VideoAge’s first impression of the Moon Palace Resort, which this year housed the fourth edition of MIP Cancun, was that it was overwhelmingly large. The complex has three huge properties, each with 10 or more buildings for the sleeping rooms.
MIP Cancun’s complex is called “Sunrise,” and is adjacent to the Moon Palace Arena, and the Expo Center, where all MIP Cancun functions took place.
Although the three-day market officially began on Wednesday, November 15, most participants arrived a day early, which allowed them to attend a “pre-opening” drinks reception sponsored by Turkey’s Calinos.
Rosalind Rotundo, who was exhibiting with Miami-based VIP 2000 TV, marveled at how everything –– including drinks and food –– was included in the MIP Cancun registration fee of about $5,000 for one “Distribution Meeting” table and one person. (If two people wanted to take meetings at the table, it would have cost an additional $2,000.)
The market guide listed 422 companies from 45 countries, but failed to indicate whether they were sellers or buyers. According to Ted Baracos, MIP Cancun’s director, there were 160 buyers in attendance. The market had 175 tables in all (compared to 142 last year), but that number did not reflect the total number of exhibitors because some companies, like CBS, had three tables.
This year, a board identifying exhibiting companies’ table numbers was missing. So, if one wanted to find out the table number of a distributor, a visitor had to rely on the fact that companies were lined up in alphabetical order. But buyers did receive a list with table numbers in advance of the market, together with instructions stating that each meeting was to last no more than 25 minutes.
In addition to the market, which consisted of MIP Cancun’s traditional one-on-one meetings, there was a newly introduced co-production matchmaking event (just re-named “In-Development”) that consisted of one-one meetings. There were also several 30-minute roundtables with different TV network executives.
The co-production matchmaking event had 55 tables, each assigned to pre-registrants who paid $1,500 and then used the meeting spot as a jumping-off point for potential co-production deals.
Also new this year was the introduction of eight stands outside the “Distribution Meetings” hall. Each was priced at $2,500, but they did not include a guarantee of meeting with buyers.
Sponsoring the opening night party was another Turkish company, Inter Medya, which, on day one, screened its new series, Broken Wings. Kanal D sponsored the hotel’s door key cards.
MIP Cancun’s Paris, France-based organizer Reed MIDEM has not yet committed to the Moon Palace Resort for next year’s event. However, since Reed MIDEM has announced the dates for MIP Cancun 2018 as November 14-16, organizers have most likely already secured a location.
Photo:
The Moon Palace Arena, adjacent to the Sunrise Complex Lobby
Leave A Comment