Agenda item

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       MIPIM is a key opportunity to promote the City to an international audience of investors and developers. This report updates Members on sponsorship, the final draft programme, and the preparations for the Go To Market Launch event on 21st February.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the contents of the report.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Members will be pleased to note that, following the successful Launch event on 1 December 2016, sponsorship for the Belfast delegation has been strong. At the time of writing £210,500 of private sector finance has been pledged. This is in addition to the £60,000 already allocated by Council, and well in excess of the £163,000 pledged last year. This level of support creates the platform for a strong and cohesive Belfast delegation, with a diverse range of companies being represented.

3.2       MIPIM itself encompasses three full days of activity, each of which will be themed with a different aspect of investment:

·        Day 1: Ambition & Opportunity – the opening slot will incorporate a keynote presentation from an elected member, and includes an overview of talent, quality of life, and Belfast’s creative industries / film industry/potential film centre. Projects to be showcased include the new Harbour Studios and Titanic Quarter. Day 1 will also include a specific slot highlighting talent and opportunity around young people, including city centre living / residential.

·        Day 2: Connected City – this will include an expert panel discussion in relation to high growth sectors, the investment in digital infrastructure, and grade A Offices, projects to be showcased include Transport Hub.

·        Day 3: this will lead on tourism and hospitality, with presentations from Tourism NI, Visit Belfast, and Titanic Building. Projects to be showcased include the proposed visitor attraction, Giant’s Park leisure prospectus, and hotel investment.

3.3       Belfast has also been invited to participate in an exhibition-wide event discussing the city’s unique location and to be a panel member on a discussion on the role of cities in the Estate Gazette’s UK Cities Investor Guide launch. Both provide an additional platform to get our message out to a wider audience and further similar opportunities are being pursued.

3.4       A number of high profile marketing events will take place to attract people to the Belfast stand and promote our message. This includes showcasing the our creative industries principally through Game of Thrones; a presentation on the IRFU all-Ireland bid for the Rugby World Cup in 2023, and a St Patrick’s Eve reception. There will also be two investor focused lunches sponsored by Savills and Arup respectively.

3.5       A press and social media strategy has been developed to project our message before, during and after the event. A key component of this is the Go To Market launch event, to be held at the Belfast Waterfront on 21 February. This will highlight the wider marketing efforts underway internationally and all members will be invited to attend.

            The launch will incorporate presentations from the chair of City Growth and Regeneration committee, chief executive, and private sector chair of the Steering Group; and will showcase a refreshed video highlighting the Belfast proposition. 

3.6       A key objective in the Belfast Agenda is to attract £1 billion of investment into the city by 2021, and impact from MIPIM should be viewed within this context and time frame. Last year feedback from the sector indicated MIPIM helped put Belfast back on the development map, and recent investment visits to the city have been promising. The 2017 delegation will provide a platform to deepen these contracts, and start to match specific investors with tangible projects and regeneration opportunities across the city.

3.7       Finance & Resource Implications

            We are profiling a balanced budget for MIPIM, and no additional costs beyond the £60,000 allocated by Committee last May are anticipated.

3.8       Equality and Good Relations Implications

            None.”

            In response to a Member’s question, the Chief Executive confirmed that specific literature was being produced for MIPIM, which would be focussed on the figures which developers needed when considering investing in a city and that a draft would be submitted to the next Committee meeting for Members’ information.

            During discussion, the Committee agreed to the attendance of a support officer to accompany the delegation to MIPIM 2017.

            The Committee noted the contents of the report.