MIPIM Cannes is in full flow now with the conference footfall reportedly up 13% on 2015. Deloitte is supporting three regional cities and all have had a hugely successful outing. Manchester has brought 99 private sector partners, up from 78 last year, and much of the debate has been on seizing the Northern Powerhouse and devolution opportunities to drive future growth. Simon Bedford and John Cooper have been helping shape that agenda, in particular around transport and housing.
I have been leading the Liverpool delegation for the third year, with our private sector partners up from 25 to 36 and our stand footfall up by a third. Liverpool shared a Northern Powerhouse session with Manchester and the North East cities, and we have also looked further afield with a Waterfront Cities event involving Hamburg, Oslo, Rotterdam and Belfast.
Belfast has returned to MIPIM with a delegation led by our office partner-in-charge Jackie Henry, supported by Angela Barnicle from Leeds. The Belfast story of positivity and regeneration is echoed across the UK regions, and the key message is how well the public and private sectors are working together for the common good.
Each of the three cities has brought their inward investment teams and their council chief executives, and Liverpool has the added advantage of having an elected mayor in tow, and the prominent role which Deloitte is playing in the cities and in the MIPIM agenda is very much recognised by the city leadership. This is truly Deloitte making a regional impact at the highest level. To quote Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast, "we would not be here but for you".
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