Captains in Cannes: Mipcom 2024
MIPCOM is the annual trade fair for the television industry, traditionally held every October in Cannes, France, spanning four days. This year marked the 40th edition, drawing media professionals from around the globe to reconnect and network. The event features various keynotes, trend updates, and premieres of international productions. Together with ‘Head of Originals’ Lucy van Gaalen and ‘Creative Director’ Stephen Kearney, we spent several intensive but productive days in the heart of Cannes.
The renowned Premiere Hall in ‘Le Palais des Festivals’ was packed as media trend agency ‘The Wit’ presented its annual ‘FRESH TV FORMATS’ session, showcasing what we can expect to see on TV worldwide in the coming months. The nostalgic trend continues to hold strong, with classic formats returning in fresh, modern adaptations.
While MIPCOM offers a plethora of game shows and easy entertainment, Captains is here to expand its network within non-fiction productions. From early morning to late night, we held meetings with international distributors, sales agents, fellow production houses, and, of course, commissioners from (inter)national broadcasters and streaming platforms. Some of these conversations took place at small tables tucked away in hard-to-find spots within the sometimes desolate walls of Le Palais. Meetings outside the venue, at one of the many nearby beachside cafés, proved far more enjoyable.
Our portfolio now includes a broad selection of offerings, ranging from completed productions—some funded by our own film fund, DIFF—to projects still in development. The enthusiastic responses we’ve received give me great confidence that we’ll secure broadcast slots for these productions in the coming months.
As valuable as the meetings at MIPCOM are, the real networking begins once the exhibition hall closes. Across the city, parties and gatherings unfold, eagerly anticipated by all. After the first day, we attended the annual Holland Beach Party, hosted by BM. As always, trays of Dutch bitterballen circulated, and much of the Dutch media industry was in attendance.
Next stop: the grand MIPCOM opening party at the Majestic Hotel. In a beautiful setting with fine food, drinks, and a spectacular fireworks display, we even met new contacts on the dance floor. One minor disappointment was the DJ’s playlist, unchanged from last year, but overall, the event was excellently organized and truly enjoyable.
Final destination: The Brown Sugar. Anyone familiar with MIPCOM knows that the night ends on “bar street,” with Café The Brown Sugar as the main attraction. Other nearby bars and the infamous karaoke spot, makes heading home feel far less tempting. Together with old and new media friends, we ended the night on a high note.