Tempted as I am to finish the line of that song, it would not be entirely accurate.
If the official website is to be believed, there was something for everyone. In the Why Attend? section, four groups were targeted. Investors, who could discover new investment opportunities and keep abreast of market trends; developers, to showcase their projects to an audience of international buyers and to develop new partners; occupiers for the opportunity to find the right premises and to discover innovative solutions for effective asset management and for cities and local authorities, it was the space to promote their region to investors and build partnerships to regenerate their area.
I am, of course, using the language of the organisers.
It sounds like property nirvana and exactly what I would say if I were writing the MIPIMUK website. But what about all the others, that section of the property industry sheltering under the business service providers umbrella? And given that quite a few major sponsors were business service providers, including a fair smattering of lawyers, it is interesting that the Why Attend? section of the website doesn’t highlight why they should attend.
Maybe they don’t need to. We know we have to be there, FOMO* being endemic in our industry. Bottom-feeders never get top billing, but we’re there in force. And not just the usual property law leviathans but also some unexpected visitors. Landmark Chambers, a property-focused set of barristers not only took a stand but also hosted a rather excellent dinner for potential referrers of business i.e. lawyers. It didn’t occur to me that they might find MIPIMUK useful, but when so many of their clients are there it makes perfect sense. Who would have thought?
In my perfect world, the one where lawyers are valued rather than seen as a necessary evil, the official website might suggest that one of the reasons to attend would be to meet lawyers who are leaders in their field in the property industry and to get information from them. Contrary to popular belief, we lawyers give quite a lot of information out for free, it’s what we do in order to showcase our wares. Some of it is even useful. And for lawyers and accountants the chance to find new clients and contacts and promote your brand is worth the entrance fee. The MIPIMUK database is what you’re paying for. Use it wisely.
*Fear of missing out
