The Reed Midem exhibition group has unveiled final plans for Milia 2000, which is now to be known as the Interactive Content Marketplace; it is scheduled for next February in Cannes. The schedule begins on February 14 with a two-day round of forums (collectively to be known as the Think Tank Summit), to be followed by a three-day professionals-only fair running February 16-18. Milia has been an electronic publishing and rights fair, whose writ has been extended-as the field grows-to embrace interactive entertainment, broadband Internet, interactive TV and digital media distribution.
Unlike other fairs, which tend to stress the floor show and tack on lectures and seminars as extras, the new fee schedule indicates a switch in priorities. While admission to the fair and ancillary events for nonexhibitors has been set at approximately $240, participation in the Think Tank Summit (which also covers admission to the three-day exhibit) will come to about $790, indicating the importance Milia's sponsors place on the information side of the show.
The Milia exhibition will now be divided into three sections: digital media (featuring developers, publishers and distributors seeking licensing and publishing alliances, localization, distribution and joint ventures); broadband Internet and interactive TV; and interactive entertainment and games software. "It is our plan to deliver more designers, developers and start-up companies essential to the development of this industry," Reed Midem CEO Xavier Roy explained. "Milia is about connecting to the entire business chain of interactive content and content development, from concept to distribution."
