What we learnt at MIPIM 2022

For the first time in two years MIPIM went ahead and our team was on the ground busy networking, conferencing and doing all the other things that go with the full MIPIM experience. The overall impression of the event was hugely positive and it seems that the real estate industry is bouncing back following some difficult times. So, with our intrepid team now back in the UK we asked our Sales & Marketing Director Richard Morris to share a few key things that he learnt from MIPIM 2022.

The post-pandemic era is upon us

For the first time in two years, it really does feels like the pandemic is finally over. The property sector has had a pretty tough couple of years, however there were many people at MIPIM this year talking positively about the upside of the pandemic, which is that the work environment has moved on by more than 10 years, perhaps even more.

Hybrid is here and office space is adapting

Hybrid working is here to stay and Thursdays are now considered the new Fridays with many workers choosing to bookend their working weeks at home. Requirements for office space are adapting accordingly. People no longer just go to the office to simply do their work; they now go into the office to collaborate and meet their colleagues. As we noted in another of our recent blogs there is a flight to quality with many workspaces now looking more like four and five-star hotel lobbies.

The rise of ESG

There was a great deal of discussion about ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), which has risen up the agenda more than any other subject since the last full conference in 2019. Investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analysis process to identify material risks and growth opportunities. Flexibility of space is hugely important, and architects are designing buildings which can be easily adapted in the future to meet these changing needs.

Live events are back

This year, MIPIM was attended by more than 20,000 people in the main part of the conference and a further 20,000 on the fringe. The buzz was back and it felt very much like it had never been away. Credit must go to the organisers who have had to prepare and promote the event in challenging and uncertain times – it was only very recently that British people couldn’t enter France for any reason.

Follow ups are key

As with any event, the key part once it’s finished and everyone has headed home is to actively follow up all the great opportunities which have been discussed over the past few days. We made many new contacts and friends and it will be a busy time for us and all of those companies and local authorities to follow these opportunities up. We had some great discussions with landlords and portfolio managers alongside meeting up with fellow technology companies. Thanks to all those we met and we’ll be in touch very soon.

One final thing

One last thing we learnt from MIPIM 2022.  We now know it is not always hot and sunny in Cannes! Hopefully 2023 will be sunnier and the planning starts now, so get the dates in your diary 14^th – 17th March 2023.

Get in touch

If you’d like to catch up with us for a chat, please drop us an email on hello@technologywithin.com or call 020 7953 8888.