The executive responsible for drawing the global content crowd to MipTV and Mipcom explains why she loves her job and how she unwinds from its fast pace.
Lucy Smith is director of the entertainment division at Paris-based exhibition giant RX France, which owns MipTV, Mipcom, MipJunior and MipCancun, among other events. UK-born Smith, who moved to France in the late 1990s, joined what was then Reed Midem two decades ago and has risen in the ranks, steering the markets through the pandemic years and resuscitating them over the past year. Smith spearheads all of the Mip markets worldwide and, after a supersized Mipcom in October 2022, is gearing up for a reformatted 60th edition of April’s MipTV that will focus on unscripted TV.
What is your office like in Paris?
The best thing is having a beautiful view over the whole of Paris. There’s nothing better than being on a call while looking out at the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. When we decamp to Cannes for the markets, I’m at the heart of a big open-plan nerve centre with everyone all together, which is essential to manage such a huge event and is quite energising.
What is the first thing you do when you arrive each day?
I don’t eat breakfast, I just need a lot of coffee and water to keep me going. Once I’ve checked who’s around and said hi, I try to have time before my first meeting to plan my day and sort what must get done, or at least started, that day.
What was your first job in the entertainment industry?
The NAB — the Washington DC-based National Association of Broadcasters. I was based in Paris but spent a lot of time in the US between headquarters and Las Vegas. It was an invaluable education, opening my eyes to the importance of thinking globally and how to look after members and partners.
Who do you look up to in the industry?
Shonda Rhimes. I found her book Year Of Yes so inspiring in that it was such a simple concept: saying ‘yes’ for a whole year. It was a genuine call to arms and gamechanger. It also meant she’d come and speak at Mipcom having previously said ‘no’.
What was your favourite film growing up?
Grease! I loved trying out the dances and imagining myself falling in love.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I love the months spent creating each market when we challenge ourselves to innovate and reimagine new spaces or events like the Seaview Producers Hub at October’s Mipcom, where we created a huge venue overlooking the sea.
With whom would you most like to take a meeting?
Bob Iger [CEO of The Walt Disney Company]. There is something powerful about a century-old company embracing innovation and technology in such a big way and always thinking about the international market. One of his important messages I personally relate to is about the importance of optimism — it’s a very important part of leadership.
What excites you about the future of the business?
Change, in all its forms. Serving a global television industry which constantly evolves, adapts and reinvents itself creates its own infectious energy. Traditional distribution was supposed to be over, but it’s never been more dynamic. If creativity can continue to thrive, the rest will follow. There are macro challenges facing the television industry — be that advertising budgets contracting or streamer models changing, or ‘correcting’ as it’s often termed. But the audience’s hunger for great global content is as strong as ever.
What’s the one series everyone should watch this year?
There is a new series coming to Amazon called The Power, based on the brilliant novel by Naomi Alderman, that I enjoyed. It is executive produced by Jane Featherstone whom I admire. It is a futuristic look at what happens if the power were in women’s hands, and it co-stars the brilliant Toni Collette.
What do you do to unwind?
I spend time with my 12-year-old son Ben, who I adore, and then I run regularly to relax, help me clear my head and think better, usually around the Place des Vosges in Paris or along the Croisette when in Cannes.
Where do you go to unwind?
My favourite holiday destination is the Greek islands. I’ve visited Naxos and Paros most recently and they are beautiful. I swim a lot and there is something particularly invigorating about the Aegean Sea, with all of that Greek mythology below.
Who would play you in the biopic of your life?
Hermione Norris.
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