22 (Continued from Cover) floor, Wednesday is expected to be the busiest day. Thursday features three conferences from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., followed by the Gala at 9 p.m. Pre-opening “drinks” are scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. Brands are increasingly becoming entertainment partners. At MIP Cancun, senior brand and agency executives will explore what this means for producers, studios, and media companies. MIP Cancun is bringing senior executives from Publicis, Nestlé, and Heineken to the stage to explore how brands and entertainment companies are forging new partnerships. Titled “Beyond the Deal: Turning Brands into Entertainment Partners,” the opening session kicks off the conference program on November 18 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. It features a panel of headliners: Victor Castrellon, creative director at Publicis; Ian Serrano, director of Communications and Content Studio at Nestlé; and Veronica Meneses, brand manager at Heineken. Notable changes to this year’s program include the absence of the WAWA gathering, buyers’ breakfasts, and breakfast or lunch screenings. Conversely, the market will welcome its first-ever delegation of 10 major Japanese broadcasters looking to sell Japanese content to Latin American buyers. They will also sponsor an early-evening cocktail reception on Wednesday, November 18. This year’s trade show features 98 distributors with meeting tables compared to 121 in 2025. As of October 30, registered buyers stand at 202, down from 250 last year. The U.S. leads representation with 24 distribution companies, while Turkey maintains a strong contingent of nine companies —including ATV, Calinos, Inter Medya, Kanal D, and OGM. Additional international participation includes seven companies from the U.K. and six from Canada, alongside a reduced distributor presence from Latin America. Among buyers, leading countries include the U.S. with 41 buyers, followed by Mexico (25), Brazil (24), Argentina (13), and Colombia (10). VideoAge: MIP Cancun comes at the end of most budget periods. How can exhibitors maximize what’s left in buyers’ budgets? Maria Pérez-Belliere: The market maximizes buyers’ budgets by fulfilling buyers’ demand to come, and distributors organize exclusive content. Traditionally, buyers put aside budget money just for MIP Cancun. Miami Distributor: The MIP Cancun model relies on covering buyers’ airfare and accommodations, which in turn commits them to attending all their scheduled appointments. Sure, this is not the only market that uses this strategy, but a market so near the end of the year is not the ideal calendar time slot. That said, I have yet to find a buyer who travels to this market with a specific budget allocated to this market so late in the year. Delmar Andrade: MIP Cancun is an excellent opportunity to present strategic content and identify business opportunities, even at a time when many buyers are approaching the end of their budget cycles. Beyond focusing solely on immediate sales, exhibitors should take advantage of the event to build relationships, showcase new projects, and better understand buyers’ needs. VA: Is MIP Cancun a good venue to launch new content? Maria Pérez-Belliere: Yes, it is because it is a preparation for the rest of the year when buyers are anticipating their needs for the following year. Miami Distributor: Given the changes, moves, and dynamics we’ve all been experiencing in our industry, I believe distributors are no longer inclined to schedule new content launches around trade markets. By the time MIP Cancun rolls around, buyers already know what new shows are in the pipeline. They may not have seen full episodes yet, but they’re well aware of what’s out there. Delmar Andrade: Absolutely. MIP Cancun is an important platform for introducing new content to the international market, particularly because it brings together buyers and distributors from different territories. It provides an opportunity to generate visibility, gauge market interest in new projects, and understand what is capturing buyers’ attention. VA: Some market participants complain that trade shows’ conferences don’t reflect what’s going on on the sales floor. Why is that? Maria Pérez-Belliere: This is an interesting argument and suggestions are welcome. But we are not a conference market. We are more of a matchmaker event and we get conference input from participants. Miami Distributor: I cannot answer this question because, as a distributor and salesperson, I hardy ever attend the show’s conferences. Delmar Andrade: We believe conference discussions and the business dynamics on the market floor should go hand in hand. The audiovisual industry is undergoing rapid transformation, with changes in consumer habits, distribution models, and platform strategies. It is therefore essential that conference discussions keep pace with these developments and incorporate the perspectives of professionals who are directly involved in the business. VA: Since food, drinks, and transportation costs are included in the market accommodations and registration fee, how can participants save money by attending MIP Cancun? Maria Pérez-Belliere: For producers we have agreements with producers’ associations, but both for producers and distributors, the best way to save money is to take advantage of early-bird registration, [which was] extended to October 23. Miami Distributor: Right now, distributor registration is $6,100, which is actually lower than last year (though this cost does not cover airfare for distributors). Even so, it remains a steep cost for local independent distributors, especially when you compare it with Content Americas that happens just three months after, and with NATPE officially out of the picture, Content Americas has claimed that prime spot on the calendar. Delmar Andrade: From our perspective, the main benefit lies in maximizing the return on investment. By bringing together meetings with buyers, distributors, and partners from different markets in one place, MIP Cancun helps save time and resources that would otherwise be required to arrange individual meetings across multiple countries. VA: What are the assurances that qualified buyers will be at the meetings? And by qualified, we mean, for example, drama buyers meeting with drama sellers and not with documentary sellers. Maria Pérez-Belliere: Simply by giving us the right information. By accurately filling up the matchmaker form we can assure the right meetings between buyers and sellers. Miami Distributor: I’m unsure what algorithm the market uses to accurately match buyers and sellers. Given how challenging this is, it has been a persistent inconvenience for both sides in all the years I’ve attended this market. However, I agree that the matchmaking format is highly effective for companies looking to enter the region, expand their market knowledge, or connect with regional buyers. For established players with existing relationships, however, it loses its cost-effectiveness, serving primarily as a platform to catch up with buyers and engage in face-to-face networking. Delmar Andrade: The quality of meetings is one of the most important factors in the success of an international market. In this regard, MIP Cancun’s matchmaking system plays a key role, helping align meetings with each participant’s interests, content genres, and business needs. Maria Pérez-Belliere during the VideoAge interview VIDEOAGE November 2026 MIP Cancun Preview
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