MIPTV Launches “MIPFormats”

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MIPTV, the world’s entertainment content market, today announces the launch of MIPFormats, a new stand-alone premium business conference and pitching forum dedicated to the fast-growing format industry. MIPFormats, an annual destination for the format community, takes place one day prior to MIPTV on Sunday, April 11 in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France.

The event is organised in association with C21FormatsLab, C21Media’s dedicated channel that provides daily news and analysis of the non-scripted business to the international entertainment community.

“Over the past few years at MIPTV we’ve seen considerable growth in the presence of formats produced for TV and across all platforms. We are launching MIPFormats ahead of MIPTV as a critical platform and rendez-vous point for the formats community to anticipate new format trends as well as uncover new creative talent from across the globe,” says Laurine Garaude, Reed MIDEM’s Acting Television Division Director.

“If you add in all the ancillary revenues from multi-platform exploitation, the formats business is currently worth around €3 billion worldwide, and is expected to grow as the content industry continues to evolve. Understanding how to approach this fast-changing sector is essential for anyone serious about turning a local idea into an international hit. Using information and data, mined from our ongoing FormatsLab, we’ll be working with MIPFormats to help create a unique event that put formats in perspective,” says David Jenkinson, C21Media’s Editor-in-Chief & Managing Director.

Supported by industry partners The WIT, FRAPA and Entertainment Master Class, MIPFormats is a full day of conferences, pitching sessions, networking events and new format launches designed for the format industry’s leading producers, buyers, commissioners, digital platforms, brands and creators from around the world.

The high-level conference will feature exclusive market analysis; the broadcasters’ visions of the next big hit; new commissioning and acquisition trends and the best strategy for three-screen formats.

A call for entries for the event’s “Fresh Talent Pitch” will invite producers from around the world to propose their original new format ideas for non-scripted factual entertainment. A call for entries opens online at www.mipworld.com December 15, 2009. The final selection of producers will be made by international programme tracking expert The WIT. Participants will come to Cannes to pitch their ideas to a jury of buyers, commissioners and majors from the format industry.

The focus on formats continues during MIPTV on Monday, April 12, with The WIT’s renowned “Fresh TV Around The World” special showcase hosted by CEO Virginia Mouseler which unveils over 30 of the world’s most innovative and most talked about TV shows.

Note to editors:

ABOUT MIPTV

The world’s entertainment content market

MIPTV is the international market for financing, co-producing, buying and selling entertainment across all platforms. Specialized events such as the MIP DIGITAL FORUM with Content 360, The International Digital Emmy^® Awards (I.D.E.A.), the MIP Accelerator Matchmaking and Networking Events, and a world renowned conference programme hosted by leading media visionaries, MIPTV offers an unbeatable opportunity to get a slice of the $5 billion* business transacted at this market. (*Source: BBC)

ABOUT REED MIDEM

Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is a leading organiser of professional, international tradeshows. Reed MIDEM events have established themselves as key dates in professional diaries. The company hosts MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM Featuring MIPIM Horizons, MIPIM Asia and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors.

Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading events organiser Reed organises a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 500 events serves 47 industry sectors. In 2007 Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 39 fully staffed offices.

For further information about Reed MIDEM visit www.reedmidem.com.