Manchester has unveiled its speaker line up for their stand at MIPIM, the global property show in Cannes, France. With a focus on Manchester at the forefront of the Smart Cities agenda, presentations will be based around the three ‘vital components’ of a city, designated ‘head, hands and heart’.
On Tuesday (10 March), ‘head’ will explore the intellectual capacity of Manchester and the importance of strong governance and leadership. In the morning NOMA (GP) Ltd’s David Pringle will provide an update on property and wider strategy, and Matt Crompton of English Cities Fund – New Bailey will discuss the launch of this development and its contribution to the creation of a new neighbourhood.
The afternoon session will be led by Professor Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester. At the first MIPIM since Manchester took on the title of European City of Science, Professor Nancy Rothwell will be joined by Bruntwood’s Chris Oglesby and Manchester Science Partnership’s Rowena Burns to discuss the city’s science agenda. Amongst the properties to be covered will be the hotly anticipated National Graphene Institute, opening this spring, and the £235m Sir Henry Royce Institute announced by Chancellor George Osborne in December.
Afterwards, the audience will have their chance to find out more over at the Manchester Villa, where Professor Nancy Rothwell and Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester Council will hold a session debating the strategic importance of the European City Of Science.
On Wednesday, ‘hands’ will cover ground-breaking Manchester creations, from cultural output to the manufacture of advanced materials. In the morning, Lynda Shillaw of Airport City Manchester will provide an overview on the £800m development, revealing how it is helping to attract key sectors, and how it reflects the city’s ambition as a player in the global marketplace.
The afternoon will see Michael Ingall of Allied London speaking on the development of St. John’s including the recently announced cultural hub The Factory, the £78m large scale, ultra-flexible arts space planned to be the permanent home to the Manchester International Festival.
Finally on Thursday, ‘heart’ will shine a spotlight on the people and communities that make Manchester great. In the morning, Deborah McLaughlin of Manchester Place will present the partnership, which aims to create 55,000 new homes by 2027.
In the afternoon, Gary Neville will discuss Zerum’s investment and development in the city centre.
Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, the agency that leads on the city’s presence at MIPIM, said: “It’s a great pleasure to announce such a well-rounded range of esteemed speakers as part of Manchester’s 2015 MIPIM offering.
“This year I think we have very strong messages about the scale of opportunity and ambition in the city, to bring to MIPIM’s influential, global audience, and with a record 75-strong delegation of partners on board, Manchester is sure to make a lasting impression.”
