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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