For the last thirty years, MIPIM has firmly established itself THE event in the real estate calendar. The entire asset class and value chain are represented here, bringing together 26,800 delegates, exhibitors and speakers in a 4-day event for the most influential players in the real estate industry to meet and, naturally, do business.
MIPIM takes places in Cannes from the 10th to 13th March 2020, and with such a high profile show, companies from over 100 countries have booked to be a part of it. Whether a keynote speaker, exhibitor, investor or C Suite Professional, MIPIM is the event where the decisions that ultimately shape our cities are made.
A MIPIM pass grants delegates full access to the exhibition, access to all of their official events, access to the conference programme, access to all MIPIM services and also enrols delegates in their Networking and Recommendations Programme.
The Evolution of MIPIM
In March 1990, MIPIM opened its doors for the first time. It had billed itself as The International Market for Property Professionals. Paul Zilk, Chief Executive of Reed MIDEM, the organisers of MIPIM, acknowledges that, back then, property markets were, for the most part, national. Representatives from 22 countries were coming together, but realistically they all operated within their own borders.
A little under 3,000 real estate executives came together and discussed a world which was very different from the one we are living in now. If you would have told any of them that within 30 years, over half of the world’s population would be living in towns or cities, they would have dismissed the idea as ludicrous.
Now, as MIPIM celebrates its 30thanniversary, close to 27,000 real estate professionals will come together once again – this time to discuss, amongst many other topics, Proptech. Indeed, with over 3,350 exhibiting companies, delegates are likely to be overwhelmed by the surge in startup companies formed to disrupt the real estate industry in their own unique way.
Who visits MIPIM?
The goal of MIPIM is the same that it has always been – to bring the entire value chain together to network and forge deals.
As such, the full spectrum of real estate executives is represented here. C Suite executives from major (and minor) hotel chains, architects, developers, government and local government representatives, occupiers and financial institutions and investors.
Each is promised a unique experience at MIPIM – tailored to what the organisers at MIDEM believe are of the utmost interest to them all. For the investor, a chance to evaluate current market conditions and discuss varying theories about the future. There will be new projects looking for investment, as well as new assets which could prove to be the perfect addition to their portfolio, plus the opportunity to network with other investors – be they allies or rivals, as well as peers in the investor community.
For the representatives of Government, MIPIM regularly plays host to local authorities and cities. For them, MIPIM presents the opportunity to present their city to a global audience. They can also formulate, and in many cases, refine their urban development strategy and connect with the future partners that could help them realise that strategy.
Hotel groups and operators are offered much the same opportunity as the corporate end users that visit or exhibit at MIPIM. It’s a chance to find new locations and to forge new business relationships with new partners.
With the best possible chance to showcase their projects to an international market, MIPIM is the perfect event for developers. Visiting the exhibition alone will introduce them to the latest innovations in construction and project management. The Proptech world is moving at such an incredible pace and MIPIM provides an opportunity for developers to meet with those startups whose new technology could revolutionise the way in which they do business.
Those same innovators have a reason to visit MIPIM besides showcasing their products. Many of these firms will have seen a major injection of capital over the course of the past year, and are now looking to invest in new premises, be they offices or logistics facilities. They may also be considering global expansion, hence MIPIM provides them with the chance to meet with representatives from cities all over the world, and a symbiotic relationship could be formed right there!
Regardless of the position of these property professionals, they’ll be in a position to network with the entire value chain; highlighting their own experiences and learning of new developments within the real estate industry.
The Expo
There are over 3,350 exhibitors at this year’s MIPIM expo. Representing 100 countries and every asset class in the real estate industry, with some classes enjoying their own, dedicated area.
From the world of hospitality and tourism, hotel groups and other property professionals meet to discuss the latest trends in hospitality, the ‘movers and shakers’ in hotel investments, and the close bond between real estate and tourism, with not only a focus on international territories, but in local terms too, with an increasing number of families looking to save money by taking holidays in their own country.
For those focused on this sector, there will be 500 cities and other locations, each promoting what they can offer the hotel group searching for new areas in which to develop property. In fact, there will be a total of 154 hotel groups represented, meeting investor companies of which there will be 1,675, along with 5,332 hotel developers.
The exhibition zone itself Is at the very heart of MIPIM and will be located on Level -1 of the Palais. The zone covers around 800 square meters and includes dedicated network and meeting areas, a signature lounge and bar.
Key industry players come together in both the networking area and in conferences to investigate and discuss the challenges currently facing the hotel and tourism industry, whilst at the same time, also exploring some interesting and, in some cases, controversial ideas for the future.
There will be dedicated lunches, conferences and matchmaking sessions throughout MIPIM and delegates and exhibitors from the hospitality and tourism sector can look forward to a conference and event programme that comprises over 130 events across the four-day timetable.
Not singularly focussed on hospitality and tourism, all of the key players of the medical and healthcare property sector have the spotlight put on them in their own dedicated area too.
Cities and Territories will be looking to promote their healthcare infrastructure, as well as their hubs and industrial parks. With a rich tapestry of investors at MIPIM, not every investment deal done will focus on real estate. Innovations in healthcare management and medical research and development require funding, and this event provides an excellent trading floor for investors and healthcare innovators to meet and do business.
Asset Managers and brokers are at MIPIM to manage the portfolios of their clients and are there to facilitate transactions. Such transactions will typically lead to the instruction of architects and developers and after construction is complete, facilities operators will be needed to sell or rent space, or indeed the asset in its entirety.
All of these high-value deals start at MIPIM, as they have done for the past thirty years.
MIPIM is proud of its traditions, but its focus has always been in innovation, and in no better way is this illustrated than with the MIPIM Innovation Forum. This forum holds a dedicated area within the exhibition zone, as well as a specifically targeted conference track that highlights the most innovative products and solutions in the real estate industry, along with showcasing the business practices of those innovators.
The Innovation Headquarter can be found on Level -1 of the Palais, where there is a dedicated exhibition area, networking and meeting section, conference room and bar.
The Innovation Forum gives prime visibility in a real estate industry solutions environment. Showcasing their original and innovative ideas, companies have the very real opportunity to influence the core stakeholders in the value chain – those who can recognise the real potential, and therefore the value of the new ideas and solutions that are on display.
The dedicated networking and meeting areas will allow MIPIM’s innovative partners to meet with the leaders of the whole value chain. They’ll identify and attract new investors, new partners and new clients, all helping every participant to be a part of MIPIM’s vision for the future, with everyone working together to reinvent and, ultimately build the cities of the future.
Dedicated zones have been created to allow these meetings to take place in an environment which is both relaxed yet conducive to doing business together. Many innovators will be spending a great deal of time in the social hub – a great place to network with other tech companies, as well as real estate executives with whom partnerships could be sought.
Naturally, with new innovations, seeing is believing, which is why visitors will be flocking to the exhibition and demo zone. Here, they’ll be presented – and dazzled – by all of the latest innovations in architecture, construction, project management, smart technology, and indeed the full spectrum of what is now commonly referred to as Proptech – shaping the buildings, and indeed the cities of tomorrow.
The MIPIM Awards
On the last night of MIPIM are the highly coveted MIPIM Awards, taking place in the Grand Auditorium. Whilst some industry award dinners can feature over 25 different categories, the MIPIM Awards are a much leaner affair, with only 11 categories available.
In no particular order, these are:
- Best Hotel and Tourism Resort
- Best Healthcare Development
- Best Innovative Green Building
- Best Refurbished Building
- Best Industrial and Logistics Development
- Best Office and Business Development
- Best Residential Development
- Best Urban Regeneration Project
- Best Shopping Centre
- Best Futura Project
- Best Futura Mega Project
Entry to the MIPIM Awards is a straightforward process. Companies can enter as many times as they wish, and projects can be entered across multiple categories if it is felt that they would qualify.
Entries are due by the middle of November which then goes through to the pre-selection phase, at which point entrants are asked to submit their entry in greater detail, providing photos, maps or promotional videos. At this point, there is an entry fee of €925.
Once finalised, the jury comprising high profile real estate experts will meet to agree upon four finalists in each category. At this stage, the jury also selects the winner of the Special Jury Award, which is always a favourite for the judges.
In 2019, the high profile jury consisted of – again in no particular order – Méka Brunel, CEO of Gecina in France; Chris Brooke, President of the RICS in London; Serge Fautre, CEO of AG Real Estate in Belgium; Paolo Gencarelli, Head of Group Real Estate and Procurement for Poste Italiane in Italy; Marco Hekman, Managing Director Continental Europe of CBRE in The Netherlands; Frank Khoo, Group Chief Investment Officer for City Developments Ltd in Singapore; Tinka Kleine, Senior Director Private Real Estate for PGGM in The Netherlands; Barbara Knoflach, Deputy Chief Executive and Global Head of Investment for BNP Paribas Real Estate; Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect for The City of Moscow in Russia; Lee Morris, Design Director and Head of Architecture for Atkins in The United Arab Emirates; Guy Perry, Vice President Urban Planning and Design for McKinsey in the United Arab Emirates; and Jean-Michel Wilmotte, President and Architect of Wilmotte & Associés in France. Méka Brunel was President of the Jury.
Theirs is certainly not an easy task – brought together to judge projects on an international scale with a view to narrowing the list down to a final 44.
Should a company make that final 44 but who have not yet registered for MIPIM, they will be required (and one would think compelled) to do so at that stage.
Voting itself is open to everyone at MIPIM and takes place at the MIPIM Awards Gallery, located right in the centre of the Exhibition Zone. The votes are open for the first two full days of MIPIM, and up until midday of the third day. The votes of the delegates, along with with the jury’s vote, represent 50% of the final vote.
First Time at MIPIM
The organisers of MIPIM, namely Reed MIDEM, recognise that a visitor’s first time at MIPIM can be an overwhelming experience. There’s much to be considered in preparation for the visit, as well as how to maximise one’s time when at the event.
Fortunately, they have provided a very useful guide for first-timers, and their most important tips are as follows:
Book your flight and hotel room as early as possible. With around 27,000 people descending on Cannes all at once, the demand for accommodation is high. MIPIM do partner with hotels and flight operators to offer package deals to visitors to the event, and full details of those will be available on the MIPIM website.
Take full advantage of the online database. MIPIM is not a typical trade show. Whilst stands will attract a lot of foot traffic, a lot of the meetings seen on those stands or in breakout networking areas have been arranged in advance, using the online database.
This database is where exhibitors and visitors will upload their profile, along with photos which must not be either a group photo or a selfie. This is how people at MIPIM will find each other, searching on the database on a regular basis for new attendees of the show who they would like to meet.
Remember, there are four days, 130 conferences and 3,350 exhibitors. It’s simply impossible to come to MIPIM and expect to ‘browse’ the exhibition zone, so careful planning is key.
And this same level of planning is of paramount importance when it comes to the conference track. Unlike open seminars that are commonplace at many industry shows and seat people on a first-come, first-served basis, entry to conferences at MIPIM must be booked in advance.
The MIPIM website, in conjunction with the online database, provides detailed information on the topic, speaker or facilitator of each conference. Many of these conferences will feature speakers whose insights into the real estate industry become required reading for any real estate executive, so those seats tend to get taken up very quickly!
First-timers are more than welcome to attend any of the MIPIM events at no additional charge. These events include the welcome cocktail party and the MIPIM Awards Ceremony mentioned above.
To make life easier, Reed MIDEM developed the MIPIM app – available to all visitors and exhibitors at the show. The app offers detailed information on the location and timings of the conference track, and also enables delegates to pose questions to the speaker and have a discussion via the Interact icon.
There is also a dedicated First Timer’s HQ where first-timers can find MIPIM representatives in order to ask questions, as well as network with other first-timers over a complimentary breakfast or lunch.
After MIPIM
After the show, the online database remains active so that participants can continue networking. As the organisers themselves say – MIPIM may be over, but the business of real estate never is.
