Last time we checked, it costs about $1,000 to send someone to France – $2,000 if they plan to come back, and closer to $4,000 if they want leg room. A big and perhaps unwelcome expense when stacked up against the recent turmoil in the market. So we can’t help but ask:

‘Making the trip to MIPCOM – was it worth it? Really?’

It was quite exciting. There are always people who say it’s slowing down, but I have been going there for 25 years and I didn’t notice that. We were really busy. It was a great market. We had no time to do anything but meet clients. Whoever said it’s slow isn’t selling the right products.

It’s funny – people were saying that they didn’t understand why it was business as usual since the markets were collapsing. But throughout most financial crises television hasn’t suffered. When people don’t have money, they stay at home and watch TV.
Michel Rodrigue
Founder, Distraction Formats

Given the costs in a fragile economy, companies are being more selective of the various markets they attend. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to justify the artificially inflated ancillary costs of attending the markets during those specific weeks… We have enjoyed solid achievements at both of the markets in Cannes, and they still are important in maintaining relationships.
Nat Abraham,
Head of distribution, Breakthrough Entertainment

MIPCOM is a lot more than the price of an airline ticket. For Shaftesbury, it’s about return tickets times seven or eight. Plus accommodation. Plus exhibit space. And a booth. And advertising… Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Shane Kinnear,
VP of sales, marketing and digital media, Shaftesbury Films

Technological advances cannot replace the value of direct contacts like these, which create the foundation of trust on which all sales are based.
Johanne St-Arnauld,
Director general of distribution, National Film Board

The cost of the show was high, but so was the quality of the attendees… I think you should be asking if those eight-euro beverages on the patios were really worth it.
Tony Havelka,
President, Ameba