St Modwen's John Dodds explains why attending MIPIM is a priority
Mar 6 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post
For the past week in the Birmingham Post, the Midlands development community has concurred that MIPIM 2009 in Cannes will be a scaled-back affair but the general consensus seems to be that attendance at MIPIM is important. Those who sacrifice the annual trip to France will miss out, as there is no other opportunity quite like it in the property calendar.
John Dodds, regional director for St. Modwen, explains why in the current economic climate MIPIM remains a high priority, and he examines why the regional property industry must adapt its modus operandi in Cannes this year in order to maximise the possibilities the event presents.
For the first year in its 30-year history, St. Modwen is going to MIPIM to support Birmingham City Council. So why have we chosen this year to up the ante and to make such a commitment?
The regeneration of the former MG Rover plant at Longbridge is a St. Modwen project, and 2009 has already proven to be a milestone year in the 15-year lifespan of the £1 billion scheme, with the Longbridge Area Action Plan receiving the green light by the Planning Inspector only last month.
Following years of consultation with the public and key stakeholders, we are now in a position to make a real difference at Longbridge, and this is something we naturally want to promote to the widest audience.
Longbridge is a very positive story and, at this key time in its history, we want to communicate this to a global audience. Yes, this is excellent PR for St. Modwen, but we also appreciate how progress at Longbridge can help to boost perceptions of Birmingham, and how a good dose of positivity can be a ‘shot in the arm’ for a property industry that has had to deal with being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons since the credit crunch first gripped the country.
Of course, our partners Birmingham City Council and Advantage West Midlands share our aims in terms of showcasing Longbridge – it is one of the most significant regeneration projects in the region – and it therefore makes sense that this is achieved via a unified approach.
Our sponsorship of Birmingham City Council at MIPIM symbolises this and gives us the opportunity to continue to strengthen the relationships that exist between both organisations.
Beyond Longbridge, we are working on many other major long-term regeneration projects across the region, each one very different to the next – such as the £50 million regeneration of Hednesford town centre, the redevelopment of the former Goodyear factory in Wolverhampton into a £150 million urban community, and the proposed Middle Quinton Eco Town at Long Marston, Stratford-upon-Avon – and recognise how important it is to use MIPIM to promote other key Midlands locations as well.
Building relationships is another major benefit of the MIPIM experience. This year the emphasis will be on doing serious business – on having meaningful conversations with the right people – and I think the whole environment will reflect this. Most of those in Cannes will have a strategy for who they want to meet and when, and I certainly have a full diary.
This year the subtle shift will be in not just forging new relationships, but also in maximising the time spent with peers. Out of the confines of the normal working environment a new perspective can emerge, and this can provide the conditions for enlightened discussions about the way forward and tackling the challenges ahead.
Exchanging knowledge and experiences relevant to the times we now find ourselves in can engender a strong sense of solidarity, which can only be a good thing for the industry as a whole.
To be in a location where you can have face-to-face discussions with so many key people in such a short space of time is one of the great benefits of MIPIM.
