Cannes Challenges accepted at MIPIM!

Every year MIPIM brings together the world’s property, investment and political leaders to uncover solutions to the major challenges our cities face with the aim of driving the real estate sector forward. Sanna Marin, the former Prime Minister of Finland, will open the festival with a keynote speech, while other notable political speakers will include the Lord Mayor of Hannover Belit Nejat Onay, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Sophie Hæstorp Andersen.

MIPIM 2024 will be taking place during a time of global political and economic uncertainty, such as the ongoing climate change emergency, and when key real estate sectors – such as commercial and residential – are facing crucial challenges. The fair will serve as a pivotal platform for international leaders, investors and developers to accelerate change towards more diverse, sustainable and profitable real estate.

The international cities, regions and local authorities that have so far signed up to attend MIPIM 2024 include:

• Austria: St Pölten
• Brazil: City of Marica, Rio de Janeiro, COFECI
• Belgium: Brussels, Wallonia, Flanders
• Canada: Montréal, Manitoba
• Czech Republic: Prague, Ostrava
• Denmark: Copenhagen, Aarhus
• Egypt: Administrative Capital for Urban Development
• Estonia: Tallinn
• France: Paris, Aix-Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Nice, Montpellier, Cannes, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Calais, Sophia Antipolis
• Finland: Helsinki, Oulu & Nordic Coastal cities, Raahe, Vaasa Region
• Germany: Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover City and
• Region, Leipzig, Munich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Stuttgart, Rhine-Neckar
• Metropolitan Region
• Greece: Enterprise Greece
• Hungary: Budapest
• Iceland: Business Iceland
• Italy: Rome, Milan, Genova, Emilia Romagna Region, Lombardy Region, Piedmont Region
• Latvia: Riga
• Lithuania: Vilnius
• Oman: Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning
• Poland: Warsaw, Katowice, Kraków, Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznań, Pomerania, Metropolia Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska, Gdynia, Pruszcz Gdański, Silesia, Wrocław
• Portugal: Lisbon, Porto, Gaia, Matosinhos, Fundão, Almada, Vila Franca de Xira
• Qatar: Investment promotion agency Qatar
• Saudi Arabia: Invest Saudi (Ministry of Investment), Design and Architecture Commission, Ministry of Culture, Diriyah Company, King Salman Park Foundation, New Murabba, Neom, Roshn
• Slovenia: Slovenia public agency
• Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla y León, City of Malaga, Invest in Murcia, ICEX - Invest in Spain, SEPES
• Sweden: Stockholm
• Switzerland: Geneva
• UK: London, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Central South (Portsmouth, Southampton), Newcastle, Belfast, Derby, Leicester, Ebbsfleet, Lincolnshire

One of this year’s major events at MIPIM will be the Political Leader's Summit, which will be held on Tuesday, March 12th and will bring together policy-makers from across the globe to share perspectives and priorities as they prepare their cities for the evolution of long-term drivers such as geopolitics, demographics, technology and end-users’ expectations.

The official list of MIPIM speakers includes:

• Alexandra Dublanche, chairwoman, Choose Paris Region
• Belit Nejat Onay, Lord Mayor of Hannover
• Councillor Bev Craig, Manchester City Council
• Eliza Reid, First Lady, Iceland
• Giancarlo Tancredi, Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration, City of Milan
• Kellie Beirne, chief executive, Cardiff Capital Region
• Margot Cathcart, president and CEO, Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation
• Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO, Enterprise Greece
• Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen

Nicolas Kozubek, the director of MIPIM, gives us his appraisal of this year’s upcoming fair: “As the sector is transforming, shaped by geopolitical, demographic and technological factors, collaboration between the public servants and business leaders is crucial for the sector's ongoing transformation. At MIPIM 2024, we will see political and business leaders gather to discuss practical solutions for our cities and work together towards a more diverse, sustainable, and profitable real estate future. With changes to global monetary policy and a softening of rates factored into investment strategies, there will be plenty of opportunities for investors and cities to agree on new solutions to support the growth of cities and major projects across our built environment.”

MIPIM 2024 promises to build upon the huge success of the 2023 event, which attracted over 22,500 delegates, including 6,500 investors representing 76 of the world's top 100 investment managers, advising on EUR 4 tln of assets.

Housing Matters!

As a taster to the main event and to reflect the growth in new formats on the residential market, on Monday, March 11th, MIPIM, in partnership with Co-Liv, will also host ‘Housing Matters!’, a new half-day summit focused on sustainable housing solutions.

In Europe, population growth is outstripping the supply of new homes, with the most severe shortages having been recorded in Germany, France and the UK. Similar trends are being observed outside Europe in countries that are experiencing even more dynamic population growth. The residential sector is actively looking for new models to meet the market demand, from rental to ownership and other life-cycle transitions. Nearly all economies are facing a need for new forms of housing across all tenures, from social and affordable housing to private rental and ownership as well as alternative living assets such as student and later living accommodation.

Housing Matters! will bring together investors, developers, local authorities, associations and urban experts to explore solutions to the rising housing demands, soaring prices and housing inequality and share visions of a sustainable housing future. The Housing Matters! conference programme includes a roundtable discussion on the current housing landscape, a global tour of affordable and accessible housing solutions presented by representatives from different countries, a series of engaging pitches where entrepreneurs and innovators present their solutions to housing challenges, and a speed pitching session.

To ensure the most impactful content, a steering committee comprising high-level housing experts will be assembled, including Jacques Ehrmann, the group general manager of leading French residential developer Altarea. The programme will conclude with a networking event.

The 2024 Housing Matters! event should build on the success of the MIPIM Co-Liv Summit launched in 2023, with an extended focus on co-living to encompass a wide range of alternative residential sectors, including single-family housing, student accommodation, build-to-rent (BTR), later-living, and other innovative solutions.

In the opinion of Fabrice Simondi, the co-founder of Co-Liv: “In a world where the dynamics of housing are increasingly challenging, it has become paramount to harness creativity and collaborative innovation. Our traditional frameworks have been stretched to their limits, necessitating not just new models, but a revolution in design, property ownership and management. Co-Liv stands at the vanguard of this change, offering a community-driven platform where the reimagination of living space is not just an idea, but an actionable reality. At Co-Liv, we are committed to spearheading initiatives that lead us towards a future where housing is not just a commodity, but a community-centric, sustainable sanctuary for all.”

According to Nicolas Kozubek, the director of MIPIM: “Every week, more than 1.5 mln people move to a city somewhere in the world. And yet, most global cities are not keeping up with rising housing demands, which drives up prices and housing inequality in the process. Now is the time to imaginatively explore how we might shape the future of living. At MIPIM 2024, the Housing Matters! conference will help the residential sector’s leaders to discuss and uncover affordable and accessible housing solutions, whilst fostering innovation and collaboration. Together, we aim to pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future for urban living.”

The Housing Matters! event is included in the standard MIPIM ticket, while a separate EUR 320 ticket will be available for non-MIPIM delegates.

MIPIM Challengers

Another exciting new initiative is to take place at MIPIM 2024. A total of 16 young professionals to MIPIM 2024 have been invited to Cannes and will be given the chance to challenge the real estate sector by pitching their solutions to the most important issues facing the global urban environment to key market players. The Challengers were selected through an essay contest judged by a panel of real estate experts. To qualify for the MIPIM Challengers programme, the candidates were required to submit a 600-word essay in English, addressing the question: ‘What is the most crucial challenge confronting the global urban development, and how can young professionals contribute to its solution?’

MIPIM Challengers is open to all built-environment professionals under 30 who have not attended MIPIM before. Over 150 essays were submitted from a total of 20 countries. Most entries came from Western Europe, but the final cohort includes entries from further afield, including Mauritius, South Africa and the USA. The best essays were required to show a clear understanding of the problem, originality, critical thinking, a global perspective, and a call to action. They were judged by an expert panel of MIPIM director Nicolas Kozubek, RIBA president Muyiwa OKI, and the CEO Europe of Pimco Prime Real Estate Annette Kröger.

The first 16 MIPIM Challengers are:

• Mats Bartels, investment manager and podcastmaker at Rockfield Real Estate & Vastgoedmarkt
• Camille Boutemy, architect at Barthélémy Griño Architectes
• Daniel Duncan, architectural assistant at EdenCoast Limited
• Nangamso Fortune, property development analyst at Heri Prop Co
• James Lenton, investment analyst at Thriving Investments
• Jessie Leung, assistant estates surveyor at South Gloucestershire Council
• Elijah Lewis, research consultant at Remit Consulting
• Ffion Middleton, planner at Turley
• Rachel Munro, senior associate at Shoosmiths LLP
• Olasumbo Olaniyi, doctoral scholar and spatial researcher at the University of Plymouth
• Alexandre Olivier, capital markets consultant at Knight Frank
• Mohammad Ziyaad Huss Oozeer, associate architect at Visio Architecture
• Harry Quinton, managing director at Base Tactical Disaster Recovery
• Rania Saddiqe, real estate valuer at Knight Frank
• Federica Sanchez, architect and neuroscience researcher at Lombardini22
• Lauren Shaw, structural engineer at Symmetrys

The Challengers will be invited to a high-level roundtable discussion moderated by MIPIM Challengers patron UNESCO Ambassador Guila Clara Kessous. There will also be a diversity workshop and an exclusive pitching session where they will be able present ideas directly to leaders of property’s biggest companies.

“It has been an incredibly exciting and invigorating process to read so many fantastic entries from the future of our industry on how we can solve the biggest challenges our sector faces. Congratulations to everyone who entered - selecting a final 16 was a real challenge in itself as the standard was so high. We cannot wait to welcome our inaugural cohort to MIPIM 2024 to take part in a full programme of events, talks and debates. I’m particularly looking forward to listening and hearing from new and diverse voices. The range of professions and nationalities are a microcosm of real estate’s diversity – from architects to investors to planners through to local government surveyors and neuroscience researchers. Together, in one place at MIPIM, our Challengers now have the platform to inform and drive the debate forward, taking us a step closer to uncovering the solutions that we all must deliver,” comments Nicolas Kozubek, the director of MIPIM.

MIPIM Challengers is to be made become an annual event with the inaugural 2024 cohort forming the first part of the MIPIM Challengers Network, which will act as an ongoing forum for those selected to stay in touch, build valuable long-term connections and support future generations of Challengers.

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The main event of MIPIM 2024 takes place at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on March 12-15th, while the new ‘Housing Matters’ summit takes place at the same venue on March 11th. Eurobuild Central & Europe is a media partner of the event.