Event Preview: MIPTV

February 23, 2012 World Screen Top Stories
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NEW YORK: Laurine Garaude, the director of the television division at Reed MIDEM, offers up a look at some of the highlights of this year’s MIPTV, which runs from Sunday, April 1, to Wednesday, April 4.

MIPTV kicks off with a "Super Sunday" lineup of panels and keynotes addressing digital media, drama co-productions, kids’ animation and more, setting the stage for a "dynamic and active" market, Garaude tells World Screen.
 
"We’re expecting over 11,500 professionals from 100 countries, with more than 4,000 buyers," says Garaude, the director of the television division at Reed MIDEM. "We have at least 70 new stands—and we’re still selling. We have an enlarged presence from companies like Miramax, Hasbro, Turner and Electus. There’s a very vibrant presence of [country] pavilions, including increases in Malaysia, Taiwan and Belgium. FAVEX, which is from Finland, is doubling their presence. And all the majors are there, so we’re looking to a very, very good MIPTV."
 
Garaude notes that MIPTV is introducing some new elements this year to address the transformation taking place in the TV business. "There’s a really strong need for new talent and international partnerships. Our goal was to create the right context so that people can meet in a new way, in order to do new types of business deals."
 
That sentiment extends to MIPTV’s accelerator events, MIPDoc, MIPCube and MIPFormats, taking place on the Friday and Saturday before MIPTV. These events, Garaude says, "bring together distinct communities to connect before MIPTV, and then spur on the deal-making afterwards."

Super Sunday
The conference agenda on the first day of MIPTV will encompass a mix of panels and keynotes on digital media. The opening session will look at connected devices and connected audiences, discussing how consumers are accessing content on multiple platforms. Later in the day, in The New TV Players, there will be a series of back-to-back interviews with executives from Facebook, MySpace U.K. and YouTube, weighing in on how video is delivered and monetized on these new platforms. There will also be three Media Mastermind Keynotes on Sunday, with Peter Vesterbacka from Angry Birds creator Rovio, Jean-Briac Perrette from Discovery Communications and Anthony Bay from Amazon.com.
 
Sunday will also offer a number of panels on the global animation market, beginning with a session featuring Nickelodeon’s Jules Borkent, CBeebies Kay Benbow and Turner’s Michael Carrington. There will also be dedicated sessions, requiring pre-registration, spotlighting animation outfits in Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea and China.
 
MIPTV’s opening day wraps with a to-be-announced international premiere screening, the opening party and the International Digital Emmy Awards.
 

Drama CoProExchange
Reflecting the increased importance of international co-productions in the drama space, MIPTV is introducing the Drama CoProExchange, split into two parts on Sunday and Monday. In partnership with World Screen, the Drama CoProExchange begins on Sunday afternoon with a by-invitation only Co-Production Summit at the Majestic. The goal, says Garaude, is to "bring together 40 selected commissioners, producers and deal-brokers involved in co-production at a very high level. This is a private meeting of the top minds in drama production to discuss international co-production, which is such an increasing trend in the industry." A host of key companies are slated to participate, including ITV Studios, BBC Worldwide, M6, Sky and eOne Television.
 
The strand continues on Monday with World Screen‘s Anna Carugati interviewing Josh Sapan, the president and CEO of AMC Networks. On the same day, also in partnership with World Screen, a number of top-level broadcasters will discuss their programming strategies for the year.
 
MIPTV has stepped up its efforts to attract producers to MIPTV, and Drama CoProExchange is part of that initiative, Garaude notes, as is a new Producers Hub at the Gare Maritime. "There will be workshops there and mentoring sessions for producers. It’s going to be full of new talent and new ideas." MIPTV is also putting in place a new first-timer rate for producers of $675. Producer-focused sessions include a panel on funding opportunities in Brazil and a session of case studies of shows from Scandinavia.

Branded Entertainment
Another key theme this year is branded entertainment, with this strand of the conference program encompassing screenings, case studies and a panel in which broadcasters will talk about working with clients beyond the 30-second spot. The branded entertainment keynote will be delivered by Jonathan Mildenhall, the VP of global advertising strategy and content excellence at The Coca-Cola Company. "We’ll be announcing the second Brand of the Year at a party on Monday evening," Garaude adds.

3DTV Day
MIPTV is again partnering with Sony to shine a spotlight on the emerging arena of 3D television. There will be a host of events on Tuesday, including a matchmaking session to meet with buyers and a panel on the revenue generating opportunities for 3D. "There’s a big focus on sports," Garaude adds, "especially with the Olympic Games coming up, so it’s a benchmark year. We really want to encourage the creation of more content for 3D."
 
You can find the full MIPTV conference program here.