I'm in pieces. A physical and emotional wreck. My legs hurt like hell, my head is pounding, and I miss my wife and boys. There...I said it. Maybe I'm a wimp; a lightweight; whatever you want to call it. But take it from me, despite the sunshine, the banter, and the booze (which I have consumed responsibly, honest guv), MIPIM is seriously hard work. 

But there is something that keeps you going out here. The adrenaline of a hundred conversations which excite, inspire and fascinate. The buzz of serious outcomes realised, and the prospect of taking forward some great new relationships and ideas. 

The last 24 hours have been a showcase of what it means to work as a team. My Deloitte Real Estate colleagues have been absolutely first class ambassadors for me, and have made some terrific introductions. For all the cash that is invested by firms such as ours in bringing some of our best people to Cannes, you simply can't put a price on the power of that mutual support. It means I'll be coming away from here with some excellent new contacts, and some amazing projects and initiatives to advise on, none of which I was expecting or targeting at the beginning of the week. 

We held our investment and development dinners last night. Separate hosts and guests for each, but in the same restaurant on adjoining tables. It worked a treat. Clients really appreciate events like that; nothing glitzy or contrived, just the opportunity to come together with a group of top people and seeing where the conversation takes them. For us, it's great when we see our clients hitting it off, and finding opportunities and ideas to work on together in future. It really strengthens our relationships with them, and reinforces our position as trusted advisors. 

I had the privilege of taking part in a roundtable discussion this morning on how Bristol can deliver maximum impact and legacy benefits from its designation as European Green Capital for 2015. There'll be a good amount of media coverage to follow, so I won't go overboard with my reflections here. Suffice to say that it's excellent to see leaders like Mayor George Ferguson prepared to think big and act boldly in pursuit of a transformational vision. The debate, which included city leaders from the UK and Europe plus a select group of progressive business representatives, discussed the practical opportunities, as well as the mindset changes needed, to embed environmental leadership into development activities, real estate market interactions, civic engagement and economic development. The potential of the Green Capital status as a platform for international trade and investment, fiscal responsibility and cross-sector partnership working were also key themes. 

I'm also very pleased that I made the time to visit the Birmingham stand to see the ambition for Paradise Circus presented. What a great scheme that promises to be! Whilst there, I was able to meet key business and public leaders from the city, and we talked extensively about trade and investment opportunities with emerging markets and how the City is approaching that. It was good to share some experiences and insights with them from my role as a Founding Board Member of the Manchester-China Forum, which has established some real momentum in this area. 

Now, as I prepare to hit 'send' on this blog, I have the final stretch of MIPIM ahead of me. A series of property investment client meetings followed by which I'm heading out for supper in the Old Town. It should be a great way to end off the week, before I head home on the train tomorrow. 

Check in then to see my final reflective round-up of the week; a slightly off-the-wall account of my highlights and darker moments!

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