Get-together over a glass of champagne

This year’s Mapic fair in Cannes was hard work. Please don’t laugh – it really was! Of course this does not mean that there were no cocktail parties, informal meetings for a drink or evening partiesOver the three days of the fair it was difficult to get hold of company heads or negotiators even for just a few minutes of conversation. Business talk went on continuously at the stands, resulting in a number of spectacular transactions. This time the focus was on working at the grass roots. According to the organisers of this year’s Mapic, the Palais des Festivals was visited by  7,400 people – 10 pct more than in 2009. However, according to the reports of the exhibitors, no increase in the footfall was registered. In any case, the interest of investors, developers and retail chains in the development of business relationships has been growing.The guest of honour at Mapic 2010 was, somewhat surprisingly, the host country. The French have been looking at the M