News from our partners: MIPIM – value of Midlands UK meetings with investors doubles to £5.7 billion

News from our partners West Midlands Growth Company

The Midlands UK delegation at global property and real estate show MIPIM 2018 (Cannes, 13–16 March) attended £5.7 billion worth of face-to-face meetings with potential investors and partners during the event – an increase of 104% on the previous year.

MIPIM 2018 in Cannes

Senior private and public sector leaders from across the region took part in nearly 1,000 meetings with international investors, asset managers and venture capitalists throughout the event in March, up from 850 meetings in 2017. The monetary value of the projects discussed at the meetings more than doubled from the previous year (£2.8 billion), meaning that delegates were able to present even more investment and partnership opportunities from the Midlands.

MIPIM provides an opportunity for the region’s public and private sector leaders to showcase their most important regeneration and development schemes to more than 26,000 delegates from 100 different countries. Attendees include investors, financial institutions, developers, the property industry and the media.

To date, 44 partners have signed up to attend MIPIM 2019 as part of the Midlands UK delegation – including platinum partners Court Collaboration, Berkeley St Joseph and Birmingham Airport.

Sir John Peace, Chairman of the Midlands Engine, said: 

“MIPIM is hugely important for the Midlands as it helps our partners to attract investment, generate jobs and stimulate economic growth. We can use MIPIM as a platform to present the region’s most important development schemes to thousands of delegates in just four days. With potential investors located across all parts of the world, face-to-face meetings at MIPIM provide a rare opportunity to engage directly with this valuable audience.

“MIPIM has historically proved to be highly successful for both the public and private sectors – demonstrating how collaboration can help to secure investment and profile for the Midlands and its ongoing transformation.”

In addition to face-to-face meetings, the Midlands UK pavilion at MIPIM 2018 hosted more than 50 events, ranging from panel discussions to keynote addresses. The events showcased schemes totalling £11 billion – including the Southern Manufacturing Sector at MIRA Technology Park in Warwickshire, the Derby-Nottingham Metro Strategy, and Birmingham’s Peddimore scheme.

Midlands UK brought its largest ever delegation to MIPIM 2018, comprising more than 300 representatives from industry and the public sector. The number of commercial partners at MIPIM 2018 also increased to 68, from 45 in 2017.

MIPIM 2019 will once again bring together organisations from around the Midlands to showcase the major investment opportunities the region has to offer.

Simon Richards, Acting Managing Director of Birmingham Airport, said:

“MIPIM 2019 sees our combined West and East Midland regions coming together for another year to demonstrate collaboration and showcase the growth since 2018, connecting our leaders, businesses and people.

“Birmingham Airport is proud to be a partner for another year at MIPIM supporting and investing into our region’s economy further.”

Adam Williams, Group Business Development Director of Pegasus Group, commented:

“Pegasus Group is delighted to support Midlands UK in 2019.

“The exciting commercial development projects presented by Midlands UK in 2018 allowed us to further understand the fantastic opportunities in the region and how we can support them. Combined with this, it was great to meet with existing clients and build relationships with new contacts.

“Pegasus Group has offices in both East and West Midlands and it is important that both regions come together at MIPIM so we can use the opportunities to drive business growth for the entire Midlands region.”

MIPIM 2019 will be the third year in which the West Midlands Growth Company has co-ordinated Midlands UK’s presence at the event. To find out about becoming a partner for MIPIM 2019, please email mipim@wmgrowth.com.

Further information

Midlands Engine

• The Government is committed to making the Midlands an Engine for Growth in the UK, increasing economic growth and improving the quality of life for everyone. The Midlands is home to over 10 million people and over 800,000 large and small businesses. Its economy is worth nearly £220,000 billion.
• So far the Government has awarded £1.9 billion in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Midlands.
• 8 Enterprise Zones have been established in the Midlands Engine since 2012, and 3 zones have been extended. By March 2016 these had attracted almost £1 billion of private investment, and created 85 new businesses and 7,291 jobs.

West Midlands Growth Company

West Midlands Growth Company helps the region make its mark nationally and internationally. Its primary purpose is to attract investment, jobs, visitors and businesses to the West Midlands.

It is committed to promoting the area as a leading place to invest, do business and visit, working in partnership with Local Enterprise Partnerships, councils, Growth Hubs, universities, Chambers of Commerce and hundreds of local businesses.

The West Midlands Growth Company plays an important role in supporting the delivery of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Strategic Economic Plan. Its focus is on the WMCA geography of Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire, and the Black Country.