The advantages aren’t obvious at first, and the realization could be slow in coming, but MIP-TV organizers are feverishly working to assure the best return on investment (ROI) for exhibitors and content buyers alike.
It’s clear that all their prepa-rations have the goal of ensuring that investments at the four-day Cannes market (starting on April 8) will pay off in several ways. From information gathered looking through MIP-TV press releases and the market’s own website, it’s clear that the event will be offering at least four sources of value to participants.
In addition, MIP-TV organizers have prepared tools that potential exhibitors and buyers could use to make a case to their superiors to attend the market. At times, management has been known to question the rationale behind attending the market, and MIP-TV organizers are addressing that issue head-on.
MIP-TV will also allow participants to easily assess the market’s strengths, and in turn, market organizers will help maximize the ROI for all attendees — regardless of booth size and promotion investment level.
The first source of value is the institution of a new online service to expedite the sales process before the market even begins. The MIP Buyers Exchange allows exhibitors to arrange pre-scheduled buyer meetings that’ll work with their existing schedules for the upcoming international market.
Then there’s the MIPDrama Buyers Summit. Scheduled for Sunday, April 7, the event will allow 450 invited buyers and commissioners to get a first look at up to 12 new drama series.
A third element is the fact that France has been named as this year’s Country of Honor. This distinction is expected to draw producers, distributors, and TV outlet executives from around the world. This aspect will also be enhanced by a MIP-TV programming track of conferences and promotional events focused on France’s TV industry.
Last September, TV France International, a trade association that promotes its country’s television productions worldwide, announced that French TV export content earned 325 million euro in foreign markets in 2017. Last year’s MIP-TV saw 535 French companies and 1,420 French participants attending the market. This year, France’s exhibiting delegation includes ARTE France, France TV Distribution, TF1 Studio, and About Premium Content, among others.
On the U.S. studios side, which represents the fourth level of MIP-TV’s ROI for the number and quality of buyers it attracts, Armando Nuñez — president and chief executive officer for CBS Global Distribution Group, and chief content licensing officer for CBS Corporation — will be honored on April 8 with the International Achievement in TV Award. Back in 2013, Nuñez received the MIP-TV Médaille d’Honneur, which his father, Armando Nuñez Sr., was also awarded in 2013.
This year’s four Medals of Honor will be awarded to: Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu, CEO, EbonyLife Media (Nigeria); Ilene Chaiken, writer, showrunner and producer (USA); Stéphane Courbit, chairman, Banijay Group (France); and Jane Millichip, managing director, Sky Vision (U.K).
The four executives will receive their MIP-TV Médailles d’Honneur at a cocktail and awards ceremony taking place at the InterContinental Carlton Hotel on Monday, April 8. The Médailles are awarded to senior executives who have, through their talent, leadership and passion, made a significant contribution to the world of television and the development of the international TV community.
Laurine Garaude, director of Reed MIDEM’s TV Division, commented on this year’s Medal recipients: “It is a great honor to recognize these four exceptional industry figures, who have each, in their own way, made and continue to make major contributions to the international entertainment content sector, and whose vision and leadership set the standards in their respective fields.”
The market’s fifth dimension is its conference portion, which is organized around the theme of “Pushing Boundaries.” It will offer several programming and event tracks, including In Development — Cannes Drama Creative Forum, In Development Kids, and a variety of screenings. There will also be a host of keynotes and conversations. Medal of Honor winner Ilene Chaiken (creator of The L Word) is scheduled for a keynote presentation, while Jeff Apploff, president and CEO of U.S.-based Apploff Entertainment, will present a keynote at MIPFormats, which takes place the two days before the market.
Last year’s MIP-TV registered 10,000 participants from 102 countries. The top five countries in attendance were France, the U.K., the U.S., Germany, and Canada. The market gathered 1,480 exhibiting companies and 3,600 buyers, more than 1,000 of whom were there for VoD-related entities.
Leave A Comment