Sponsors put more cash towards Birmingham City Council's trip to MIPIM
Failure to attend would “send the wrong message” to private sector investors during a sensitive economic period, he claimed.
Mr Glonek added: “The city council is mindful of the cost of staging a presence at this event and every effort has been made to secure external sponsorship in order to reduce the impact on local taxpayers.
“This proposal will achieve a similar presence to that at MIPIM in 2009, which is attractive to sponsors, but at a much-reduced cost to the city council.
“MIPIM internationally promotes Birmingham and its public and private sector developments and will transmit to the private sector Birmingham’s continued economic confidence of the future.”
Last year MIPIM attracted 1,800 exhibitors and 17,700 visitors, many of whom were seeking to secure new investment opportunities.
Would-be developers were given a presentation by council leader Mike Whitby and offered an intensive programme of meetings detailing investment opportunities in Birmingham.
With the recession then beginning to bite, MIPIM’s traditional lavish Champagne-fuelled parties on luxury yachts were either cancelled or scaled down.
Coun Whitby ordered a “beer and sandwiches” approach, dropping the “balti on the beach” party of previous years in favour of a small-scale dinner for key investors. A similarly low-key approach is planned for this year.
Mr Glonek said the goals for Birmingham were to position the city as a world class player at the world’s largest property convention and as a “competitive location in the world market place for investment”.
Since 2006 the council has successfully used MIPIM to attract financial backing for several high-profile development schemes including construction of the Cube, Colmore Plaza and Snow Hill and the refurbishment of Baskerville House.
