Since its creation, MAPIC has been at the forefront of the evolution of the retail real estate industry. During its first years, MAPIC witnessed an outstanding growth of shopping centres worldwide. We started with just a few countries and every year the event became more and more international. We now have attendees from over 80 countries and the industry has drastically changed. We now live in an age of blended consumption, where people live, shop, eat, drink, work, meet and spend time in many different places, at different time, with different people. The industry has to re-imagine the future of shopping destinations to meet consumers’ expectations and MAPIC, in turn, is committed to reflecting retail’s changing reality. People want to feel new emotions and have new experiences. The retail mix now combines culture, leisure, workplaces, services and hotels.
This year’s main topic is “Retail remixed: rethinking spaces and places”. MAPIC is committed to reflecting retail’s changing reality. This will be evident when looking at who attends, for example operators from the leisure industry, new retailers (from fashion and accessories, health and beauty, services, art, culture, food & beverage) and of course real estate developers showcasing projects reflecting the new trends of the industry. Alongside the exhibition area, our conference programme will be an opportunity for all attendees to exchange ideas and experiences on the current transformation of the industry.
Not at all. On the contrary, we feel that this type of event is in demand amongst an increasing amount of industries. We receive enquiries from fitness centres, museums, and stadiums, all of which are interested in mixed-use projects. It is also sometimes the case for city centres; they want to become more attractive and therefore need to take into consideration new trends in urban development.
A few years ago, we introduced a zone dedicated to digital solutions for both shopping centres and retailers. Now we also have a separate area dedicated to leisure for operators who are interested in making business with the retail real estate industry. These segments are also integrated in the conference programme — they are no longer just a trend, but reality.
Customer experience is now key. This is why we are launching a new event called Leisure Day, a new international event to create lively experiences for physical spaces. The Leisure Day will take place one day prior MAPIC at Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, next to the Palais des Festivals. The launch of a dedicated leisure event responds to the need to incorporate experiences not only for retail spaces but for urban places as well. The leisure day will show the full scope of leisure: food and beverage, VR, entertainment and theme parks, e-sport etc.
MAPIC is 25 years old — a very important achievement for the industry. What is the most significant difference from MAPIC back in 1995 and now?
What are your expectations ahead of MAPIC 2019? What will be a good result for you?
When you approach companies from a different industry, for example, medical centres, and invite them to participate in MAPIC, are they surprised?
Is it correct that Leisure will have a completely dedicated day?