How to survive Cannes – a MIPIM virgin’s guide

It’s just seven weeks to go until MIPIM – the world’s biggest property event held every year in Cannes. Liz Cartwright of property and construction specialist PR agency Cartwright Communications, has some tips up her sleeve for making the most of the opportunities at the world’s largest property event.

The countdown has begun to MIPIM 2017 – a four-day marathon in meetings, walking, talking and doing business. There’s a real buzz about this year’s event in Cannes which runs from 14 to 17 March 2017 – because of the brand new Midlands Pavilion, a chance for this region to showcase to the world all it has to offer.

As a PR agency we have been going to MIPIM for five years and we have been supporting clients attending the event for longer than that. We are looking forward to supporting local authorities and clients who will be in Cannes in March to network, make new contacts – and create business opportunities.

For the MIPIM first-timer, it can be quite a challenge. With more than 25,000 keen property professionals and hundreds of events going on, how can you quickly orientate yourself, get involved and get something out of it? There’s a myriad of detail to go through and some of the practical issues can be quite daunting. To help the MIPIM ‘virgin’, we have put some practical tips together to help you get yourself started in the planning…

MIPIM planning takes a lot of time – and the whole event can be an expensive business. It’s absolutely vital then that ‘MIPIMers’ make the most of their time out in Cannes to ensure they get the most out of the investment.

Here are our tips for making the most out of the week:

Plan early. Create an on line diary (using French time) and start reaching out to contacts and clients to meet up. You should start now – not the end of February.

Reconnect early with existing contacts. LinkedIn and Twitter are great for this.

Be realistic about the Wifi. With tens of thousands of people in Cannes tweeting, emailing and instagramming, it’s not always great. Some restaurants have it and it’s sketchy in the Palais des Festivals. We invest in Hippocketwifi – portable wifi you can use in Europe.

Set up a company What’s App group. If there are several of you going to MIPIM, set up a What’s App group so you can easily communicate with one another. The signal in Cannes leaves much to be desired and sometimes it’s easier to text or What’s App.

Liz Cartwright

Consider how you’re going to approach MIPIM as a business. Who do you want to approach? Which one of your team is doing it? How will you present yourself and who will follow up the meeting? Start a spreadsheet to get really organised.

Have a designated MIPIM person back in the office in the UK. You need someone to call on to organise things you need in Cannes – but also to forward information to contacts you have made, or to help with your diary.

Get the ‘elevator pitch’. It is good to know in advance what you want to say about yourself and your business when you meet new people. Keep it to 30 seconds or less, focus on what might be interesting to others.

Set targets. Set yourself achievable goals such as meeting three new contacts from a target sector a day, for example, is a good way to keep focus. And while sticking with people you know is a useful early strategy, most people at MIPIM are really receptive to meeting new contacts.

Exchange business cards and ‘favourite’ these on your on line database. Write notes on the business cards you collect – for example, projects the contact is working on. This will help you when you get back to the office in the UK when you have a wad of cards.

Breakfast meet up. If you and your colleagues are in different hotels, arrange to meet every morning at a café to catch up, plan your day and go through great contacts you have made. It gives you a chance to take a breather.

Visit the Midlands Pavilion and London stand. There are great events in the stand and it’s good concentrated networking with a UK audience and an efficient use of time. Of course, in 2017, it’s right next door to the Midlands Engine stand – so a good use of time all round.

Get your bearings. If you find yourself with a gap in the diary, head to Caffe Roma where lots of Brits hang out. If you want to get the lie of the land, head to the Midlands Pavilion– where you will find some familiar faces. For sheer size, visit the Manchester stand which is a great place to make contacts.

Take a breather. If you’re feeling the effects of the night before and you’ve done six meetings before lunch, head off for some down time in your apartment – or a quiet café in a side street to catch up with emails and eat something healthy. (MIPIM events major on the deep fried canape!)

Do what you can in advance. Don’t expect to get a lot of work done at MIPIM. Don’t waste precious networking time in your hotel room hammering on the computer.

Have a look at the MIPIM programme in advance and plan the sessions you would like to attend. When you get to Cannes it is easy to get swept away and attend events that others are going to. Looking at the schedule with your goals in mind now will help you to pick out events that you can profit from and will also give you the opportunity to meet new people.

What to wear. Men should take a suit (travel in this if you don’t have hand luggage) Take a tie which you can take off when it’s warm. Very few of the evening events are black tie, but check that in advance. It’s a fairly smart affair, and ladies will need a cocktail dress or two. Ladies also wear heels in the day time but put flats in their bag when it’s time to do the 2 kilometre walk along the Croissette to meetings! Cannes can be wet – 2016 saw a deluge. Put in a small brolly or a light raincoat.

Connect to the on line MIPIM database. Take some time to look at the delegate list. Identify people who you’d like to meet who you don’t know already. Don’t be afraid to see if they can spare you 15 minutes. If you don’t have the time, ask us to help you.

Be prepared to get stuck in the moment you arrive, or even before on the plane or train down. It’s a good idea to take lots of business cards and keep some in your hand luggage.

Follow up. Making contacts, collecting business cards and having meaningful conversations is fantastic, but as soon as you are back in the office, email your contacts – and suggest meeting up again.