Talking Investment: ‘MIPIM puts Derby and the East Midlands on everyone’s radar’

David Williams, chairman of national law firm Geldards, has recently returned from attending MIPIM, which is regarded as the world’s leading real estate investment event. For the past two decades, David has been in Cannes, helping to promote investment opportunities in Derby to investors as part of ‘Team Derby’. This year, he was there again backing Derby, as well as pitches by the East Midlands Combined County Authority – of which he is an associate board member. He also chairs its Business Advisory Board.

Here, in his own words, he reflects on his MIPIM experiences and why it is so important for Derby – and the wider East Midlands – to be represented.

I think I’ve attended MIPIM for 19 of the last 21 years.

It’s an international property conference, which takes places in March each year in, of all places, Cannes, in the South of France (it would feel so much more comfortable explaining the trip if it were, say, in Blackpool – nothing against Blackpool).

The international aspect to it is all very interesting but it’s the fact that hundreds (maybe thousands) of people attend from the UK that is the attraction.

Those people, drawn from private and public sector, professionals, developers, investors, occupiers…and politicians are the reason for being there.

They’re there with the single-minded purpose, usually very focused, of finding a deal.

So, whether it’s cities and region pitching for investment, developers looking for sites, professionals looking for clients, everyone knows that, for three days in the year, diaries are opened and people are willing to make contact and, very importantly, face-to-face.

Personally, it’s about renewing, deepening and cementing relationships.

I’m also often there selling prospects and projects on behalf of others, which means attending back-to-back pitch meetings throughout the time there.

If there was a word I’d use to describe MIPIM it would be “hectic”.

Properly organised, there shouldn’t be a spare minute in a 12-hour (plus) day.

Every meeting, every conversation – organised or chance – is an opportunity.

Being parochial, in every one of the 19 years I’ve come back with new work for my firm.

But (and don’t tell Geldards), the real buzz and privilege is representing Derby and the wider region with the appreciation that what we have to sell more than measures up to some of the more exotic competition.

We were there this year demonstrating some outstanding opportunities for national and international investment into our advanced manufacturing, green energy, defence and life science clusters.

We hide behind a slightly challenging brand – East Midlands – but what lies behind the brand is genuinely world leading, which makes the promoting of it a real pleasure.

Derby as a city is only too aware of the opportunities that MIPIM can create – two of the more significant investments in our city in recent years – the University of Derby’s Law School building and the Derbion came as a direct result of being there.

Getting Derby and the wider East Midlands on everyone’s radar can only be a good thing.