The 19th annual MIPIM event is off to a bright start, with delegates from 83 countries streaming into Cannes to participate in the year's most prestigious real estate exhibition. For the first time, the 2008 MIPIM Awards include a new category, 'Green Buildings', honoring projects which incorporate significant sustainable development aspects.
On the photo: Crane Track in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
After last year's record breaking attendance, all signs point to a new record this year. Fortunately the floor space has expanded as well, and with 2,315 m2 of additional exhibition space the total exhibition surface now covers an expansive 26,815 m2.
With the growing awareness of sustainability in the real estate industry, the MIPIM Awards have added a Green Building category this year to the existing categories of Business Centers, Refurbished Office Buildings, Residential Developments, and Hotels & Tourism Resorts. The new category has proved so successful that of the 82 competing entries in total, 22 were dedicated to Green Buildings. A prestigious jury of top industry leaders, chaired by Barbel Schomberg (Managing Director of DEGI) narrowed this field down to three finalists for each of the five categories. The finalists in the Green Building are:
1) Crane Track in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, designed by Design Group Trude Hooykaas.
2) Pines Calyx Centre in Dover, UK, designed by Helionix Designs.
3) United States Census Bureau HQ, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
The winners will be decided by MIPIM participants who will have the opportunity to cast their ballot for their favorite project.
Among the dozens of informative conferences presented by top industry players, one of the day's highlights is sure to be the MIPIM summit at 3:00 today, titled "The New Romans: Threat or treat?" This invitation only event will be attended by top investors and moderated by Chris Burns from Bloomberg TV and Steve Felix from IREI Institutional Real Estate. The Summit, which investigates the rapidly increasing wealth and power among large asset managers, will be televised by Bloomberg TV and broadcast worldwide.
