For one week in March world leaders in real estate, law, finance and planning will jet off to a week in the south of France.
The annual MIPIM property conference in Cannes is billed as the world’s leading property market.
海角视频 Plc – keen to promote the fact that we are still open for business despite Brexit – will be there in force.
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As will more regional delegations, including an official Team Leicester group, which will be hosting its own events and receptions in a bid to attract investment into the East Midlands’ biggest city and bustling county towns such as Loughborough, Melton and Market Harborough.
This year the region will be promoting investment opportunities based around the theme of “healthy growth, healthy people and healthy business”, and will also be part of the broader Midlands 海角视频 group.
BusinessLive invited delegates to explain what it’s all about:
The Lawyer:
Leicester real estate lawyer Richard Osborn is regional director of Excello Law, and a member of the Team Leicester MIPIM Steering Group
Richard doesn’t deny that Mipim can be a whirlwind of sunshine – when it’s not raining – superyachts, fine food and the odd glass of Champagne or 20 euro pint of Kronenbourg.
But there is also a heck of lot of “hard work and serious business” going on.
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The best part of a year has gone into planning the Team Leicester delegation, to ensure everyone joining the group get a “unrivalled access to the greatest number of development projects and sources of capital worldwide”.
“It has benefits on a number of levels,” he said.
Of course we want to raise our profile as a business on a global stage and we want to meet with existing and potential new clients and contacts (and in one week at MIPIM you can make more new contacts than you may otherwise make in a year), but we also want to be part of something bigger, working as part of collaborative public/private partnerships to really make a difference to the landscape of our cities and to facilitate job creation.
“Our diary is already packed with meetings, seminars, events and opportunities for the week, so it will be busy and it will be hard work, but hopefully fun as well (maybe we will even see a yacht or two).
“With that said, it is when we all get back and we need to convert those opportunities that the hard work will really begin.”
He said the 2020 theme of Leicester as a healthy choice, reflected its position as a healthy place to invest as well as a healthy place to live and work.
“Leicester boasts the largest economy in the East Midlands.
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“Commercially, our property industry is thriving beyond all expectations. Investment remains strong right across the area with total transactions in 2018 up by 61 per cent on the previous year.
“New, speculative developments are starting to address the need for good quality, city centre office accommodation and the take up of both office and industrial space in the city and surrounding county is above average and office prime rents rose to a new high in 2018.”
The Architect:
James Badley is director at Leicester-based architecture, interior design and project management specialists rg+p .
For the third year running his firm is teaming up with three others to hire a superyacht – this year the 47m, three-year-old Liquid Sky – to host a series of high profile receptions and meetings.
He said: “MIPIM has undoubtedly elevated our business’ profile – we started hosting our drinks event four years ago where we were joined by about 25 people.
“Now, we’re oversubscribed and start getting requests for invites in December.
“This has helped us consolidate our relationships with existing clients but also meet new ones, I think last year alone we had over 200 new contacts to follow-up.
“In addition, from contacts we made at MIPIM, we were invited to become founder members of a new networking group in Birmingham and also established relationships with some of our key national media, including the Architect’s Journal, Estates Gazette and Property Week.
“Quite simply, Leicestershire’s involvement has grown and grown and is an extremely well-organised and focused delegation.
“I was really pleased to read this week that the number of businesses now supporting Team Leicester exceeds 20 – that’s a fantastic commitment from the professional community.
“The fact these businesses represent both the public and private sector is also really encouraging as it gives a very clear message of collaboration, which is essential for any development.”
The Developer:
Joe Levy is managing director of Bradgate Estates , a developer of student accommodation and executive flats in cities such as Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield. His company is headline sponsor of Team Leicester.
For Joe, MIPIM is the best place to do property deals at the highest possible level and wants to play a part in helping “deliver millions of pounds of investment into the city”.
He said: “We are leading by example and putting our money were our mouth is in 2020 with developments in the pipeline with a combined GDV in excess of £50 million.
“Last year we personally shook on a deal to buy a site and cemented our relationships with major funders, professionals and consultants we work with.
“Leicester and Leicestershire has the world at its feet in terms of a place to invest.
“Thanks to a thriving economy, beautiful countryside, Richard III and LCFC this historic city is now on the world map.
“The city is entering a new decade of growth, job creation and expansion especially with the new space industry being pioneered here.”
The Developer:
Leicester based property developer Obstrat is joining Team Leicester for its second year.
Recent completions include The Bank, a fully let 70 studio student scheme in a former Lloyds bank, close to the University of Leicester.
This year Obstrat begin construction on a 90 bed residential scheme in the city, in addition to a 50,000 sq ft business park to fulfil the increasing demand of high quality industrial space in Leicester.
Managing director Haroon Shaikh said: “We have a huge passion for making Leicester a city of choice for living, working and investing in.
“Continuing our participation at MIPIM last year, we are delighted to be part of Team Leicester at MIPIM 2020 and look forward to showcasing our healthy city on a global scale.”