Content, community and commerce : that is, according to specialists the fortune receipt for web entrepreneurs. Far from the former three S (sea, sex and sun) of the end of the 20th century.
Some were thinking that this 7th Milia, which now is beating sound full in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, would find difficulties to set up. It is true that exhibition, which developed very quickly at the beginning, is almost a victim of the numerical success that had helped it. The Midem created a new section : the Midemnet which proposed last January shows about the MP3 and web music.
More than 7,000 participants
The video section risks of getting out of the Milia. The MIP-TV, which is another exhibition in Cannes, already jumped on the occasion. In the next MIP in April, a 'MIPNET' day will be organized with many conferences about new medias, the Internet and numerical platforms.
However, in spite of that, the Milia resists. It would beat new records of crowd with more than 7,000 participants, whereas the exhibition invaded the new extension of the Palais des Festivals : Espace Riviera.
The position of the electronic edition market was changed, to open up to the Internet. The initial , historical period of CD-ROMs, DVDs and about all the interactive 'publications' for education, hobbies and entertainment is still there. Same thing for the section concerning interactive games, which emerged some time later and that kept on developing. In 1999, games turnover overcame the one of cinema.
The 'content' is the king
A third pole has become larger this year : Internet, with a focalisation on interactive TV. A strong program of conferences about the Internet and multi medias contents has been planed. Not only during the two 'Think Tank' days that occurred before the exhibition, but also during the exhibition.
All the people who made a speech insisted on one point : content will be the master. Remind the thunder that the alliance between AOL and Time Warner had provoked.
Another point on which the unanimity is: the success of web sites founders depends on three C. One like content (quality of what is published) ; one like communities (know how to target and gather together web surfers round a same point of interest) ; and one like commerce (e-commerce, for the Internet is considered as a potential great sell-machine ). From the Milia, the key of success in the web economy.