MAXIMISING MIPIM

Guest post: Anne Johnstone, Senior Manager at Ramboll Environ

Half of the world’s inhabitants – 3.5 billion people – live in urban areas. By 2030, this is predicted to rise to 60%, or almost 5 billion people. Cities are the leading source of global economic growth, resource consumption and carbon gas emissions. Urban superpower in the 21^st century is all about human capital, and building livable cities is key to attracting the right people.

The burning questions that most city leaders ask themselves remain barriers for action. How can we plan for an uncertain future with extreme weather? How can our city remain attractive and competitive while we strive for climate-friendly mobility? Which technical solutions will allow us to fulfil our ambitions and what do they cost? And how do we secure the financial incentive to invest and collaborate?

As a sustainable society consultancy, we view climate change events such as frequent heatwaves, cloudbursts and flood risks not only as threats, but as opportunities to co-create more livable, recreational urban environments and achieve green growth. Strong partnerships, both public and private, need to be established to develop these long-term solutions for cities and preparing a city for the future is a comprehensive and expensive process. But the costs of not adapting can be even greater.

Taking this view, Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian city with 3.5 million inhabitants, implemented a masterplan, designed by Ramboll, which not only had potential to save the city EUR 1-2 billion annually but also improved its water and air quality, established an effective waste management system and created green, recreational areas within the city.

In Denmark, the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg have joined forces with Ramboll and other advisors on a plan to safeguard the Danish capital against cloudbursts and heavy rainfall. Some of the excess water will be retained locally for recreational areas, while cloudburst boulevards with high kerbstones will lead stormwater away efficiently and quickly.

Other cities, such as Glasgow, have carried out research into how constantly evolving digital technologies will shape tomorrow’s city.

Above all, the concepts of mobility and connectivity need to be at the top of the agenda, as this defines the experience of city living. Congestion, pollution and lack of infrastructure limit a city’s economic development – we need as a priority to ensure that their infrastructure is smart infrastructure. From solutions like contactless payments in the London Underground, Hamburg’s single citywide Wi-Fi network or real-time monitoring of traffic flows in Dublin, solutions like this will help free cities from the urban sprawl of the 20^th century and make them much more livable.

A bit about Anne:

Anne Johnstone has over 15 years’ consulting experience, specialising in environmental due diligence, contaminated land investigation and risk assessment. She helps clients identify environmental liabilities associated with property and business transactions and assists in realising the development of large-scale brownfield sites. Her clients include top UK pension funds, private equity firms, corporations and public sector bodies and she is the Vice Chair of UKELA.

ajohnstone@ramboll.com

@Anne_Johnstone

Guest post: Jack Pringle, Principal and Managing Director of Perkins+Will London and EMEA

London is a city state unto itself, and always has been. Right now, more than ever before, it is sucking in money and talent from all over the world. It’s the new big apple. Why? We speak American, live in the central time zone, it’s the central stop on the new east-west silk route (US to Europe, Middle East and Africa), we enjoy relatively stable politics, a rule of law, institutions that are trustworthy, we’re fairly can-do and the UK is a pretty good place to do business from.

The mayor predicts a rise in population by 2050 to 11.3m and a demand for 1.5m new homes, 20% more energy, 600 more schools and colleges, 9000 ha more green space and 50% more public transport. We can’t just keep piling people into central London so London is going to have to get bigger.

At the centre of MIPIM’s London stand is Piper’s 3D printed map of all of London. But what would be really interesting would be a map, better still another 3D printed model, using travel time as the unit of measure after Crossrail with its 200m long trains opens in just two years’ time. And then again after Crossrail 2 (north south), and all the planned tube extensions are built. The current suburbs will become central and the current nearby regional towns suburbs of the centre. So London continues to extend out but it also will become much more vertical within its centre. Like never before, London is becoming a city of clusters of emerging towers not too dissimilar to the turn of the century Manhattan race with high rise buildings. They bring spectacle, utility and challenges in equal measure. They continue to densify neighbourhoods bringing exciting vibrant mixed uses but also presenting challenges to their existing infrastructure. Today, these buildings need to perform much more intelligently then before as well as provide longer flexibility in uses.

The opportunities and the responsibilities falling on our industry and professions’ shoulders are enormous. A huge amount of smart thinking, strategy, design flair and delivery acumen are going to be needed if we are going to avoid the sort of disasters we had in the 60’s and 70’s with massive ill thought through development – and get it right this time. Talent is a fickle friend, if you get the environment right, perhaps in a surprising way for who would have predicted the rise of Shoreditch where hipsters meet TMT giants, clever people will flock in. If you get it wrong, money and talent is mobile and will find another haven. We need a well thought out, beautiful, sustainable and healthy city to work, live and bring up our kids in.

So, when you visit the London stand, look around at what’s happening it’s a great showcase but think to yourself, this is just the half of it, even less than that. Think of building a new city of 2.7m people inside of London and its surroundings; that’s like building Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow inside London. Think what you can do to help.

The reward for success is exciting, London as THE world city.

We’re sure your MIPIM schedules will be neatly colour-coded into your online/outlook/paper-based diaries. But there are two more events you need to jot down.

On Thursday 17 March, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and HLM will perform as a brand new super group to bring two evenings of live music to this year’s MIPIM and raise money for LandAid.

Their name, Exile, is in reference to the Rolling Stones ‘Exile on Main Street’, recorded close to Cannes in 1971; the six man group is led by Chris Liddle on guitar and Bill Price on bass.

The two frontmen have a long history of music, both in London and within the industry. Bill Price, a Director at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, regularly plays London venues; he was also the creator of the ‘Construction Rocks’ brand, now in its ninth year and scheduled to take place at Scala in October.

Chris Liddle, Chairman of HLM, is a well-regarded industry guitarist who has played in a variety of bands in and around London for many years. He is also one of the regular judges for Construction Rocks and a former winner of the competition.

The fist gig on Wednesday 16 March is an acoustic set at Morrisons Irish pub – until late. The second gig will be a full line up at the St Patrick’s Day Street Party at Ma Nolans, 6 Rue Buttura next Thursday, 5pm till 8pm. The aim is for both events to add to the energy of MIPIM and raise money for LandAid.

The band formed especially for MIPIM to bring live music to network-weary delegates and to take advantage of a targeted audience and raise as much money as they can for the industry’s leading charity.

The full band comprises: Bill Price, Chris Liddle, Faye Liddle (lead and backing vocals), Michelle Dawson (lead and backing vocals), Jon Walter (guitar) and Chris Shoubridge (drums). The band will perform a range of songs from traditional rock to pop, blues and disco.

Chris Liddle said: “Our industry is well known for its love of good music – and that’s what we aim to give them with Exile. We’re a group of people who enjoy what we do and we want to share it with MIPIM as well as raise money for LandAid, which should be recognised and supported for the great work it does.”

Wrist bands for the events are available on the night and can be obtained with a modest donation to LandAid. You can also request a wrist band by emailing: sandra.deamer@wspgroup.com or julia.hilton@hlmarchitects.com.

A question we are frequently asked is what should I wear to MIPIM? So, to address your sartorial queries, we’ve put together a few answers to help you plan your wardrobe.

The MIPIM dress code is business as usual. Professional attire ensures that you are ready for whoever you might be networking or meeting with and gives the right impression to potential prospects. MIPIM hosts some of the most powerful and influential leaders in real estate so you’ll want to bear this in mind.

But at the same time, MIPIM has also been referred to as the ‘undertakers conference’ due to the sheer number of dark suits so colour – in a stylish way – could be a good place to start when planning your wardrobe for the week. Gents – open collars are fine during the day, with ties for formal dinners. Ladies – take smart outfits including two or three jackets that you can switch between throughout the week.

Outfits that can be worn from day to night are a good idea as you’re unlikely to have time to change between events. On that note, it can also get cold quickly in the evenings, so take light, portable layers with you during the day that you can coat check or put in your bag. A smart mac or jumper that can be worn in the mornings and evenings is a good bet.

For the adventurous types bring trainers and your gym kit. The beachfront is ideal for an early morning jog along the Croisette to start your day. Or if you prefer running in a group, contact Andrew Link who organises @RunMipim. Alternatively LandAid are running their second tennis tournament in association with BNP Paribas Real Estate on the Wednesday, where you can enter the doubles round robin tournament or sit back and watch the competitors (no exercise required).

You’ve probably been told already to wear comfortable shoes – but really do take this advice and make sure the pairs you bring are worn-in and not brand new. Your feet will thank you as you’ll be standing for most networking events and they’re a must for getting quickly from A to B. It’s also a good idea to take several different pairs and change once a day if you can – it’s inevitable that your feet will ache but a change is as good as a rest!

Guest Post: Derry Long from MBS Survey Software Ltd

Long time MIPIM attendee Derry Long, the organiser of the MIPIM Yes Oui Cannes Party gives us his views and suggestions for maximising your time in Cannes:

For many, MIPIM is all about networking. Getting to meet as many people as possible in such a short space of time is quite a knack and a skill.

My best advice is do not fill up your diary with back-to-back meetings. You won’t have time to bump into an old friend or client, who may be with someone you have never met before, but is on the search for a service that you can provide. Just imagine that person could be your next biggest client. Make time!

Make notes about the meeting whether it’s on your phone or on the back of the business card. You are going to meet lots of people. Add some alcohol and tiredness, and you may just forget who that person was the next day or on the following Monday (back to normal civilisation). I always make a note of when and where I met the individual, add a couple of keywords and add one of the following letters H/W/C (Hot/Warm/Cold).

A question I am usually asked is how long should I allow for meetings? Unless this meeting is so important, I would allow a maximum of 20 mins – enough time for one drink. Although Cannes is a small place, you will be up and down the Croisette, in and out of the Palais and so will your clients, so it is often helpful to consider this when you arrange where to meet. Do not expect the client to come to you though; you should always go to the client. You will also need time to get from one place to another, whether it is to meet someone, go to an event or attend a meal. You don’t want to be seen running down the Croisette – it’s not the best look!

Don’t forget to follow up when you get home. Following up is professional courtesy. And while the client may not need your services now, they could a few months down the line.

With my hot contacts, I make the point of giving them a call around the first Tuesday after MIPIM. Forget the first Monday, you and everyone else will be in catch-up mode with emails, colleagues and clients. The purpose of that call is to get the follow up meeting in the diary which is unlikely to be the something people are ready to arrange on the Monday.

With my warm clients, it would be a follow up email, providing further information about your company, its services, and getting a follow up meeting scheduled, within a few weeks. No rush.

For the cold contacts: it was a pleasure to meet you, this is what we do, these are my contact details, let’s keep in touch etc, etc.

Never underestimate the cold contact, because they can refer you to a colleague who may well be looking for a service that you offer.

Remember MIPIM is concentrated networking from the minute you arrive at the airport or train station heading down to Cannes. The majority of people on board the plane/train will be heading to MIPIM soon so don’t be frightened to enquire if they are going and start the conversation there and then.

In the meantime, the seventh annual MIPIM Yes Oui Cannes Party this Wednesday 24th February has reached full capacity but we do have a waiting list for anyone who wishes to apply. Please contact derry@surveymbs.com to be added. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there!

Guest Post: Lucy Lomas

Around a third of this year’s registered UK delegates are from outside London. The Northern Powerhouse project is attracting international interest, Birmingham has risen above London in the list of top European cities for property investors, and last year a quarter of all investor finance went to firms outside the capital. It’s worth stepping into the bunker to explore what’s happening in the rest of the UK and find out what all the fuss is about. You never know what you might discover (or who you might meet).

Regional delegations from Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and more will be banging the drum for their cities. Developers and architects will be showcasing their projects and local figures will be sharing what makes their city great. Our cities are ambitious, energetic and growing fast.

Take a look at the stand events programmes as they’re published and make time to visit.  Here are some of the best bits to look out for:

• The City Investment Forum – Northern Powerhouses conference session co-organised by Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield
• The Leeds transport-led regeneration breakfast on Thursday where they will unveil plans for the biggest regeneration site in Western Europe!
• The Manchester stand is good for loitering, networking and some interesting presentations and debates (as well as people watching)
• If you’re at a loose end before your pre-dinner cocktail event, the Newcastle stand is hosting an open drinks event (with table football) every day at 5pm

The not-in-London property and development communities will be out in force, and remember – they’re friendlier up north.

A bit about Lucy:

With over 15 years’ experience of marketing professional services companies in the property and development market, Lucy has seen it all. Now working independently, she is helping a select portfolio of clients make sensible marketing investment decisions to help them grow their business.

Lucy attended her first MIPIM way back in 2001 and it has been part of her calendar ever since, either from a distance or on the ground, in good years and lean ones.

www.lucylomas.net

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lomaslucy

 @lomaslucy

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!