Post MIPIM Round Up
It’s been a few years since I last attended MIPIM and this time on the other side of the fence as it were, now working in-house for DJS, an architectural visualisation company. Although my role is similar, I now just search out opportunities for one company and promote their services rather than working with whole teams of people delivering the London Stand and the NLA events programme. This trip was going to be a new experience for me.
This year was the first year I have gone it alone, a scary prospect when you have been out of the MIPIM loop for a few years. Gone were the large team heading out to Cannes for a crazy week, delivering a massive stand and making sure all the client’s were happy whilst turning over a considerable number of events each day. Back then there was little time to catch up with new contacts. This time however it was all about meeting new contacts, catching up with old clients and no large group to tag team it with, I was there to showcase our portfolio and also launch a new wave of images the DJS team have created and I was doing this solo!
If I am honest I was a little apprehensive before I left for Cannes, wondering if I would be left standing in the Palais a sad and solitary figure! Or was I going to step into a larger scale presidents club, as the press would have you believe. How wrong I was! This MIPIM was probably one of my most positive experiences to date. Most importantly there was a strong focus, people were there to do business, to meet new contacts and open up the discussion on what’s happening within the built environment. As always, and I maybe a little biased, the London Stand was buzzing, full of activity and positive talk, London was definitely open. I fell into the MIPIM swing as if I had never left. I met new contacts, talked to old clients, listened to conversations that reminded me why I love this industry. New contacts made and great discussions highlighted why MIPIM is worth its time and investment.
Another concern I had and I’m sure I’m not alone in this is will people want to talk to the ‘services’, will they want to hear about cgi and visualisation? MIPIM is all about the investor is it not? Again, I was wrong, seeing our images around the London Stand and showcasing our recent work in Gibraltar, our new wave of images – Living Visuals – MIPIM proved to be an excellent platform and we managed to speak to people we would usually find harder to get hold of when back at our desks in London.
The talk of the town was Tamsie Thomson’s #seetheelephant campaign, launched to highlight that discrimination still exists within the industry and to encourage industry leaders to make a positive change. From personal experience I would say I have been fairly lucky during my time in the industry, this isn’t to say I have come out unscathed. At times I feel we broad brush the issue, and I don’t for one want to accuse every organisation of discrimination or wrong doing. I do however believe we need a positive discussion to make sure we do the best for everyone within the industry and therefore certainly support that.
Having spent a few days mulling over my MIPIM 2018 experiences, what did I learn?
- Never wear new shoes for MIPIM, something I preached for years but seemed to forget this time around.
- Two days is nowhere near long enough, if you do it, do it properly!
- MIPIM really is the place to do business.
See you at MIPIM 2019!