How to do MIPIM well

It’s been a long time since MIPIM last hit Cannes and the French Riviera. Back in March 2019, no one would have believed you if you told them that the next two MIPIMs would be cancelled. But cancelled they were and so many of us were poorer for it.  

But all is not lost. In 2022, MIPIM is set to make a comeback. If you’ve had any experience of MIPIM, you’ll know it’s one of the best in-person built environment events for growing your company’s profile, making profitable connections and establishing yourself as a high-quality service provider in your particular niche.  

Here at Luma, we certainly understand the power of MIPIM. We’ve been attending in some form or another since 2002. In that time, we’ve discovered the ins and outs of how to make the best of the MIPIM experience, developing actionable strategies that have helped us and our clients turn a week on the riviera into a significant work pipeline that can support a business for many years to come.  

In this blog, we’re going to give you our unabridged account of how to make the most of MIPIM.   

DECIDE WHY YOU’RE GOING  

Before you book your place, it’s a good idea to think about why you’re going. What benefits are you looking to get from attending? There are many ways MIPIM can help you and your business; now is the time to establish which is the most important to you.  

For example, you might be an architecture firm looking to talk to developers. You might be a developer looking to connect with local authorities. You might even be a local authority looking to drum up interest in plans for an urban regeneration project.    

By understanding what success looks like, you’ll be better placed to pursue it with zeal and purpose once you land in Cannes. It’s a simple step in your MIPIM journey but one of the most important ones.  

PLAN HARD AND PLAN CAREFULLY  

Once you’ve decided why you’re going, you’ll need to make a clear and actionable plan. As the adage goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.  

At this stage, you should choose your affiliations carefully. MIPIM is a big investment so you want to make sure you’re putting your eggs in the right basket.  

Who, when and where  

You’ve already answered questions about your purpose at MIPIM. This is the point at which you feed those answers into your planning. Looking for growth in Liverpool this year? You’re going to want to plan to attend all the Liverpool events and frequent the Liverpool stand in the Palais des Festivals.  Targeting some of the exciting projects coming forward in Greater Manchester? Place North West is bringing the GM contingent together this year. Interested in the national conversation? The UK government stand is where it’s at. 
  
This is where you should find out who’s who, where they’ll be and at what time. You can build your MIPIM around this and prioritise your commitments. Think sniper, not scattergun. 

Fill your diary  

Start signing up and committing to the events that are going to guarantee your MIPIM journey is a success. Be ruthless about what you need to engage in and what you can afford to miss. Get together a good mix of panel discussions, networking events, and one-to-one conversations. And remember to leave lots of time in between appointments – that’s often where the magic happens.  

PR   

If you’re looking to turn heads and make some PR waves this MIPIM, you’ll need to have a campaign ready and raring to go. This is where you figure out what your story is and prepare.  

Get your news ready to go so that you can be part of the conversation while it’s happening. Speak to your target media in advance so they know to expect your story. That way, you’ll be able to capture people’s attention while they’re away from their desks and in intel-gathering mode.  

Let people know you’re going  

Before you go, as odd as it sounds, telling people you’re going is a great way to start networking before you even touch down. As well as telling people you’re going in your day-to-day conversation, announce it on social media and contact your database to let them know via an email campaign.  

Get your travel and accommodation booked  

This is an obvious one.  

Book your travel and accommodation! Hotels and flights book up quickly, so you’ll want to make sure you get this done sooner rather than later. Instead of flying, lots of people are going by train this year to reduce their carbon footprint. A few gluttons for punishment are even driving (electric vehicles, of course).   

It’s important not to hesitate on this front as the last thing you want is being stuck with accommodation miles away from the conference or heavily inflated flight prices.  

Get a delegate pass  

Once your travel plans are sorted, get a delegate pass. You can’t do MIPIM properly without one, no matter what people say. The pass will give you access to everything from official MIPIM events and the exhibition area, to their database and networking programme.   

BLOW IT OUT OF THE WATER  

Once you touch down, it’s time to put all your planning into action.  

Remember, MIPIM is a marathon, not a sprint.  

• Stay fresh, make sure your calendar is in the right time zone, and turn up to everything you’ve committed to.  

• Take photos and make sure they get onto social media, whether you’re doing that yourself or with the support of a professional.  

• Make notes of the people you’ve met, things you’ve learned and ideas to put into action when you get home: you won’t remember it all.  

• Be seen, smile, and be open to new connections and new ideas. After all, that’s why you’re there!   

WHEN YOU GET HOME  

The work doesn’t end when you get back to Blighty. Without following up on all the leads you made in Cannes, there’s no return on interest to be had. That’s why you should avoid the temptation to jump straight back into normal life. Make sure that your diary is clear for the follow up after MIPIM is over.   

Sift through the business cards and your new connections on LinkedIn. Add them to your company database, send each a personal message and deliver on some of those easy actions. This is about starting as you mean to go on. Delivering a few easy wins early sets you up to convert the big leads you’re looking to nail down.   

Make a note, somewhere proper, of the intel you’ve come back with. Whether that’s competitor activity, projects to keep an eye on, good conversations with the potential to become new work: write it all down and follow it up when the time is right.  

And finally, share all that knowledge with your colleagues so everyone is on board with the strategies and new work streams that will inevitably grow out of the MIPIM experience.   

THE BENEFIT OF A HELPING HAND  

There’s no getting away from it, MIPIM is a big commitment, both in terms of time and money. For the average company working in the built environment, giving MIPIM the level of planning and organisation it needs is a tall order alongside your business-as-usual tasks.  

Luma Marketing has been helping companies navigate the intricacies of MIPIM since we formed. Even before I started Luma, I was a MIPIM veteran, having attended nearly every conference since 2002.  

We offer several MIPIM packages for clients, ranging from organising a business lunch on the beach to a full hand-holding service that will take you right through the conference from beginning to end.  

If you need some help getting it right this year, we can take all the stress out of planning and implementing your strategy. Our calendar of events is filling up quickly so if you want to make use of Luma’s bank of MIPIM intel and hear about our packages, call us on 0161 638 0824 or email us at  hello@lumamarketing.co.uk