Event organizers Reed MIDEM have announced that the annual MIPCOM & MIPJunior content mega-markets will no longer kick off in Cannes this year due to the continued impact of COVID-19, instead of transitioning to fully virtual events. The company had announced a trimmed down, three-day, safety-first version of the confabs for 2020 at the end of July: MIPCOM Rendezvous Cannes, which is now being reimagined along the lines of its 2020 MIPTV treatment in MIPCOM Online+.
Virtual access to the 36th annual event will be anchored in digital “MIPCOM Week” and will include extended features before and after the main event.
“Our motivation has always been to bring together the global entertainment community around the flagship week of MIPCOM in order to support content discovery and new business deals, whether online or in person,” explained Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division. “We made clear when we announced MIPCOM Rendezvous Cannes that we would only hold the physical market if conditions permitted. Due to the ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 and recently increased travel restrictions, we believe that MIPCOM Online+ is the most effective way to move forward and to gather the global television community around MIPCOM Week.”
MIPCOM Warm Up begins October 5 and offers early access for participating delegates and exhibitors to make the most out of the MIPCOM digital marketplace by accessing Market Intelligence sessions, Content & Finance briefings and the MIPJunior Screenings platform, as well as use of the MIPCOM Digital Hub to plan meetings for the MIPCOM Week.
MIPCOM Week will be open October 12-16 as a global online interactive business market including a fully digital “Main Stage Cannes” conference and screenings program including Global Upfronts, Keynotes, market screenings, MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards and much more. In addition, the Virtual Exhibit Hub and the enhanced database will allow users to set up highly targeted, video business meetings between distributors, producers, buyers and all international delegates.
MIPCOM Follow Up+ runs from October 17 to November 17 and will offer replays of screenings, keynotes and conference sessions, from MIPCOM and MIPJunior. Delegates and exhibitors can continue to conduct business through the MIPCOM Online+ interactive database tools and Virtual Exhibit Hub as well as using the MIPJunior digital library.
The third season of CanneSeries (www.canneseries.com), the International TV Series Festival, will take place in Cannes from October 9-14 and virtually on its new platform CanneSeries Live from October 7-21.
