Kiwi Music Team Scores in France: MIDEM, Cannes, January 25 - 29

While those who actually make the music gather in California for the NAMM show every January, to ogle, buy and sell the latest in musical instruments and equipment, the folk who buy and sell the music (once recorded), gather in Cannes.

MIDEM, staged over five days in the south of France, is billed as the world's biggest music trade fair. The floor area at the Palais des Festivales (the same building which hosts the rather more famous Cannes Film Festival), may not be a quarter that of NAMM, but with nearly 9000 delegates and over 4000 companies represented it is a big show nonetheless.

This year was the 38th annual MIDEM and while a number of New Zealanders have sporadically attended over that time it was not until the New Zealand Music Industry Commission was formed that a regular Kiwi presence was established. This is the third year that NZMIC has taken a stand at MIDEM, encouraging local record labels, publishers, music exporters and importers to attend, by allowing them to use the NZ stand as a base and covering registration costs.

The idea of leaving the Kiwi summer to fly all the way to France for a wintery week is a little daunting, but for those with international aspirations the trip is well worthwhile.

"All the networking and deal making at MIDEM has paid off," says Cath Andersen, CEO of the NZMIC, who herself returned to Cannes for the third time.

The New Zealand stand, supported by the NZMIC, represented labels LOOP Recordings, Yellow Eye Music, Siren Records and Intergalactic Records; classical composer agency SOUNZ; independent music publisher Native Tongue; Migraine Distribution; IT/music company Observatory Crest and also Moana and the Tribe, through the act's German agency.

These diverse music businesses were among the 2000 registered exhibitors at MIDEM, their collective objective to achieve export business for NZ music. Overall attendance was higher than last year with 94 countries present, 8800 participants and 4185 companies registered.

Exhibitors range from the vast stands of countries like Canada, UK, Denmark, Korea and global organisations like the BBC, to those of small distribution or publishing companies with niche interest in industrial metal, Eastern European jazz, big-breasted hip hop and so on. Indeed you can be an exhibitor with just an on-site mailbox if that is enough for you. It seems there is something for everyone - the challenge being to find those companies whose demand matches what you have to supply and vice-versa.

Although MIDEM runs for five days many of the more successful business makers have all their time pre-booked - so the real challenge is to get onto them ahead of the event or to find a way to attract their attention. A lot of business is, of course, transacted away from the trade show floor, at cafes, bars and in restaurants over a glass or six of French red. Indeed some come to Cannes and rent rooms or villas from where they conduct their business, booking their meetings there or in hotel lobbies.

This is becoming a major issue for the MIDEM organisation (as it involves people benefiting from the event without paying the $1000-odd registration fee), and there were confirmed reports of armed police knocking on hotel room doors to run such free-loaders out of town!

Gendarmes with submachine guns and the cost of accommodation are some of the things to come to terms with, but the good news is that business in MIDEM is mostly done in English, including the daily magazine, so there is no real need to dig up your secondary school Francais.

There was plenty of interest in what was on offer from NZ, and it is apparent that those who can return annually benefit from such consistency. Mikee Tucker, of Wellington label LOOP Recordings, has learnt that lesson and in this, his third visit, started business en route to Cannes - arranging the licensing of The Black Seeds to France and Belgium as well as Twinset for Europe and Japan. From MIDEM 'Loop Select 05' has been picked up for America through Giant Step/ Caroline and LOOP has also licensed six tracks to various compilations in USA and Europe.

Intergalactic Records' Andrew Featherstone is another who took the opportunity to do some business on the way over to France. 8 Foot Sativa is the label's main act and as a result of impeccable timing at the bar on his first night in Cannes, Intergalactic are now negotiating a 35-territory deal for their entire catalogue! Andrew was looking for a drink (it was a free bar courtesy of Denmark - paying for drinks in those big hotels is not for the faint of wallet!), and struck up conversation with the couple beside him.

They explained that they specialised in distributing heavy metal music worldwide at which Andrew pulled out his business card and presumably 'bought' them a drink as well! Intergalactic has also been offered a blanket European deal.

Blindspott, already live favourites in Indonesia, have had a potential distribution offer for all of Europe, plus interest from individual territories like Italy. Represented at MIDEM by their local manager Teresa Patterson, Blindspott have also had strong interest from Canada and USA.

Teresa also found interest for Goldenhorse in Germany and USA, as well as strong interest from a large Australian label.

Native Tongue secured sub-licensing deals for their NZ writer catalogue in Germany, Eastern Europe excluding Russia, Switzerland, the Baltic States, Italy and France and are in negotiations with companies from UK, USA, Japan, Spain, South Africa and South America.

Dunedin's Yellow Eye, a part time label for Simon Vare, have had offers for Martin Phillipps and The Chills in USA, UK, Australia and Germany and offers for the new David Kilgour album in Germany, Australia and UK. They have also confirmed a deal for Wellington jazz band c.l. bob in Austria, Norway, UK and Australia. Yellow Eye is also negotiating distribution for c.l. bob in three Asian territories.

And so it goes on. Inevitably not all deals 'struck' will pan out, but importantly the Music Industry Commission stands at such international music trade shows provide the opportunity for local businesses to gain international footholds and establish global relationships. The pastries, pates and vin rouge are a bonus for those who bother to leg it all the way to France in January!