The central theme of this year's event - "the Future is Human" - follows on from last year's discussions about sustainable responsibility. The ambition this year is to put city-dwellers at the heart of the conversation by focusing on the social dimension of sustainable development. An attractive city is one where the living is good, hosting existing and new residents as well as companies and investors. This virtuous circle must form the baseline for everyone designing and building tomorrow's cities.
What kinds of services and facilities can cities offer their inhabitants in order to make their lives more convenient, safer and greener, as well as more open, connected and inclusive? The MIPIM conference programme will address all these topics, as well as tackling global debates around housing, hospitality and technology. We are very honoured to welcome former French President Nicolas Sarkozy who will inau gurate MIPIM 2020. During his keynote speech, he will share his approach to demographic issues and major territorial balances.
A home for all
Housing has become the major issue in metropolitan areas across the world, with the shortage of affordable homes particularly significant. The UN predicts that two thirds of all human beings will be city-dwellers by 2050, placing pressure on the industry to create new kinds of housing. Mixed-use urban developments, eco-neighbourhoods, and intelligent buildings are just some of the solutions, with a broad range of experiments already being carried out to promote a better quality of life.
Mobility is closely linked to housing difficulties and raises questions about the impact of transport on health and the size of its carbon footprint. The convergence between property and mobility prompts the emergence of models focused on using, sharing and pooling. MIPIM 2020 will also ask what these new forms of civic, ecoresponsible mobility are, and how they fit in the urban environment.
Hospitality, technology and sustainability
Beyond that, iconic designer Philippe Starck will be part of an expert line-up which is set to expand upon the global hospitality trend this year. As hotel investment returns to the fore for global funds, and the hospitality theme contaminates every sector of the real estate industry, MIPIM participants will be able to check in to a richly-focused programme of conferences and networking events. This will include a Hospitality & Tourism Summit behind closed doors (Thursday, 12 March at 8:00 am) and a special category in the MIPIM Awards competition. The hospitality world's service-led model is being increasingly borrowed right across the real estate industry to capture customers in a human-centric marketplace. In cities, multi-use property is redefining accommodation solutions with hybrid and modular models from protagonists such as Mama Shelter, Okko, citizenM, and the MOB Hotel. Now that cities compete with each other on an international scale, hospitality and hotel infrastructure have become a key factor in attracting business and generating success.
The real estate industry is increasingly reliant on technology to anticipate and meet the needs of property owners and stakeholders. According to Venture Scanner, the proptech sector today represents investments of 77 billion dollar from nearly 3,000 investors worldwide. For the first time in Cannes, day 1 of MIPIM will be wholly dedicated to technological innovation in the urban environment. Around the theme of "invest in tech", MIPIM participants will be able to discover the dynamics of investment in this market and also how innovation is spreading inside property companies and forming part of their business models. Invest in Tech Day will be held on Tuesday March 10 at the Carlton Beach and will be open to all MIPIM participants. The MIPIM Innovation Forum will also try to tap into the solutions of tomorrow. A further tech highlight will be the keynote speech of Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, who will discuss innovative problem solving on Wednesday March 11 at 10:00 am.
The global sustainability challenge has moved centre stage in recent times, thanks to the advocacy of an entire generation fighting against climate change. The topic is also a major issue for the real estate industry, conscious of the costs of consumption and emissions at every stage in the property cycle. In recognition of this, the future of the planet will come under scrutiny at MIPIM 2020, with a comprehensive focus on environmental and social issues. "Climate emergency: time for radical change" (March 12, 4:30 pm), co-organised by C40 & Architect Declare, will address the problem of buildings generating 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, while using 30 per cent of global resources. "Building resilient & inclusive cities" (March 11, 3:15 pm) brings urban experts into the equation, including Alice Charles of the World Economic Forum, and two city leaders - Frank Jenson, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, and Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence and VP of Eurocities. The debate will explore sustainable urban planning and ambitious climate goals.
Governance under the spotlight
With more than 600 cities and local authorities from all over the world represented at MIPIM, matters of governance will be under the spotlight. The Political Leaders' Summit (March 10, 3:30 pm), a closeddoor event co-organized with Eurocities, will allow mayors and other public representatives from around the world to share ideas and learn from their neighbours about how to create resilient cities that cham pion their citizens. MIPIM continues to promote diversity in its various events and conferences. The Gend'Her networking event (March 11, 3:00 pm), dedicated to gender balance in the real estate industry, will hear about the benefits of diversity from inspirational speakers, while the Young Talent networking event (March 11, 6:00 pm) for all real estate professionals under the age of 35, aims to build a bridge between the decision makers of today and tomorrow.
