Ireland is to have a stand at this year’s MIDEM festival. After a period of uncertainty, the decision to proceed with an Irish MIDEM presence has been confirmed by Enterprise Ireland, who have agreed to host the stand, along with Invest Northern Ireland.

MIDEM is still widely regarded as the world’s most important music convention. It will take place this year from January 19 to January 23, in the familiar setting of Cannes, in the south of France. Plans for this year’s event are currently being finalised, but the decision to maintain an official Irish presence will be welcomed by the business here.

In addition to the main conference, there is a special MIDEM.NET programme this year, for which delegates will be required to register separately.

Among the services being offered on the Irish stand will be: a meeting and contact point; listening posts; messaging services, and display racks, as well as one-way shipment of ‘product’ to the event.

"We recommend paying via Enterprise Ireland, to ensure that your company is associated with the Music From Ireland stand," an Enterprise Ireland spokesperson said in a circular announcing its plans. The fee for delegates is 750 Euro (plus VAT at 21%) and there is a preferential rate of 330 Euro (plus VAT) for first-time participants.

There has been a strong Irish presence at MIDEM continuously over the past decade or so, and while it is acknowledged that this years stand will be smaller, it is still a useful platform for those with something to sell to the international industry.

Potential participants can get more information from Andrew Peel at Enterprise Ireland, telephone (01) 609 2140