Attending MIPIM in Cannes offers unparalleled opportunities for professionals in the real estate industry to network, collaborate, and stay updated on the latest trends and innovations. One significant benefit lies in the vast networking prospects the event provides. With thousands of attendees from diverse sectors of the real estate world—including investors, developers, architects and city planners—MIPIM offers fertile ground for forging new connections and partnerships. These connections can lead to lucrative business opportunities, joint ventures, or valuable insights into different markets and investment strategies.

Moreover, MIPIM serves as a hub for knowledge exchange and learning. The event features a wide array of conferences, workshops and presentations led by industry experts and thought leaders. Attendees have the chance to delve into topics ranging from sustainable development and urban planning to emerging technologies shaping the future of real estate. By participating in these sessions, attendees can gain valuable insights, stay abreast of industry best practices and position themselves at the forefront of innovation in the field.

Lastly, MIPIM offers a platform for showcasing projects and attracting investment. The event provides an ideal setting for presenting new developments, urban regeneration initiatives and investment opportunities to a global audience of potential investors and stakeholders. Whether showcasing a groundbreaking architectural design, a sustainable development project, or a promising real estate venture, MIPIM provides unparalleled visibility and access to key decision-makers, making it a catalyst for driving investment and fostering growth in the real estate sector.

For the second consecutive year, MIPIM along with Co-Liv, a leading global association of co-living executives, organized a Summit focused on housing on the Monday in advance of the larger MIPIM conference. I attended this “Housing Matters” Conference for the first time this year.

Every week 1.5 million people move to a new city somewhere in the world. Many do so to chase better opportunities for themselves and their families; others to escape oppressive regimes or poverty.  Unfortunately, most cities struggle with keeping up with the demand for housing, which in turn drives up pricing for housing and creates housing inequality.

The “Housing Matters” conference addressed many of the factors and potential solutions in the challenged housing market.  A key takeaway that I found especially interesting is that in order to expedite the building of substantially more housing, both attainable and market rate, an increase in public-private partnerships is a must.  Governments must create environments that are more business friendly by relaxing antiquated zoning codes, and incentivizing private developers to build more diverse housing, and not just typical luxury apartments.  An additional challenge is that over 50 key countries are holding important elections this year, which will affect half of the world’s population.  These elections could alter the course of the urban world as the outcomes could lead to less democratic, more authoritarian governments that may be less interested in solving issues that the increased global migrations have contributed to.

On a less macro level, the conference also focused on innovation within the housing markets.  Some interesting concepts that have been introduced included floating student housing built using old shipping containers in Denmark, to multifamily buildings whose layouts can be quickly reshuffled to accommodate non-traditional family structures.  More developers and operators also have begun to incorporate furnished studios and one-bedroom as well as co-living units as a significant percentage of their overall unit mix to allow for young professional and service workers to be able to afford rents in major urban markets.

Personally, I found the “Housing Matters” Conference to be a great addition to the MIPIM schedule. I expect to add it to my yearly itinerary so that I can keep up with the latest issues and developments in the housing sector, which will not only keep me informed, but allow me to better serve my clients back in Illinois.

Over the five years I have attended MIPIM, my preparation and follow-through have evolved into more productive and effective systems, which in turn, have led to more success.

With so much going on at this huge conference, early and detailed preparation is necessary. Begin by filling out your profile on the MIPIM site 60 to 90 days prior to the event. Be as specific as possible, noting your expertise and interests that align with people with whom you want to connect.

Be selective when you schedule appointments. First, choose the top two countries on which you want to focus. Then, using the MIPIM online filters for the asset classes you are interested in (e.g., investors for multifamily, medical, industrial), read the individual profiles and select

those that align the best and save them as your favorites. Once completed, send email invitations directly to their emails versus using the MIPIM platform. I found that you get a better response rate this way. Send follow-up emails until they respond. Note: you can also use the asset classes and filters for any other professionals attending the event so that you don’t miss anyone (I picked up five additional appointments this way!). Next, prepare a professional presentation for your one-on-one meetings. My staff and I developed an organized PowerPoint presentation with links for all our investment opportunities.

Finally, remember the wear and tear this event can have on you when you are preparing. One of the best decisions I have employed over the years is to have individuals I set appointments with come to the NAR booth to meet me. Not having to run around finding their booths saves me a lot of time and cuts down on stress. Clear scheduling with some room to breathe also relieves stress and makes for a more successful experience. Using an online calendar, I choose and list all the educational sessions I will attend. Next, I set aside daily blocks of time for my one-on-one appointments. Lastly, I used a service called Calendly to make it easier for others to request appointments with me. I am now prepared to do business to get results.

In addition to collecting business cards, I used the app called Emperia—registered through the MIPIM website—to scan badges for contact information and for taking notes. This app also allows you to print out a spreadsheet of all the contacts you collect. Using Emperia, I set up Zoom meetings and send requested information and proformas of my various commercial projects. I also send out emails presenting my asset investment opportunities to those individuals I was not able to meet with due to time constraints.

My 2024 MIPIM results so far:

• Out of 21,000 attendees, I sent 204 selected invitations.
• I set nine pre-conference appointments, with seven shows.
• I created five additional appointments at the conference.
• I have three potential deals created at the conference.
• I followed up with all 14 individuals.
• One week after MIPIM, I’d already had one Zoom call.

Final Analysis: This was an efficient, successful and less stressful MIPIM experience!