A Brussels-based engineer, lawyer and entrepreneur at the MIPIM
Yachts, fancy sports cars, VIP evenings: although the image sounds very much like Cannes, it does appear to be relatively far removed from what you might expect from a real estate show. Yet, behind all this glamour are ambitious entrepreneurs with a well-honed programme and a very precise idea of what they’re looking for. Welcome to the MIPIM, the largest international market for real estate professionals in the world.
Over four days, we shadowed Sunita Van Heers from SuReal, Michel Karolinski from ASAP avocats and Julien Vandeleene from BePark & Izix
The MI what? This is what the non-initiated will ask. The MI-PIM, regulars will reply with a knowing look. Because the event is indeed huge and each year, over four days, it attracts more than 17,000 visitors, 100 nationalities and 24% of investors.
A global real estate event, it brings together architects, real estate professionals, and developers, investors, consultants, legal experts and even political figures.
For the occasion, the Festival Palace (and its surroundings) will resemble a Universal Exhibition, welcoming a series of national and regional pavilions, as well as conferences by famous keynote speakers including our Brussels Secretary of State Pascal Smet and the former French President François Hollande.
But, beyond the red carpet, regattas and VIP evenings, what goes on behind the scenes at an international real estate event such as MIPIM? With the help of three very different profiles, we embark on four days of immersion in the world of real estate.
The largest real estate event in the world
A hive of activity. This is the first image that comes to mind when describing the MIPIM. Throngs of people dressed in suits and ties who meet, chat, even bump into each other, but who always seem to know where they’re going. From time to time, one of them stops to shake a hand or take a look at the plan of the Palace’s 6 floors.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg because, outside the Palace, there are stands on the beach, private apartments, hotel suites and even yachts rented for the occasion and moored at Quai de la Croisette. At the end of the day, you can sometimes find your way around and understand the venue’s layout but not without having to ask the many stewards and stewardesses the way. The MIPIM can start!
An unmissable event
In this crowd, one person stands out as much for her class as for her quiet strength despite the hustle and bustle. It is Sunita Van Heers, Founder and Manager of SuReal, a Brussels sustainable development consultancy. “The MIPIM is always slightly chaotic (laughter). Here, I have a programme but I know full well that everything will probably change. And that’s fine by me!” A large part of SuReal’s present-day network was created at the MIPIM. “In the “real” world, you rarely have the opportunity to meet so many people in so little time, especially abroad.”
The lawyer, Michel Karolinski, attends the MIPIM almost solely for the networking opportunities it offers. His firm ASAP specialises in city planning law and environmental law. “The MIPIM is essential for our profession because it really is the place where ALL real estate players come together.“
At the Belgian pavilion, we also find Julien Vandeleene, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Julien is the founder and CEO of the Brussels firm BePark-Izix, which offers parking management (Izix) and promotion (BePark) solutions in the real estate sector. He appears to be perfectly at home at the MIPIM. And this is sort of the case: “It’s my eighth MIPIM. With the passing years, you start to become part of the club and are invited to a series of associated events which allow you to meet customers in a more informal setting than the pavilion.”
A showcase for new trends
Izix is a proptech company which means it is involved in everything regarding innovation in the real estate sector. “It’s crazy,” exclaims Julien as his eyes sweep the many booths occupied by proptech (or propel) firms on level -1, “a few years ago there were just a few scattered stands, now look at it. In Brussels, we are not the most advanced compared to France, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, for example, which are very strong. Yet, there are many new companies and a host of success stories, which is very good for the market. And for Belgium!“
Rather than competition, Julien prefers to use the term collaboration because in the innovation and technology sector, a competitor can often become a partner. “When you’re a tech company, you can join a project and joining a project often means producing common values for customers, which makes us complementary. For example, Izix might find it interesting to collaborate with a company that books office space because we cater for a common demand with our own respective tools.
An event that cannot be improvised
The MIPIM offers so many parallel activities it almost makes your head spin. Yet, each year, Sunita goes there alone while her team stays behind in Brussels: “You have to prepare yourself well in advance to get the most out of it and keep up the pace. The MIPIM offers an online platform on which you can see all those who are registered and set up meetings before the event even starts.”
Because, although SuReal has already managed to sign contracts directly at the MIPIM, leads have already been made in the run-up to the event. “The aim is not to sign new projects, but rather to understand how the sector is doing and the new things it has to offer. And how SuReal can adapt.”
Michel says the same: “Everything is prepared up-front, but there is always the chance of unplanned meetings, which is why this type of event is so interesting.“
Julien uses the MIPIM to break down barriers: “I booked appointments with prospects from the French and Luxembourg markets because it’s so much easier to meet them here.”
The MIPIM with hub.brussels
Michel Karonlinski
Co-founder of ASAP AvocatsWith hub.brussels, we are considered as exhibitors and can benefit from the event's structures, which we would not be able to access if we were simple visitors. It also allows us to create a Brussels hub which works together to promote Brussels overseas.
Sunita Van Heers
Founder of SuRealIt's very interesting going to an event with hub.brussels because they manage all the organisation and logistics for the pavilion. It's really practical because I travel to the MIPIM on my own and am unable to manage a stand and follow the timetable I have set myself.
Julien Vandeleene
Founder of BePark & IzixRunning a stand at an international event is a considerable investment for a company such as ours. Being part of the Belgian pavilion allows us to benefit from an infrastructure where we can organise meetings and show what Brussels has to offer.
