5 things to watch out for at MIPIM 2023

By Tom Grant, Account Director

With MIPIM 2023 set to begin this Tuesday in Cannes, France, Tom Grant runs down 5 things to look out for at the world’s biggest real estate conference.

1.     Sustainability

Just from a glance at the conference programme, it’s clear how important sustainability will be at this year’s conference.

Despite one of this year’s 13 stages being devoted to the “Road to Net Zero”, sustainability is a clear theme across almost all of the talks and panel discussions on every stage. Whether it’s businesses showing off their environmental credentials or thought leaders plotting a course to net zero in the property industry, the agenda is awash with sustainability content.

2.     For the UK, regions are key

Nearly every single region from the UK is represented at this year’s conference, from Newcastle to Central South UK, consisting of Portsmouth and Southampton. The same is true for Germany, with the nation sponsoring an entire German cities pavilion, as well as France which has representation from Marseille to Calais.

Underlining the importance of regional investment, Lord Dominic Johnson CBE, minister for investment in the Department for Business and Trade, is leading a UK delegation looking to attract foreign direct investment into the UK’s regions.

3.     In-person conferences are back

Even writing this on Monday, before the conference itself kicks off, it’s clear that this year’s conference will be big. There’s already a buzz around the town at this early stage, with plenty more attendees set to join throughout the week.

Early predictions suggest more than 23,000 people are expected to attend, a 15% increase on last year. Perhaps driven by an extended post-Covid bounce, or the need to attract more investment in this era of expensive money, it’s clear that this year will be an important one for the conference.

4.     The rest of the world is making its voice heard

It’s fair to say that traditionally Europe has been heavily represented at MIPIM. While Western Europe is still dominant (see above), it’s clear that the rest of the world wants to make its voice heard.

This year’s headline sponsor is Egypt, while Japan and the US have an extensive presence and a busy schedule of programmes at their respective pavilions, with many other nations and regions outside of Europe vying for attention.

 5.     The property industry is quietly leading the way when it comes to tech

In a demanding economic environment, with inflation and interest rates at some of their highest levels ever, investors are looking for as many ways to closely track the performance of their investments and portfolios.

This is driving the number of events looking at the use of data, and proptech, across the real estate industry. In what can sometimes be misinterpreted as an industry behind the times, some of the use cases of data and technology are far more advanced than many people would credit the sector for. Keep an eye out for companies across the board showcasing their latest technology, be that to track the environmental performance of buildings, smart tech, or investment management.