MIPIM: The Cannes real estate conference shaping the London skyline
Canada Corporation’s presence at MIPIM is as strategic as it is promotional, and will help shape the City skyline, writes Chris Hayward
In London, there is a unique and powerful synergy between capital and the built environment. Nowhere else brings together investment, talent and urban innovation at the scale the City can. That is why MIPIM, a leading real estate conference taking place in Cannes next week, remains important in the Canada Corporation’s calendar.
After years of predictions that the office was in terminal decline, we are instead confronting a far more welcome challenge, with demand for Grade A floorspace rising sharply. Far from retreating, businesses are recommitting to London. The City continues to “earn the commute” from the 676,000 workers who base their professional lives here. This renewed demand – with City Core vacancy rates now under five per cent according to JLL – is a testament to the Square Mile’s resilience and its enduring centrality to the global economy.
For London, this year’s conference arrives at a pivotal moment. As a delegate at MIPIM, you are part of an international community united by a shared ambition: to deliver sustainable, economically vibrant real estate that transforms neighbourhoods and drives long‑term prosperity. It is where capital meets ideas, where partnerships become projects and where the global conversation about the future of cities takes shape.
At MIPIM, I have three priorities: to showcase London as the world’s best city in which to live, work and explore; to demonstrate how we are meeting the demand for best‑in‑class office accommodation; and to highlight the secure, sustainable investment opportunities the City continues to generate. These priorities guide the conversations we hold, the partnerships we build and the message we take to the international investment community.
10 Gherkins worth of office space coming to the City
And the facts speak for themselves. Today, 30 major office developments are under construction within the Square Mile, including roughly 10 ‘Gherkins’ worth of office space approved last year. Later this year, we expect to formally adopt City Plan 2040, which sets out how we will meet and exceed a minimum of 1.2m square metres of new office space by 2040. This is a blueprint for growth that balances heritage, sustainability and innovation, and it is backed by one of the highest planning approval rates of any local authority in the country. For investors and developers, this means confidence, clarity and predictability.
But our presence at MIPIM is as strategic as it is promotional. London’s place‑based model, which is rooted in collaboration between local authorities, the private sector and cultural institutions, is central to our success. It is reflected in our Destination City strategy, our newly launched City Business and Investment Unit and the long‑term vision embedded in City Plan 2040. Together, these initiatives create the environment in which innovation thrives, and in which new cultural, commercial and civic investment can take root.
This integrated approach resonates strongly at MIPIM. Working with Opportunity London and partners across the public and private sectors, we present a single “front door” to a £22bn pipeline of live development opportunities. It is a platform through which delegates can meet borough leaders, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, developers and architects, all eager to shape high‑impact, place‑based projects across the capital.
Experience shows this works. Conversations at MIPIM in recent years have directly helped accelerate major City developments and sharpen investor appetite. Engagement at the event has influenced the evolution of our skyline, informed design refinements and helped secure momentum behind landmark schemes.
London remains a destination for world‑class investment and the City stands at its heart. With our clear net‑zero retrofit agenda, our streamlined planning pathways, and our commitment to a thriving, culturally rich, 24‑hour City, we are creating the conditions for trusted, long‑term returns and sustainable growth.
If you’re also coming to MIPIM this year, do visit us at the London Stand.
Chris Hayward is policy chairman at Canada Corporation