Milia 2001 Re-Boots for Consolidation.

The world's new economic outlook looked dire at Milia 2001, the multimedia market that took place in Cannes, France, last February. This could be a danger sign on the road ahead, but some European execs remained optimistic. Large broadcasting companies such as the BBC and France's TF1 kept low profiles with small exhibiting booths. TF1 introduced Click & Go, an interactive educational CD-Rom For 40 titles, while BBC Multimedia focused on Playstation products such as Robot Wars, a top ratings grabber on BBC2.

Thirty-seven countries were exhibiting at the Palais where 791 companies displayed their latest multimedia products. The exhibition was divided into four sections - Interactive Entertainment, Broadband Internet, Interactive Television and Wireless Media. Milia 2001 welcomed a total of 2,663 companies from 50 countries. France and the U.K. topped the lists of both exhibitors and participants. Video portals and interactive programs were the main interests among market participants, even though major deals were left on the backburner. Yes TV, a British company specializing in content aggregation for interactive television, sought partners for its two new broadband channels, Yes Game and Yes Shop; the latter dedicated to e-commerce and operating on broadband infrastructures provided by British Telecom. Italian broadband service provider TV Files was on the lookout for content providers willing to distribute via an Internet network. TV Files president Riccardo Colasanti explained "We want to emphasize the concept of networks' fertilization. We enable our clients to interact with a network of operators to exchange content." Vivendi Universal executives wanted to add Web muscle to their two new services: Cartable Electronique, an educational product, and a fee-based educational portal. Italian broadcaster RAI expanded its digital offerings by introducing an interactive television project based on the Canal Plus' multimedia platform, Media Highway. Mondo TV, Italy's content provider, showcased its new product: Atrox, a 3-D strategy game acquired from their Korean supplier Hahn Shin. On the satellite front, Eutelsat was busy promoting Open Sky, a satellite platform, and IP Contents, which utilizes Linus technology to optimize fast Internet services as well as streaming media.

This year's Milia was filled with a variety of events such as the Start-Up Competition, the Net Zapping Festival and the annual Techno Night Party. Coupled with the Think. Tank Summit Conferences, this industry extravaganza proved that relationships are the keys to success on the information highway.

Milia also sponsored the 3rd Annual Eccsel Awards, co-produced by Game One and supported by media partners Multimedia ala Une and DTN. The ceremony awarded the best titles and publishers during 2000. Pokemon Project Studio Red's The Learning Company was honored with the "Edutainment" award. The Best Publisher award went to Havas Interactive's Collection Addy - Adibou. Winning the Best Sellers trophy was Buhl Data from Wiso Sparbuch 99/2000. The Best Publisher award was given to Microsoft with Encarta Collection. Nintendo took home the Games award.