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Although Vicky Silvano has made connections with Asian real estate professionals in the past, the broker associate for Century 21 SGR in Chicago is looking to the 2018 MIPIM conference in Cannes, France to expand her business into Europe.
As one of 10 Illinois REALTORS® who receive MIPIM stipends after the trip, Silvano is even more excited to visit Cannes, France March 13-16. She will be reimbursed for up to $1,500 in trip expenses through the stipend. She agreed to answer a few questions in advance of her trip to France.
How did you become interested in MIPIM?
“In 2016, I attended MIPIM Asia which was held in Osaka, Japan,” said Silvano, who served as Chair for the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) that same year. “That event opened my eyes to the interrelations of the Asian market in the commercial arena. MIPIM in Cannes is the quintessential event where more than 20,000 practitioners in the different sectors of the commercial real estate community will network and do business. The world has become smaller with technology and what better way to interface with the active professionals in the world than attending the MIPIM conference?”
What do you hope to get out of it?
Silvano said: “Attending MIPIM is another avenue to, not only prospect for leads in other parts of the world, but to continue to learn more about industry trends and outlook in different markets and interface with the most influential players from all sectors of the international property industry. This is my first time to attend MIPIM, Cannes and I’m excited to be able to expand my global, commercial interconnectivity. I look forward to the educational sessions, networking events and the deals exchange in this event.”
What makes MIPIM relevant to REALTORS® like you?
“Learning to expand my knowledge is an important key to business,” she said. “As global business has grown tremendously in the U.S., attending conferences like MIPIM is a great way to broaden my networks and increase business opportunities that come my way. As AREAA has presented opportunities in the Asian markets only, MIPIM would serve as a catalyst for more opportunities in the rest of the world.”
Background
Silvano has been a member of the Illinois REALTORS® Consulate General Liaison Program as liaison for the Philippines since the program’s inception in 2016. Also, she’s a member of NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall’s leadership team, serving as NAR Global Real Estate Committee Liaison.
As chair for the AREAA in 2016, she helped successfully lobby the U.S. Census Bureau to gather separate information on behalf of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) instead of lumping AAPI under the category “other.” Read more.
