From Wigan to Cannes: council bosses meet potential investors at international property conference MIPIM 2024

A delegation from Wigan Council is understood to have travelled to Cannes earlier this month for international property and real estate conference MIPIM 2024.

The four-day event saw more than 20,000 people from 90 countries around the world gather for networking opportunities and to discuss the built environment.

Organisers said there were representatives of the world’s largest institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, insurance companies, university endowments and sovereign wealth funds, and they welcomed investors managing more than €4 trillion of assets.

Aidan Thatcher, the council’s director of place, said MIPIM was a chance to highlight Wigan to investors “from all over the world” and for those already investing in the borough to promote it and “encourage others to do the same”.

He even used the event to announce that a Hampton by Hilton hotel will be opening in Wigan town centre as part of the redevelopment of the former Galleries shopping centre.

Mr Thatcher said: “As the world’s biggest international property and real estate event, MIPIM represents an incredible opportunity to connect with a community of global investors and sell Wigan borough as a great place to visit and invest.

“Our ambitious economic strategies and proactive approach to securing investment has allowed us to work with partners on a strong portfolio of projects, including the £135m project to redevelop the former Galleries shopping centre into a mixed-use neighbourhood in partnership with Cityheart. This year we were able to announce that Hilton would be opening a 144-bed Hampton by Hilton hotel at the site. We also had a focus on wide-ranging growth and development opportunities across other areas in the borough.

“Not only is MIPIM an opportunity for us to promote Wigan to investors from all over the world, it is also a chance for developers and investors who are already active in Wigan to talk about why are working in Wigan, why it’s a good place to invest and to encourage others to do the same.”