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TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen: “We are optimistic and confident that our event can go on without too much disruption” |
FRANCE. Devastating floods have swept Cannes and other parts of the French Riviera, with at least 19 people feared dead. The catastrophe has caused widespread destruction in the city of Cannes just two weeks before the annual TFWA World Exhibition begins.
However TFWA is confident that its event will proceed with minimal disruption.
The association issued this statement this morning: “The thoughts of the TFWA Board, Management Committee and permanent staff are with our friends and partners in the city of Cannes as they manage the aftermath of the devastating floods of last weekend. We are especially shocked and saddened by the loss of life in the Côte d’Azur region and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims and families affected by this tragedy.
“In the midst of such an event, business concerns are secondary, but with the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference so close, we would like to reassure our exhibitors and visitors that we are in constant contact with our partners in Cannes who are working round the clock to ensure that our event – and others currently under way – can take place without disruption.
“Indeed, we are heartened to learn that Reed Midem have been able to open the Mipcom exhibition at the Palais des Festivals this morning without major problems. The reaction of the city of Cannes and its partners to clean streets and properties, and to deploy manpower wherever needed, has been remarkable.”
“Thanks to the professionalism of our partners in Cannes and to the rapid response of the city authorities, we have no doubt that the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference will go ahead according to plan.
“We would like to take this opportunity to express our solidarity with Mayor David Lisnard and his teams, along with our friends at SEMEC, ALTEC, B Network, Creative Spirit and all those working to ensure the city of Cannes enjoys a swift return to normality.
“TFWA will provide further information and updates whenever possible.”
As we reported at the weekend, water and debris poured in torrents down submerged roads on Saturday in Cannes and the neighbouring city of Nice. More than 17cm (6.7in) of rain fell on the Cannes region in two hours, radioFrance Bleu-Azur reported.
Guardian journalist Stuart Dredge, attending the MipJunior television conference in Cannes, said that event venue, the Palais Des Festival, had been flooded. TFWA World Exhibition is held in the same venue.
However, as noted above, sister event Mipcom, the world’s biggest TV mart, is going ahead as normal this week. “The whole Mip team, the Palais staff and our Cannes partners are working non-stop to limit the disruption caused by this exceptional situation,” Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed Midem’s TV division, told the Variety website today (click here for full report).
TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen told The Moodie Report yesterday: “It is indeed both tragic and incredible, and it proves how powerful and devastating strikes of nature can be. We have seen heavy rain, storm and flooding before in Cannes, but never anything even remotely like this.
“I was aware that MipJunior Television was on this week followed by Mipcom next week. As soon as we heard of the catastrophe we contacted Semec, the owners of the Palais des Festival, and our partners in Cannes for news and possible consequences for TFWA World Exhibition and Conference.
“At the moment everybody is working flat out to ensure that the two events prior to ours can go on with minimum disruption. We have been promised a detailed update… however, at the moment we are optimistic and confident that our event can go on without too much disruption.”
This film shows the extent of the flooding in Cannes |
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The show must go on. Hard work by the organisers of Mipcom, allied to a promising forecast over the next two weeks, spells cause for optimism for TFWA.; Source: Variety |
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Set fair: A promising weather forecast will help speed the clean-up process in the devastated French Riviera |
