And one of them was between going to London in February or Cannes in April. But though the distribution market has moved earlier in the year, it was clear from clients that there was still a need for an international market to kick the year off. MIP LONDON is a response to this—an international content and networking market with conferences and screenings, set up to complement existing London TV Screenings and BBC Showcase events. Based at the Savoy Hotel and The IET, (which are next door to each other in the West End), it is a central hub less than ten minutes away from any of the venues that are already being used by companies for screenings in London.

All this is with the sole aim to bring in more people, more business and more opportunities to what has become a huge content week in London. That’s why we’re staging a full supporting program with workshops and matchmaking that helps connect people; one that leans into genres that are currently underserved and will deliver big moments and those future facing conversations that the industry needs right now.

WS: How is attendance shaping up?
SMITH: We’re really encouraged. It’s strong, global and growing daily, particularly since the New Year. As of today, we’re at almost 1,000 confirmed participants, a mix of buyers, visitors, companies taking space and those doing screenings or showcases and truly international in make-up.

In terms of distributors, we have companies like A+E Networks, Beta Film, Fuji TV, FilmRise, Gaumont, Global Screen, Nippon TV, PBS, TV Asahi and Unifrance. There is a growing presence from Asia with the China pavilion confirmed, KOCCA doing a showcase, and lots of Japanese companies signed up. We’re seeing more coming in from LatAm and the Middle East also, and there are 30-plus Canadian companies being supported by Telefilm Canada and SODEC.

Over 600 buyers have now registered, about a third are from outside of Europe, and between a third and a half are coming to London for that week for the first time, from the likes of LatAm, Asia, Turkey, India and Middle East, again bringing more people, business and opportunities, as is the goal. That number is growing, and buyers will be able to register right up to the market and on-site.

And it goes beyond buying and selling, with that number including producers, next generation media companies, digital first players and content creators, FAST, AVOD and CTV players and more.

WS: Have you course-corrected at all since unveiling the original vision for MIP LONDON?
SMITH: Every MIP market is based on mirroring what the industry tells us it needs and delivering it, and as ever, we’ve shaped and evolved our thinking and plans for MIP LONDON to meet this. We always knew it would center on providing “plug and play” meeting spaces within a central hub. What became clear from clients and our advisory boards that are in place across each genre (once we were first able to outline plans from April onwards last year) was the need for a more comprehensive conference program.

What also came through is that in addition to screenings, people want more opportunities to get together—to figure it out. The industry is going through a major transformation. [People want to] learn about new business models, new ways of monetization, finding new business partners. That’s why we have developed a broader conference program featuring further workshops and matchmaking, to find new opportunities to do business and learn together. Where we’ve got to feels like we’ve met these needs and found the right balance.

WS: Talk to us about some of the highlights of the conference schedule.
SMITH: There will be something for everyone every day and daily themes going more in depth by genre. We promised major moments, and the joint Bela Bajaria and David Beckham keynote announced at the end of last year is one such! And there are more to follow. Then, from the Sunday to Tuesday, it is more about unscripted. That includes MIPDOC and MIPFORMATS, including signature elements such as the MIPDOC CO-PRODUCTION SUMMIT, MIPFORMATS PITCH (in partnership with FOX Entertainment Global) and the first London edition of FRESH TV. On the factual side, we have speakers from companies like Curiosity Stream, Quintus Media, ZDF, PBS and ARTE. For formats, the likes of FOX Entertainment Global, Sky, TF1 and SVT.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we have the GLOBAL STREAMING STRATEGIES SUMMIT with sessions led by Evan Shapiro, spanning areas including FAST, AVOD and connected TV, with confirmed speakers from YouTube, Little Dot and TheSoul Publishing; and Tellycast’s Justin Crosby will lead a digital first summit on Thursday morning.

Thursday is also when we focus on Kids, but everything about new streaming models, distribution with FAST and AVOD and digital-first creators going on Wednesday and Thursday will be of interest to the kids’ audience, and we have a special kids’ offer with some networking spaces and matchmaking. We have leading broadcasters from the sector such as BBC, France Télévisions and Rai, alongside key players from streaming, gaming and digital-first creation and distribution and over 150 relevant buyers registered.

Transformation starts with kids, and the program is a continuation from MIPJunior, which also focused on how companies are adapting and working differently. We’ll showcase innovative digital content strategies and the financing models that are getting shows greenlit. The day will conclude with speed matchmaking.

WS: That’s a lot on the agenda!
SMITH: It is a lot, but it’s a multi-genre market. And it’s accessible. One person can register for £500. That’s accessible in price, and in location (in central London—and London itself is accessible globally, of course). If you’re going to take part in an event at London TV Screenings, you can include some sessions and networking around your schedule. Everyone I’ve had a chance to present plans to can see the benefit of all of this within a central hub. Our goal is to make this something people feel they can come to, pack their diary and also have those serendipitous moments that happen at MIP markets in Cannes or Cancun, to stage something that people will enjoy, remember and benefit from—and it all starts with an opening party on the Sunday evening!