Reed Midem Outlines What A Pandemic-Era Mipcom Will Look Like In October

Jake Kanter
·3 min read

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Mipcom organizer Reed Midem has provided an insight on the work it is doing to make sure the annual TV market can go ahead safely in October, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world.

Laurine Garaude, the director of Reed Midem’s television division, said her team is “extremely motivated” to stage the Cannes event on October 12-15, saying they “feel more strongly than ever how important it is to support the industry.”

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She was bullish about its prospects of going ahead. Garaude said “Europe is doing much better now” in terms of containing COVID-19 and that the French government will start allowing events of more than 5,000 people to take place from September. She added that Reed Midem is working closely with Cannes authorities to ensure people are safe during their visit to the French city, including in hotels and restaurants.

Speaking to the TellyCast podcast, Garaude admitted that Mipcom “will be different” and is set to become a “hybrid” event, mixing both an online platform, dubbed Mipcom Online+, with the physical market.

The online platform will feature premieres and a “global upfronts” event, during which producers and distributors can showcase first-look footage from their new shows. Mipcom Online+ will also allow for video conferencing so that sellers stationed at the market can meet with buyers unable to attend.

In terms of the market itself, Garaude said Reed Midem’s coronavirus protocols could be stricter than government standards to ensure the safety of delegates. She reeled off a list of steps being taken by organizers:

  • Masks will be mandatory on the Palais and will be made available at distribution stations

  • Hand sanitizing stations will also be a fixture at the exhibition hall

  • A one-meter social distancing rule will be enforced rigorously

  • Conference sessions will operate at 50% capacity and event spaces will be cleaned for 45 minutes between each session

  • Traffic flow will be regulated, with different entrances and exits to the exhibition hall

  • Delegates will be able to print their badges at home

  • Clubs and lounges will be reconfigured to ensure there is more open space

  • Reed Midem will not be staging any parties

Garaude said Reed Midem is working to produce a document for delegates in the coming days. She recognized that Mipcom will likely be the “first international market to place in this environment,” but stressed the importance of in-person interactions. “It’s really important to be able to meet in person. There is a need to meet in person and it’s our duty to that in the safest way,” she told the podcast, created by Boom! PR founder Justin Crosby.

Separately, Canneseries confirmed it will launch on October 9 alongside Mipcom after being postponed earlier this year. The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd will preside over the Canneseries jury.

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