Illinois REALTORS® is offering 12 stipends to offset the cost for members to attend the MIPIM international real estate conference in France in 2020.  

The $1,500 stipends are for six people who have never been to the event, while the others are for six Illinois REALTORS® who have attended in the past. This will be the sixth year the state association has sent a delegation to MIPIM, which will be March 10-13, 2020.  

The form to apply for the stipends contains full selection criteria. Applications must be received by Sept. 30, 2019, and notification for those who get the stipends will be in mid-October.  

The association began sending a delegation to MIPIM in 2013 to help promote the REALTOR® brand and market Illinois as a business and real estate destination for a foreign audience. The Illinois REALTORS® booth at the Palais des Festivales in Cannes, France, is located in a pavilion set up by the National Association of REALTORS®.  

MIPIM annually attracts nearly 30,000 people to Cannes. The commercial-focused event features a trade show and presentations and conference sessions on topics ranging from urban growth to green development. Last year, the association had more than a dozen REALTORS® at MIPIM, and Illinois REALTORS® President-elect Ed Neaves spoke at a breakfast for foreign investors.  

The stipend program, now in its second year, helps agents who may be newer to the global real estate business gain exposure through the event to a broader audience. It also encourages repeat attendance by REALTORS® who are further along in their global career.