After months of preparation we are finally here at MIPIM UK

After months of preparation we are finally here at MIPIM UK - and what an experience it has been so far...

 

Business South has co-ordinated the private sector led consortium promoting development opportunities in Portsmouth, Southampton and the surrounding region at the first ever MIPIM UK event. We've helped to pull together a cohesive story of what the region has to offer to potential investors and developers - and all the hard work has culminated in three days at Olympia.

 

A prospectus called Prosper has been produced as well as a video and we are proudly manning a beautifully designed stand that has been the focus of much activity. (So much so that a member of the team running MIPIM UK asked us last night whether we had events running on the stand all day...)

 

On the first day we were visited by Minister Greg Clark and throughout the day a vast number of enquiries were dealt with by partners on our stand.

 

MIPIM UK hit the news headlines because of the protesters outside and Champion Manager Leigh-Sara Timberlake was in the thick of it (quite literally) escorting our guests to a traditional London bus taking us off site to a sumptuous lunch at the Belvedere in Holland Park.

 

Potential investors and developers were invited to join us for a delicious lunch in beautiful surroundings. Our speakers were Penny Morduant MP, Minister for Coastal Communities, Regeneration and High Street and Tim Kent, Director at Lloyds Register.

 

Penny Morduant outlined the opportunities for investors in the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton while Tim explained how Lloyds Register had successfully moved to Southampton after centuries based in London.

 

Claire French, Business Editor at The News in Portsmouth, was among the guests and it was fascinating  to see her putting her story on the page while she sat in the Press Centre at Olympia.

 

Seeing how other cities are promoting themselves has been an eye opener. Cardiff has brought an enormous 3D map that illustrates beautifully where their development opportunities lie - and tonight I am off to a reception they are holding to find out more about their aspirations.