MipTV ‘monitoring events’ amid ban

MipTV organiser Reed Midem has said it is “monitoring events” surrounding its upcoming market, as the French government bans all indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people in a bid to contain the country’s coronavirus outbreak.

Olivier Véran

Authorities on Saturday reported 16 new cases of the virus, prompting health minister Olivier Véran to announce: “All public gatherings of more than 5,000 people in a confined space are temporarily banned.”

The move has seen the postponement of Cannes real estate market Mipim by MipTV organiser Reed Midem and also the cancelling of the Paris half-marathon.

The city of Nice has already cancelled public events such as the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival due to concerns over public safety. At the Côte d’Azur racecourse in Cagnes-sur-Mer, all race events will take place behind closed doors until March 13.

Following the ruling from Véran, and the fact that MipTV usually exceeds the 5,000 limit, according to official attendance figures provided by the organiser, Reed Midem has confirmed to C21 it is keeping a close watch on the situation regarding its Cannes events.

MipTV is scheduled to take place from March 30 to April 2, while MipFormats and MipDoc are on March 28 and 29.

Reed claimed there were 9,500 people registered for last year’s event, with delegates from 100 countries and 3,300 buyers.

“The health and safety of everyone attending the event is our number one priority. We are continually monitoring developments and following the latest guidance from local, national and international authorities and the World Health Organization as it relates to travel to MipTV and clients’ on-site experience,” the company said.

“We are also working with the City of Cannes and the Palais des Festivals venue in Cannes to put in place measures that will evolve as required.”

The number of cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus in France has passed 100 and two patients have died. There are also now 15 positive cases in two hotels in Alassio, Italy, just 135km from Cannes.

Cannes has already seen its first case of the virus. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi said a Cannes woman tested positive at Nice University Hospital. The 23-year-old student recently returned from Milan in Italy, according to local reports.

Fears about the virus have already lead to the entire Chinese delegation cancelling its trip to MipTV and the Wisdom of China format showcase moving from MipFormats to Mipcom in October, as C21 revealed here last week.