Midem is saved: Historic music trade expo resurrected in deal with City of Cannes

5 months ago, it seemed as if Midem would likely be gone for good.

The 55-yr-old songs trade expo’s then-proprietor, Reed Midem, confirmed in December that it would no for a longer time be functioning the event, which experienced historically been held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France.

But now, a new twist in the tale: MBW has verified that Midem will be back in Q1 2023… with a model new operator.

MBW understands that, following a yr of negotiation, RX France – the owner of subsidiary Reed Midem – a short while ago bought the Midem brand to the Metropolis of Cannes Municipality.

Confirming the return of the function, the Town of Cannes announced (translated) that it is taking about the Midem model – under the management of Cannes Mayor David Lisnard – to give it “a 2nd breath”.

In a statement, the org additional that Midem is now “reborn to adapt to improvements in the recording industry”.

Town of Cannes states that it has consulted with “several professionals” symbolizing the French and world wide musical corporations, including the majors, impartial labels, organizers of dwell reveals, streaming platforms, specialist authors’ associations and more.

It states it has completed so “in order to offer you a qualitative program [for Midem] that is as shut as attainable to the realities and developments in the [music] sector”.

The municipality statements more that the new Midem “will give delight of place to technological innovations” and will “strive to reinforce the cultural dimension” of the celebration – through the business of audio concerts at long term Midems for Cannes citizens and site visitors.

Midem’s attendance determine in 2019 was up on 2018 (4,800) and 2017 (4,400), but appreciably down on past decades. A delegation of 10,000 readers attended in 2001, for illustration.

According to the City of Cannes, the event had been “impacted by digital-connected changes”, due to the fact the commencing of the 2010s, “marked by the rise of on-line platforms [and] streaming”.

The city’s municipality provides that “the health and fitness crisis, as well as the reorganization of the activity of the RX company led [the firm] to give up the business of Midem”.

The Town of Cannes states that its goal for Midem is for it to develop into the “unmissable world-wide meeting place” for the audio enterprise, which it promises “will be obtainable to as quite a few people today as achievable many thanks to inexpensive accreditation prices”.

Midem went entirely digital because of to COVID-19 limits in 2020 and 2021.

“In get to rediscover this emblematic party on the Cannes calendar, the City of Cannes is having over the Midem so that it as soon as yet again gets to be the vital conference put for tunes gurus from all above the earth.”

David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes

Confirming the event’s rebirth, David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes, explained (translated): “Organized considering that 1967 in Cannes, the International Sector for Records and Tunes Publishing [MIDEM] was the major once-a-year world-wide party devoted to the tunes scene.

“In order to rediscover this emblematic occasion on the Cannes calendar, the Metropolis of Cannes is having over the Midem so that it at the time all over again will become the vital meeting position for tunes pros from all in excess of the earth.

“Maintaining this clearly show in Cannes signifies an economic problem for nearby employment and attractiveness for the place.”

MBW broke the information in December that Midem’s then owner Reed Midem experienced determined to scrap the function.

In an electronic mail despatched to former delegates the pursuing working day (December 14), and signed off by Midem Director Alexandre Deniot, Midem’s prior organizers pointed out that “due to the long lasting pandemic and next a critique of its action, RX France has decided to no longer organize the Midem events”.

Deniot included: “It is with regret as a result that we are cancelling the Midem 2022 edition, scheduled in Cannes from June 7 to 10 2022.”Tunes Company Around the world