Sir John Peace, Chair of the Midlands Engine, will be joined by a range of senior keynote speakers who will be addressing the global investment community at MIPIM (Cannes, 12-15 March). They include Sir Edward Lister, Chair of Homes England; Melanie Leech CBE, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation; and Tony Pidgley CBE, Chair of Berkeley Group.
High-profile speakers from the Midlands region include West Midlands Mayor Andy Street; Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council; and Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council.
Female speakers will feature prominently this year, with the line-up including Elizabeth Fagan, Chair of the Derby and Nottingham Local Enterprise Partnership; Deborah Cadman OBE, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority; Claudia Kenyatta, Director of Regional Delivery at Historic England; and Rachel Dickie, Head of Urban Regeneration at Legal & General Capital.
Sir John Peace said:
“MIPIM provides a platform from which we can showcase the many strengths of the Midlands to a wide audience. Our economy, which has remained strong and resilient, presents a compelling offer to potential investors.
“The Midlands is already a highly competitive investment destination. By attracting more investors, developers and businesses, we are able to improve our infrastructure, innovation and productivity – creating a stronger economy for all.”
The Midlands UK Pavilion welcomed more than 4,700 delegates at MIPIM 2018, who attended a series of presentations, debates and receptions.
Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation added:
“MIPIM provides a unique opportunity to bring together senior decision makers from the private and public sectors, to discuss the issues and opportunities facing our industry. The property sector is one of the fundamental building blocks of our economy and society, and has a key role to play in ensuring a positive future for the UK, and this conference supports us in attracting more investment and unlocking further regeneration across the Midlands and beyond.”
Panel discussions at the Midlands UK Pavilion will debate topics ranging from accelerated housing delivery to maintaining momentum in the office market and the importance of delivering inclusive growth. There will also be presentations highlighting major investment opportunities across all key real estate sectors – including residential, office & mixed use, life sciences, digital & creative, and manufacturing & logistics.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, West Midlands Combined Authority, said:
“We are proud to be a partner in the Midlands at MIPIM and excited about the unrivalled opportunities this event offers to promote the West Midlands as the most liveable, investable and competitive place in the UK.
“The West Midlands is at the heart of the future of Britain. We are the largest regional economy with more business start-ups than anywhere else in the UK. We have unrivalled connectivity – with 90% of the UK’s market in reach within four hours. We are confident and we are winning.
“The West Midlands’ time is now, and as part of the wider Midlands delegation to MIPIM we will maximise our opportunity to showcase our region to the world.”
Public sector leaders will be joined by representatives from the private sector – including Birmingham Airport, Court Collaboration, Jaguar Land Rover, Lendlease and St Joseph.
Anthony McCourt, CEO of Court Collaboration, commented:
“The Midlands UK pavilion is known for hosting lively and thought-provoking discussions during MIPIM, which helps to raise the region’s profile with thousands of potential investors. Having taken part in a very topical residential panel discussion last year, I’m looking forward to joining the Midlands UK delegation again this year, to debate the key topics facing the property industry.”
MIPIM hosts attendees from across the world. More than 26,000 delegates from 100 different countries take part, representing major investors, financial institutions, developers, the property industry and the media.
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