(Continued on Page 12) 10 After the report on MIPCOM in last month’s VideoAge edition, let’s review the “factual” and entertaining sides of the market, which took place October 7–10 in Cannes, France. According to Reed MIDEM, over 13,500 international delegates from 100 countries attended the event, marking an increase over the past two years (2012 saw12,900delegates and 2011 saw 12,500). Buyers numbered 4,623, and 1,000 of those were digital buyers. MIPCOM’s Country of Honor, Argentina (which took the torch from Canada), made a big showing with 98 companies and 283 delegates. As part of the Country of Honor celebrations, a luncheon was held for the Argentinean film-TV industry, attended by 150 executives out of a record number of 700MIPCOM participants from Latin America. Indeed, exhibitors met with buyers from across the globe. “We were fully booked every half hour with buyers from all over the world,” said Peter Iacono of Lionsgate. “Distance doesn’t seem to be a factor in keeping people fromMIPCOM,” he said. Ron Alexander, who launched Ron Alexander Media after 18 years with TPI, reported that “floor traffic was great, and Monday and Tuesday were packed.” Not only were many acquisitions executives in attendance, but they also showed up to meetings with a “specific idea of what they needed and what works for their territories,” said Giulia Prenna of Epic Pictures. This made for “very focused meetings,” she added. But not all buyers knew what they were looking for. “I’ve attended 47 of the 50 MIPs and every MIPCOM,” said Irv Holender of Multicom Entertainment Group. “The business model keeps changing, and what used to be a very TV-focused market is becoming a mixed market. Digital people from all walks of the TV world and some people who aren’t even in the TV world are here, and in some cases they don’t know what they’re looking for. There’s no direction,” Holender said. Echo Bridge Entertainment’s Emilia Nuccio foundMIPCOM2013 to be “a very positivemarket, and I was able to zero in and close business that was pending over the summer.” This was Tricon Films & Television’s “largest MIPCOM to date in terms of content and personnel,” said Jon Rutherford, who noted that the company launched about 20 new titles. And while he said that his team’s schedules were jam-packed, they also managed to fit in walk-ins whenever possible. Overall, MIPCOM attendees were in chipper spirits and made time for extra-curricular activities as well, despite the near-nightly rain that fell onmore than a few of the 50-odd cocktail parties along the Riviera, starting on Sunday, the day before the market opened. In fact, Sunday was a busy day this year, and some exhibitors, like Lionsgate’s Iacono, speculated that talk of the potential air traffic controller strike caused the market to be moved up a day, so to speak. Indeed, both Iacono and Ron Alexander noted that Monday and Tuesday were packed with meetings —more so than usual. This year the organizers shook things up, with theopeningnight party takingplace at theCarlton MIPCOM ’13 In Facts, Figures and Pictures Crowds, parties, and a little rain make for a buoyant (if damp) market December 2013 Market Review 9 Story’s Stephen Kelley, Natalie Osborne, Jennifer Ansley, Vince Commisso, Liliana Vogt, Kristin Lecour, Federico Vargas Starz’s Gene George (far right) with the talent fromBlack Sailsat Starz’s cocktail party eOne’s John Morayniss with Abbie Cornish of Klondike Venevision’s Cesar Diaz with Sonotex’s Raul Lecouna
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