MIDEM is Still Meaningful, the French Riviera is Not

After a six-hour flight, a layover in Zurich and another two-hour flight, followed by a 40-minute drive, my shuttle pulls up to the old Carlton hotel along the Croisette, the main drag of Cannes along the French Riviera. As I am accustomed to experiencing, a line of paparazzi and hyperkinetic teenagers line the Carlton's front drive, craning their necks and jostling for position as I step out of the car. And, as I am also accustomed, there is a collective sigh of disappointment when they see it is me.