Guest post: Sophie Eastwood from Holistic
Holistic has never missed a MIPIM! Done well and with the right planning, I believe it’s one of the best networking events in the industry with leading international players and professionals from across the sector coming together to do business.
Every year, there are conference themes that respond to the challenges the property industry is facing and the opportunities they create. The great and the good showcase their innovations and solutions in the exhibition hall and pavilions, and numerous events discuss the key issues and how to address them.
Having attended MIPIM for a few years, I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with industry friends and colleagues, developed new relationships, found new clients and picked up a great deal of knowledge along the way. I’ve even done karaoke!
I’ve also learnt valuable lessons in how to make the most of the event, a few of which I want to share with you here:
- An easy one first. Ask people you know already if they are going to MIPIM; they might be hosting an event that you can attend. They also might have contacts that would be helpful for you to meet, and vice versa.
- Try to take some time to look at the delegate list and identify who you’d like to meet that you don’t know already. Don’t be afraid to contact them to see if they’ll spare 15 minutes. If cold contact isn’t for you, a consultant like us will do it for you.
- When walking along Le Croisette, allow extra time for bumping into people – you’re likely to stop and chat to acquaintances old and new at least several times on the 2km stretch.
- Everyone flocks to the London Stand for its main events – it’s good concentrated networking with a UK audience and an efficient use of time!
- If you’re at a loss for something to do, head to Caffe Roma where lots of Brits hang out or Le Crillion, where you’ll also find lots of people from the UK. For a more international audience, head to the main hotels like the Carlton, Martinez or Majestic.
- Prepare for the fact that there’s little time to do large chunks of work at MIPIM. Do what you can in advance. It would be a shame to spend the event in your apartment or hotel room, given the significant investment you have made. If everyone you deal with is also at MIPIM, that helps!
- And remember to sleep! Realistically you probably won’t get much but get what you can – you’ll feel better for it. I find it’s useful to set yourself a curfew, certainly for the first couple of nights, and stick to it.
Overall, MIPIM is a fantastic learning experience, a chance to catch up with many people you know in a short space of time and an opportunity to forge relationships that can lead to new work. I hope my small suggestions help and I’m looking forward to seeing you all there very soon!
MAXIMISING MIPIM 