- With the coronavirus crisis, many congresses and festivals are canceled in Cannes.
- Paul Zilk, president of Reed Midem, which organizes numerous shows on the Croisette, answered questions from 20 Minutes.
- He mentions "the loss of income and work due to the pandemic" that these cancellations weigh on the entire economy of the Riviera.
With the first cancellations of congresses, already in early March, the mayor of Cannes had warned: the coronavirus crisis was going to pose the risk of "a real social and economic disaster" in the city of festivals.
A month later, the carnage of the fairs was confirmed and an entire industry, that of tourism and events, which will be impacted. In addition to the Cannes Lions (the advertising festival) canceled in June, and the Cannes Festival, which will not be held in May, the MipTV, the Midem and the Mipim (whose postponement envisaged in June did not ultimately not materialized) have already been hatched.
Paul Zilk, the boss of Reed Midem, who organizes them, agreed to answer questions from 20 Minutes about this unprecedented situation.
Why did the postponement of Mipim not hold?
The situation around the Covid-19 is changing daily and government measures are becoming more and more restrictive. It was clear that the holding of a fair of the magnitude of Mipim in Cannes [27,000 participants from 100 countries in 2019] in June was no longer possible due to the uncertainty linked to the coronavirus and the measures currently underway. force in France and abroad. Obviously, the priority was to protect the participants and all of our partners and teams.
Were the exhibitors ready to come?
As new government directives were put in place, many customers, including some exhibitors, increasingly questioned whether it would be possible to travel to attend the conference. We are also grateful for the support and constructive contributions we have received from many Mipim clients and we thank them for the patience and understanding they have shown.
Will other fairs be postponed or canceled?
It is not planned to date. We are still preparing Mipcom [another show dedicated to audiovisual programs] in October, with Canneseries, then Mapic [on commercial real estate] in November, with a new launch called LeisurUp. We are of course hoping that health, safety and travel conditions will be favorable in the coming months.
How do these cancellations weigh on Reed Midem?
We are disappointed, as are our customers and our teams. And, of course, the pandemic and these cancellations have a huge impact on the economy of Cannes and the region. La Semec [the mixed economy company for Cannes events, which manages the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès], our partners, suppliers, hoteliers, restaurant owners and beach attendants, taxis, merchants and many people who work for our salons, especially drivers, hostesses and hosts, logisticians, delivery people, and others are all affected, and many jobs are affected. It is a terrible situation and we are very sad about it. Of course, canceled trade shows are very important to our business, but we have not implemented partial unemployment. However, we are trying to make the most of the year. We are actively working on digital platforms to support and assist professionals in our industries in 2020. They will include a range of high-level content, commercial and networking tools. And of course, we are highly motivated to have all our events back in Cannes next year to help our client industries recover and the local economy to rebound in 2021.
Have you spoken to Cannes hotel and restaurant representatives?
We spoke at length with the Hoteliers 'and Restaurateurs' unions. Our relationships and collaboration are transparent and positive. We are deeply sorry for the loss of income and work due to the pandemic and the forced closings of many establishments, large and small. They are all so important to serving our customers and we are sad that this year they will not be able to do the business they depend on during our events in Cannes. We know that an event like Mipim or MipTV brings in a lot of income and jobs.
Our file on the Covid-19
Do these cancellations jeopardize your relationship with the city of Cannes?
As always over the years, in the face of adversity, we work hand in hand. We face difficult choices together. Our long-standing relationship is based on trust, respect and strong cooperation. Mayor David Lisnard and his entire team work closely with us. Together, we try to do what is best for the tens of thousands of customers we have in common and who come each year from many countries to Cannes, as well as for all the companies and people who work for our events. .
How many years have your contracts with the city been concluded?
At the start of the year, we renewed our partnership with Semec and the city of Cannes for a further five years. We are proud of our five-decade relationship with Cannes. It's rare and we really appreciate it.
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