Attendance at the Mip TV mart will be dented -- but not decimated -- by recession, according to statistics released by organizers Reed Midem on Monday.
Ten days before its March 29 launch, accreditations were tracking about 15% below the same period 2008, at 11,200 through last Thursday.
That figure puts estimated total attendance on track for around 12,000, just below the record 2006 figure of 12,200, set when the economy was booming.
Registered buyers through March 19 dropped 17% to 3,700, and there were be 3,600 companies, down 13% year-on-year.
But at 1,540, exhibiting companies dropped just 7%.
The figures are in line with results at last month's BBC Worldwide showcase, Europe's latest sizeable TV mart: companies are attending but sending fewer people.
"The number of exhibiting companies at Mip TV will be much the same as last year when the full force of the credit crunch had yet to be felt," said Mike Williams, director of press and public relations at Reed Midem.
"However, it's reasonable to anticipate fewer delegates per company, as people seek to manage costs," he added.
Many Mip TV events will tackle TV market trends in a global downturn.
Mip Accelerators -- matchmaking meetings and lunches mixing execs from different sectors -- include a focus on broadband video and links between the vidgame and TV business.
Conference highlights include a Middle East and China focus, a finance summit and international co-production panels.
"Everything we can do to help people do business is a priority," said Laurine Garaude, acting director of the TV division, Reed Midem.
Mip TV runs March 30 to April 3. Reed Midem is owned by
Variety parent Reed Elsevier.
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