The Manchester at MIPIM Partnership has revealed its full schedule of events for 2019, which will be its 20th year attending the international real estate festival.
Returning to the Manchester Pavilion, the partnership will shine a spotlight on the human endeavour, engagement and creativity that "breathes life into the vast expanse of development opportunities across the city".
This will all be supported by a new design for the pavilion which will move away from a traditional exhibition pod layout, creating a space where people can gather, meet and start new conversations.
A total of 91 organisations have now signed up to represent the city as part of the Manchester at MIPIM Partnership, with sponsors including Airport City Manchester, Arup, Bruntwood, GL Hearn, Icon Industrial, John Sisk and Son Ltd, Laing O'Rourke, Manchester City Council, McLaughlin & Harvey, Property Alliance Group, The University of Manchester, and Vita Group.
Manchester's popular European sessions will return for 2019, welcoming figures including Benjamin Cadranel, chief executive of citydev.Brussels; Eric Menges, chief executive of FrankfurtRheinMain and Maria Vassilakou, deputy mayor of the City of Vienna, among others.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "MIPIM is all about development but there wouldn't be any development going on if we didn't have people living, working and staying here to support the city's growth.
"That's what delegates can expect to see from this year's MIPIM programme: a snapshot of the people of Manchester, what they bring to the city, and what the city means to them.
"It's a fitting topic for what will be our 20th year exhibiting at MIPIM. This year we want to continue our important work promoting Manchester on an international stage, we want to show that we’re a city that continues to innovate, and we want to show the breadth of what's happening across the whole of Greater Manchester.
"There's a real vibrancy here, and a scale of development that exceeds any other British city."
Other highlights include 'Introducing Innovation District Manchester: Where Ideas Become Reality', which will look at one of city's biggest and most important upcoming developments. Speakers will include Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president & vice chancellor of the University of Manchester; Diana Hampson, director of estates at the University of Manchester, and Colin Thomasson, executive director of CBRE. The event will be introduced by Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council and moderated by Stephen Dauncey, director of finance at the University of Manchester.
Later that day, 'A World Class Infrastructure: Enabling Greater Manchester's Future' will showcase the work that Greater Manchester Combined Authority is doing to plan for the future infrastructure needs of the area.
On the Wednesday, 'Carbon Neutral by 2038: Manchester's Sustainable Future' will see an influential panel deliver a call to arms for the property industry to play its part in making Manchester a zero-carbon city by 2038. Then, 'Emerging Technologies: Driving New Workforces & Workplaces' will announce the findings of an extensive research project from The Data City, mapping Greater Manchester's technology sector and identifying its strengths in emerging technologies.
On the Thursday, Sir Richard will visit the UK Pavilion to join a panel of other leading figures from across the North of England at 'Powerful Partners – Collaboration in the North'. Then, returning to the Manchester Pavilion, 'New Generation Thought Leaders: Empowering our Future Leaders' will focus on the next generation of property professionals and the importance of diversity and representation in future leadership.
Thursday afternoon's session 'The Factory: Where the Art of The Future Will be Made' will have Sir Richard joined by John McGrath, artistic director and chief executive of Manchester International Festival, and Carol Patterson, architect at OMA, in a panel session moderated by Tom Bloxham MBE.