MIPIM 2018 memories

Almost everyone was in attendance at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes – from South America to Japan. Delegates from the UK also turned up in large numbers, despite the rumours that hordes of paparazzi were awaiting them. There were also many from the CEE region (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, the Baltic States and Poland).

The stands that stood out among the Polish delegations included Łódź, Warsaw, the TriCity, Kraków, Poznań – and Invest Pomerania, which invited Lech Wałęsa to Cannes. A great deal was happening on the Łódź stand, where, for instance, Ghelamco was able to unveil its latest project in the city, while Cushman & Wakefield handed out its latest report on the prospects of the local real estate market. The Warsaw stand, meanwhile, was bursting at the seams during the traditional cocktail party. This was also where the first debate in the history of the fair took place about the future of the Polish capital city. Among the private companies present, the combined stand of Echo, EPP and Griffin featured a new model of Warsaw (complete with future projects) made out of beech and oak, which aroused great interest. A scale model of Slovakian developer HB Reavis’ Warsaw project Varso was also very popular. Polish developer Cavatina was another that had the opportunity to show off scale-models of its projects – with that of the Chmielna 89 office building under construction in Warsaw attracting particular attention. Similar interest was enjoyed by the model of Taryan Towers in Kyiv, while Former boxer Vitali Klitschko, now the city mayor, pulled no punches in promoting the virtues of the Ukrainian capital. Cities in the Czech Republic, meanwhile, showcased themselves on a joint stand in the palace.