City centre to provide focus for Team Derby at MIPIM 2024

Team Derby is set to showcase investment opportunities in Derby city centre when it attends this year’s MIPIM global real estate exhibition.

Taking place in Cannes, France, from 12 to 15 March, MIPIM is regarded as the biggest property investment show in the world.

Once again, a combination of public and private sector partners will join members of Marketing Derby’s inward investment team to promote the city to investors from across the globe.

Derby will make its pitch alongside other major UK cities attending this year’s MIPIM, including Manchester, London, Newcastle, Cardiff.

Councillor Baggy Shanker, leader of Derby City Council, said: “We are delighted to be leading the Team Derby delegation at MIPIM this year and look forward to promoting the city to investors and their advisors.

“Our key focus is the city centre, in particular sharing updates on the schemes currently under construction as a confidence boost to our pipeline opportunities, not least the Assembly Rooms site. These schemes aim to make Derby the place to live, shop, work, visit and enjoy.”

John Forkin, managing director at Marketing Derby, said: “MIPIM kicks off our year of promoting Derby to investors.

“It’s a massive event of some 25,000 people – but we know how to best use this unique opportunity, where a city like Derby can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with larger cities and target investors. “

The focus this year at MIPIM for Team Derby will be the city centre, where it will pitch major schemes designed to increase footfall and create vibrancy. They will include the former Assembly Rooms site, which has stood vacant for almost exactly a decade.

Last month, Derby City Council announced the identity of its preferred development partner for the regeneration of the city centre.

VINCI Developments UK and ION Developments are now working with the council to develop more detailed plans for the cultural heart of the city.

Among the initial plans is a revitalised ‘cultural quarter’, which includes a new cultural, commercial, and creative public space, which would be located on the site of the former Assembly Rooms.

Mr Forkin said: “This year, we will be focusing on the city centre where we have a great story to tell.

“We will be looking to create interest in city centre sites, including the Assembly Rooms site – and we will be joined by the leader of Derby City Council and its chief executive, along with their preferred development partner, VINCI Developments UK and ION Developments.”

The ‘Team Derby’ public/private sector partnership approach is one that continues to reap dividends for Derby.

Last year, the partners behind the first incarnation of the Derby City Lab – a concept based on urban rooms, designed to engage and inform the public about the city’s regeneration – won the Public/Private Partnership Award at the EG Awards, organised by Estates Gazettes.

The Derby City Lab, which is now located inside the Derbion shopping centre, saw off entries submitted by London Brent Cross, Liverpool and Manchester.

This partnership approach also recently resulted in Derby being placed third within the Top 10 Small European Cities for FDI Strategy category in the prestigious Financial Times’ fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2024 rankings.

The rankings recognise cities who have devised the best strategy for attracting foreign direct investment, and in its category, Derby was the highest ranked UK city.

The only cities placed higher than Derby this year were Cork, in Ireland, and Braga, in Portugal.

As a result of its performance, Derby will feature in EG’s UK Cities Guide, which will be launched during MIPIM.

Representatives from Team Derby will also be on hand to collect Derby’s FDI strategy award at a ceremony, which is also set to take place at the Cannes event.

As well as attending various presentations and meetings with potential investors, Team Derby will also be hosting its ever-popular MIPIM Breakfast event.

This year’s theme will be “2025 – Derby’s ‘olympic’ year” and will look at all the major city centre developments, which are set to come online next year, including a new £45 million 3,500-capacity performance venue and the revamped Market Hall, which is undergoing a £35 million transformation.

For more information about Team Derby at MIPIM visit https://www.investinderby.co.uk/upcoming-events/

A digital version of the Derby Investment Guide, detailing the city’s major schemes, can be found here https://heyzine.com/flip-book/0b25152965.html .