10 MIPTV takeaways: #5 where’s the party?

For those who have been going for decades it is easy to forget that Cannes is one of the world’s most glamorous conference destinations in the world (a title surely held by the APOS event in Bali), not least because of the reflected glory of the world-famous film festival.

MIPTV takeaways: #1 no Rising Star, but Roots established

MIPTV takeaways: #2 VR now a reality?

MIPTV takeaways: #3 Vivendi puts Europe in the spotlight

MIPTV takeaways: #4 eclectic talent on the Croisette

MIPTV takeaways: #5 where’s the party? 

MIPTV takeaways: #6 the many faces of Vice

MIPTV takeaways: #7 the industry asks ‘how will the market evolve?’

MIPTV takeaways: #8 a quiet drama

MIPTV takeaways: #9 making news, not in the news

MIPTV takeaways: #10 the market in numbers

Content companies have historically made the most of the week on the French Riviera with parties and events and over the years it has been the bigger, the better.

Last week, however, the marketing spend was kept in check, with no huge late night events or parties from the distributors in town.

Buyers (and press), who usually get invited to several big events through MIP week faced the hardship of finding their own fun after dinner – aside from Monday when Worldwide threw a bash for The Collection at Château de la Napoule.

There were plenty of on-stand drinks in the Palais, and TRX, AMC Networks, Scripps Networks International and Entertainment One Television all had cocktail events. Execs clutching Barbies were also proof of Mattel’s bash to launch its new studio.

Does the lack of big ticket events – the ones where you need to collect your wrist band in advance, or do some pretty smart talking on the door – reflect the new reality of MIPTV, which is more about doing deals, and being seen to do deals, rather than the largesse of previous years?

Or, maybe the party planners are waiting for a bigger audience, and are already working on their MIPCOM plans.