MARKETING INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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Making MIPIM count

MIPIM, Europe's largest real estate event, again broke attendance records during its 2008 incarnation in Cannes, France, March 11-14.

Marketing International was once again busy behind the scenes ensuring clients got the most out of attending the event.

We organized exhibition stands for longstanding client and leading investment management firm Heitman; for newcomers to Europe, US investment advisors Marcus & Millichap; and for the team at Stillman Development, whose Centurion condominium building in Manhattan featured on their stand.

There were social events to arrange. On the beach at the Carlton Plage, under two temporary buildings, Marketing International arranged early evening receptions for clients Lehman Brothers and UBS. Hundreds of invited guests enjoyed drinks and canapés with the Lehman team, accompanied by light jazz, while UBS guests enjoyed music from a string quartet as the sun set over the Mediterranean.

Finding accommodation at MIPIM can be a nightmare – many delegates are forced to stay in hotels up to an hour away. Not so the Marketing International clients, for whom the company's Cannes team arranged 35 apartments and exclusive hotel accommodation in the town, complete with personal transport from Nice airport. All part of the service!

We help clients with all manner of unusual requests. One even wanted to hire a Segway at MIPIM for promotional use during the event, something we were happy to help arrange.

ULI delegates test the temperature in Paris

How tough will the next year be, and what are the right moves to make in a softening real estate world?

Those were the questions taxing delegates at the Urban Land Institute's European conference, held in Paris in February.

BBC economics editor Evan Davis painted three scenarios for the economy, in a keynote address. The first was a short, gentle “rebalancing”; the second a more serious inflation-driven outcome; and the third a full-blown recession. Each, he felt, had an equal chance of playing out.

On a more positive note, several more seasoned delegates noted that property valuers had reacted much more quickly in this downturn, permitting faster downward portfolio valuation. As a result, the market had already accepted the new reality, which should promote liquidity.

Among the conference sessions was a debate entitled “India vs China - Battle of the Titans” with contributors including MI client Brian Garrison of Forest City International, and Stephen Barter of Grosvenor. Impassioned presentations contrasted the economies and infrastructure of the two mighty nations, each with their own challenges and opportunities – and leaving the audience divided on which will offer the best property investment opportunities in the coming years.

Forest City goes international

The MAPIC retail property event in Cannes, France mid November provided international mixed use developer and investor Forest City with the opportunity to launch their operations outside of the USA. Marketing International delivered Forest City International a leading edge stand, complete with newly created marketing collateral including a corporate video and brochure, all produced in Europe to ensure they appealed to local tastes and style.

Forest City received feedback on two initial projects, in southern Europe and India, while making contact with several potential new development partners, including the city authorities of one UK city.

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MIPIM - are you ready?

March 11-14, 2008

With just weeks to go before the MIPIM annual international property gathering in Cannes, France, Marketing International is working with a number of clients on their final arrangements for the event, including arranging travel and accommodation, logistics, exhibition stands, pre-arranged business meetings, cocktail receptions, and PR campaigns.

Watch this 6 minutes tour of the 2007 edition:

Mixing business with pleasure

San Diego, September was the time and place for the ICSC's Western Conference, where Marketing International was on hand to assist client Simon Property Group, organizing a dinner cruise to entertain the retail industry in the region.

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Putting Las Vegas in the shade

August 28 saw the opening of the Venetian Macau, an Asian big brother to the Las Vegas original, which lays claim to be the second biggest building in the world. Marketing International was at the spectacular opening, which underlines Macau's position as the gambling capital of Asia.

Such was the popularity of the new venue; it welcomed its one millionth visitor just 17 days after opening.

Capitalizing on the region's insatiable appetite for gambling, Las Vegas Sands is now building a similar resort in Singapore “ where the Marina Bay Sands will open in 2009.

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Asian retail takes off

ICSC's second Asia Expo, held in Singapore in July, provided ample evidence of the vibrancy of Asian markets for retailers. With consumer spend rising substantially in many markets, developers are delivering new retail destinations “ and the adventurous.

Marketing International attended as representatives of ICSC, and then followed up with a trade mission to Hong Kong and Singapore a month later.

Turning success into an odds-on bet

Retailing is becoming an increasingly global business, and attendance at the International Council for Shopping Centres' 50th Spring Convention in Las Vegas reflected a more international audience than ever.

Among the more than 50,000 delegates were retail and real estate professionals from around the globe “ including MI clients Aldar from Abu Dhabi, Capitaland from Singapore and Macromir from Russia.

The MI team was involved from the beginning, helping arrange stands, promotional hoardings and sponsorships to maximise impact at the event; from drafting in a specialist modelmaker to repair models damaged during shipping, to procuring a Ferrari to showcase Aldar's Abu Dhabi developments. Clients benefitted from a programme of appointments with key target delegates “ pre-booked by MI “ and a similar media interview campaign to ensure editorial attention after the event

Middle Eastern developer Aldar stole the show, with their Yas Island sound, light and dance presentation “ an assault on the senses that led one ICSC past president to comment: œI've never seen anything like it!�

MI also worked with ICSC to promote the organisation's international profile, bringing the first ever European journalists to experience the event. MI invited editorial team members from respected UK real estate titles Estates Gazette, Property Week and Shopping Centre to Spring Convention, and helped ensure their stay in Las Vegas allowed them to drink in the atmosphere of not only real estate's largest gathering, but of one of America's most outrageous cities; an experience they found not only unforgettable “ but something they're keen to repeat.

March, Cannes, France

The MI team was out in force at MIPIM, Cannes during the second week of March, helping clients get the most from their presence at the international commercial property fair, attended by more than 25,000 international real estate professionals.

Marketing International™s focus is always on ensuring clients get more; more focused meetings, more connections, more stand traffic, more networking - and ultimately more opportunities for business.

At MIPIM we assisted various clients including Heitman International and CoStar with developing, constructing and manning stands; arrranged hotel reservations; organised a reception for 1,000 guests of our client Lehman Brothers; brokered meetings between clients and target partners; arranged hard-to-get client dining space in Cannes and Monaco for Arcapita and Bureau Veritas; and ensured media coverage both in MIPIM™s daily news magazine, and with key real estate sector journalists.

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New Website Launch!

Marketing International is pleased to announce that our brand new website is now live.

April 2007 sees the launch of our new website, redesigned and rebranded in collaboration with web marketing and IT consulting agency Trademedia. The website contains many features such as latest company and industry news, improved usability and navigation, and the ability stay in touch with our clients and other interested parties.

If you have any comments about our new website, please feel free to contact us on +1 (206) 696-6000 or drop us a line via our contact page.