Sir John Peace, Chair of the Midlands Engine, will be joined by a range of senior keynote speakers who will be addressing the global investment community at MIPIM, taking place in Cannes from 12th-15th March. They include Sir Edward Lister, Chair of Homes England; Melanie Leech CBE, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation; and Tony Pidgley CBE, Chair of Berkeley Group.

High-profile speakers from the Midlands region include West Midlands Mayor Andy Street; Jon Collins, Leader of Nottingham City Council; and Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council.

Female speakers will feature prominently this year, with the line-up including Elizabeth Fagan, Chair of the Derby and Nottingham Local Enterprise Partnership; Claudia Kenyatta, Director of Regional Delivery at Historic England; and Rachel Dickie, Head of Urban Regeneration at Legal & General.

Sir John Peace (pictured) said: “MIPIM provides a platform from which we can showcase the many strengths of the Midlands to a wide audience. Our economy, which has remained strong and resilient, presents a compelling offer to potential investors.

“The Midlands is already a highly competitive investment destination. By attracting more investors, developers and businesses, we are able to improve our infrastructure, innovation and productivity – creating a stronger economy for all.”

The Midlands UK Pavilion welcomed more than 4,700 delegates at MIPIM 2018, who attended a series of presentations, debates and receptions.

Panel discussions at the Midlands UK Pavilion will debate topics ranging from accelerated housing delivery to maintaining momentum in the office market and the importance of delivering inclusive growth. There will also be presentations highlighting major investment opportunities across all key real estate sectors – including residential, office & mixed use, life sciences, digital & creative, and manufacturing & logistics.

Melanie Leech, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, added: “MIPIM provides a unique opportunity to bring together senior decision makers from the private and public sectors, to discuss the issues and opportunities facing our industry. The property sector is one of the fundamental building blocks of our economy and society, and has a key role to play in ensuring a positive future for the UK, and this conference supports us in attracting more investment and unlocking further regeneration across the Midlands and beyond.”

Public sector leaders will be joined by representatives from the private sector – including Birmingham Airport, Court Collaboration, Jaguar Land Rover, Lendlease and St Joseph.

Anthony McCourt, CEO of Court Collaboration, commented: “The Midlands UK pavilion is known for hosting lively and thought-provoking discussions during MIPIM, which helps to raise the region’s profile with thousands of potential investors. Having taken part in a very topical residential panel discussion last year, I’m looking forward to joining the Midlands UK delegation again this year, to debate the key topics facing the property industry.”