MIPCOM Delivered More Than Expected. (Market Report).

Officially, there were 16.5 percent fewer participants than at last year's MIPCOM. Unofficially, the estimated drop was more like 25 to 30 percent. Nevertheless, many attendees agreed that the usual business of buying and selling got done. This 17th annual TV market held in Cannes, France, October 8 -- 12, demonstrated that about 8,000 participants make for the optimum comfort level for both quality of service for the city, as well as quality time between buyers and sellers.

The good results came about in spite of the recession. Indeed, some exhibitors reported that business was done because of the recession, which had caused many TV outlets worldwide to cut their domestic production.

According to the France-based European Audiovisual Observatory, drama production volume in the five main European TV markets (Germany, U.K., Spain, France and Italy) dropped by 4.7 percent compared to 1999.

However, if distributors' confidence could be judged by the number of ad pages placed in the trades that littered the hotels and convention center, one can state that this MIPCOM was full of high expectations and, ultimately, they were met.

The number of cocktail parties and receptions was down and several press conferences were canceled, often because of the subject matter that the programs were touting. As expressed by independent U.S. program consultant Russ Kagan in VideoAge Daily at MIPCOM, "there is subject matter that programmers won't go into right now." In this respect, MIPCOM 2001 reflected the new TV paradigm of balancing audiences and advertiser needs.

Among those visibly absent, were some key buyers from Australia and Japan, even though there were a record number of participants from both countries (202 from Japan and 140 from Australia). As in the past few years, MIPCOM was divided into three sections: Mipcom Jr., the children's TV market, now in its ninth year; the established MIPCOM fall TV market, and MipNet, the annual conference on new technology.

Other conferences and meetings took place, including VideoAge's traditional Latin America breakfast at the Martinez with representatives from five countries. Topics discussed included the upcoming NATPE and the L.A. Screenings. The NATPE market, though, comprised most of the discussion, with international exhibitors fearing that the split between the Convention Center, where most of the distributors will exhibit, and the Venetian Hotel where some of the big distributors will be housed, will cause buyers to travel too far, leaving both places empty. Many participants in the VideoAge breakfast meeting would like to suggest that NATPE organizers focus on the international aspect of NATPE, since the domestic (i.e. U.S.) function of NATPE no longer justifies a floor presence. In this way, at least one aspect of the convention will be strong.