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ACCESS TO MAJOR GLOBAL INVESTMENT CAPITAL
INTERVIEW
MIPIM 2023: FACE-TOFACE WITH MAJOR GLOBAL INVESTORS
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“No other real estate event offers the chance to access and unlock such significant global investment capital as MIPIM and we are looking forward to welcoming a growing delegation from the Balkan countries,“ says MIPIM’s director, Nicolas Kozubek
By:
GORDANA KNEŽEVIĆ MONAŠEVIĆ
Photo: MIPIM
M
IPIM, the leading property market event, brings together the biggest players from all sectors of the real estate industry in Cannes every March. Following the post-pandemic hiatus, MIPIM 2022 saw the return of more than 20,000 delegates from over 80 countries, featuring over 360 speakers and 2,400 exhibiting companies. In an interview for our magazine, we asked MIPIM’s director, Nikolas Kozubek, what will be the highlights of the upcoming MIPIM 2023 (14-17 March) and why companies from Serbia and the whole Balkan region should not miss the opportunity to meet and network with everyone—from politicians to project managers, investors, and global cities—in one place.
For a long time, MIPIM has been a major event on the calendar of the real estate industry. What makes it so special, and why is it almost a matter of prestige to be in Cannes every March?
— It is hard to find another event that has been going on for more than 30 years where so many people who have a role in the built environment can spend so much productive time together in just one week. Investors are at the heart of MIPIM. The event provides the opportunity to access major global investment capital in a way that no other real estate event does.
Last spring, during MIPIM 2022, we found that in-person, face-to-face networking, debates and meetings are irreplaceable for conducting and grow-
NICOLAS KOZUBEK,
MIPIM’s director
ing businesses, for securing vital investment, and for sharing knowledge and new ideas. MIPIM continues to provide a unique, amazing opportunity to make all of these things happen.
What does MIPIM look like in numbers?
— Following the post-pandemic hiatus, MIPIM 2022 saw the return of more than 20,000 delegates from over 80 countries. MIPIM 2022 featured over 360 speakers, with 2,400 exhibiting companies at more than 350 exhibition stands and pavilions across 18,500m² of exhibition area.
In 2023, we expect greater attendance, as 2022 was still impacted by the post-pandemic uncertainty. We are tracking very positively for 2023 and will undoubtedly build on the success of 2022 edition.
What can an exhibitor expect during this fourday event, and how important is an effective booth presentation?
— MIPIM offers an unrivalled opportunity to access major global investment capital by promoting a city, a region, a development, showcasing the latest innovation and trends in real estate and by expanding networks by meeting our industry’s key players.
For organizations whose main goal is attracting new investment and starting new lines of communication, I’d recommend creating a space that allows for an easy flow of people and provides comfort for guests. A booth layout that places team members ready to engage is preferable. But attending conferences and live discussions as well as fringe events is also important because MIPIM is all about inspiration and connection to fuel our customers’ businesses now and in the future.
Green building, sustainable solutions, energy efficiency, smart cities, and proptech are generally real estate trends that will shape our future. Those were the topics of last year’s edition, whose theme was Driving Urban Change. What will be the theme and main topics of MIPIM 2023?
— Continuing the Driving Urban Change theme from last year, the conference program in 2023 will put the spotlight on ESG, innovation, and technology solutions able to accelerate the transformation of the built environment towards a more sustainable model. The focus of the event will be on three topics: user experience, ESG and decarbonization, and business efficiency. MIPIM 2023 will feature six new stages, including the ESG Solution Stage and the Leaders’ Perspective Stage, focused on keynote speeches from those making waves in industry. In
MIPIM 23 will take place at the Palais de Festival in Cannes from the 14th till the 17th of March 2023
MIPIM 2022 IN PICTURES
previous years, such senior speakers as François Hollande, the French President from 2012-2017, and Ban Ki-Moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, gave the opening keynote speeches at MIPIM. This year we are also expecting a special guest, whose name we will announce later. We will publish the conference program shortly.
The Asset Class Stage looks into individual sectors to see where the market is going. The Infrastructure Stage looks at the impact that water, energy, data centers, transport, and more have on property development. The Geo Focus Stage examines specific local markets, while the ESG Solution Stage is exactly what its name implies. The Make It Happen Stage will feature conversations about use cases and collaboration.
The real estate and construction industries in Serbia and Southeast Europe in general are growing, but the region’s presentation at MIPIM is not as strong as it could be. What would you say to our regional companies about why they should not miss MIPIM?
— As the region continues to grow, the presence of Southeast Europe is very important to us, and we are looking forward to welcoming a growing delegation from the Balkan countries. No other real estate event offers the chance to access and unlock such significant global investment capital as MIPIM. It is a unique real estate event in terms of its size and scope and its ability to put everyone—from politicians to project managers, investors, and global cities—in one place for one week.
MIPIM is not only a four-day real estate festival but can also be a yearly source for urban affairs and a global digital networking platform. What do MIPIM online services offer?
— The MIPIM Online Directory offers a unique opportunity to organize in-person meetings prior, during and after the event: find the list of participants, browse company profiles, select the prospects that are most pertinent to your business, and get in touch with them. In order to ensure that our exhibitors get the most out of MIPIM, we also introduced new digital services, such as premium profiles in the online database to ensure better visibility and a badge scanning mobile app that will offer quick and reliable lead collection capabilities on-site.
How are the preparations moving along for the upcoming MIPIM, and do we already know what to expect and what the event’s overall highlights will be?
— MIPIM will welcome a truly international audience in 2023, with strong demand already underway. We already have major European cities that have joined a growing list of international exhibitors, which includes Prague, Tallinn, Riga, Helsinki, Paris, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Milan, Warsaw, Stockholm, Madrid, London, Liverpool, and other cities and regions.
Continuing the Driving Urban Change theme from last year, the conference program in 2023 will be all about ESG and innovation. Rather than giving it its own platform, ESG will be diffused into everything we do in 2023. A new “Road to Zero” area will feature a new 400-square-meter space positioned at the heart of MIPIM to approach the latest pragmatic, efficient, and scalable solutions toward a net-zero carbon built environment.
We are also introducing two exclusive offevents open to MIPIM delegates on Monday afternoon dedicated to booming trends: Co-living and Logistics.
MIPIM AWARDS 2023: EXEMPLARY BUILDINGS COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY
“The MIPIM Awards 2023 will focus on projects that seek to enhance the built environment’s prospects, in line with ESG goals. Last year, we had a broad range of international entries, with the winners coming from across Europe, Turkey, and China. We encourage all companies from Serbia and the region to submit their exemplary buildings with a holistic commitment to sustainability. Prizes will primarily go to projects that best serve their end-users and larger communities while making an economic contribution, taking into account construction and operational carbon as well as climate and life cycle concerns. The six key criteria are overall sustainability, integration of the project into its environment and community, quality of the user experience, economic contribution, originality of the concept, and architectural qualities. As in previous years, the categories include best new development with the total surface area less than 150,000 sqm, best new mega development of more than 150,000 sqm, best cultural, sports and education project, best hospitality, tourism and leisure project, best refurbished building, and others”, says Kozubek.
