MIPIM 2006

MIPIM 2007

READING ON THE GLOBAL STAGE – MIPIM 2008

For the third year running, a partnership of Reading stakeholders joined forces to promote Reading as an international investment proposition. The project was led by Reading's economic development company - Reading UK CIC - in conjunction with Hicks Baker and Strutt & Parker: commercial property consultants.

This took place at MIPIM - the international property market held in Cannes, which this year attracted in excess of 28,000 delegates: from developers to property advisers; investment companies & banks to architects & designers; and from construction companies, lawyers and development corporations to local & regional authorities.

This is the third time that Reading has been positioned as an investment proposition on the international stage of MIPIM and this was in collaboration with Muse Developments Ltd, Ridge Property & Construction Consultants, Peter Brett Associates, Sackville Properties, Field Seymour Parkes, Reading Borough Council, McKay Securities plc, Hammerson plc, Barton Wilmore, Bewley Homes plc, Haslams Residential.

With the support of these sponsors we were able to charter a luxury 44m motor yacht and brand it using the new "Reading UK" place brand. This provided a superb platform from which to present our development and investment credentials, using different fora such as breakfasts, lunches, early evening receptions and formal dinners; in all, 15 bespoke events were held on board the yacht.

Our funding partners were also able to use the boat as a platform and venue for smaller, more intimate business meetings and, while the boat was branded predominantly ‘Reading’, this was complemented with a striking array of smaller but prominent partners’ logos, aligned under the Reading UK 'banner'.

The ‘Reading Boat’ proved a highly successful means of raising Reading’s profile and each partnership event on board attracted a targeted audience from sectors such as development, investment, architecture and property. In all cases the invitees were introduced to Reading stakeholders, briefed on key aspects of its performance and potential and then shown a newly commissioned five minute DVD of Reading. One event attracted the Chairman and Chief Executive of SEEDA.

Another means of marketing Reading was a pocketbook version of the latest Development and Investment Review, which was launched at the 2005 Reading Conference. This was completely re-written for the event and distributed to all guests that joined us to hear the Reading story.