MIPIM: Backing Birmingham's Paradise Circus project

Mar 18 2010 By Ian Stringer

Ian Stringer, of GVA Grimley, looks forward to his first trip to the Riviera.

I am allergic to Champagne. This isn’t a fact I casually drop into conversation, but it’s certainly something that springs to the forefront of my mind whenever I think of MIPIM.

Established in 1990, MIPIM is the leading international property conference, held annually during mid-March at the Palais des Festivals of Cannes on the French Riviera. During the past decade it has become the major event on the UK and European property calendar, so much so, that the number of UK companies that attended MIPIM last March (a total of 1,144) was only narrowly surpassed by the host nation. While Cannes is synonymous with the International Film Festival, which attracts A-listers galore, it is in fact MIPIM that is the seaside resort’s highest annual money earner.

Ask my initial view about MIPIM and I immediately think of the excess and extravagance of boom time property markets. It is a showcase for the property world’s unashamed extraverts, but coincidental with MIPIM’s 20th birthday, I am attending for the very first time.

Despite my Champagne allergy, I don’t loathe the idea of whizzing between drinks receptions in glitzy seafront hotels to lavish gatherings on chartered luxury yachts – who wouldn’t after a long UK winter! However, in previous years I simply haven’t felt it relevant to attend MIPIM. As a leasing agent, experience tells me that deals to let office space in Birmingham will not be secured over drinks and canapés in the south of France. This is the fundamental reason why I have not attended previously, but there is a bigger picture to MIPIM and this year it is right for me to sign up as a delegate and commit to wearing out my shoe leather by pacing the infamous La Croisette.

MIPIM provides an unbeatable platform to make and reaffirm major announcements about new development opportunities. The collaboration between developer Argent and Birmingham City Council in connection with the Paradise Circus redevelopment opportunity is a project I have personally been involved with since its inception. Gary Taylor, joint managing director of Argent and Coun Mike Whitby, Leader of the city council, will be promoting the Paradise story on the Birmingham stand and I am eager to be there in support.

MIPIM sees cities positioned in a single arena and offers the ultimate opportunity to communicate city-wide unique selling points and ‘soft pitch’ for serious inward investment opportunities.

Developers, local authorities and regional development agencies can overtly present themselves as a strong force with a united vision and I guess this is why MIPIM has such significance. It is vital that developers with large development opportunities get behind the efforts of their city and ensure its voice is heard.