Reed MIDEM, the organiser of MAPIC, has announced that this year’s MAPIC & LeisurUp events will be 100% virtual, cancelling the in-person events in Cannes this November.
MAPIC & LeisurUp 2020 will now take place purely online, as organisers have taken the decision to cancel the physical event previously scheduled to take place from 17 -19 November in Cannes, France.
MAPIC, the international retail property market, will now take place online via the new MAPIC Digital platform, which will be available to users from 2 November to 31 December. alongside LeisurUp 2020, the new international B2B event for leisure professionals. The next in-person event will take place in November 2021.
Safety is paramount
“MAPIC Digital will bring the international retail real estate community and leisure specialists together to network, hold virtual business meetings, access online conferences and white papers and discover new city centres, retail and leisure projects,’’ says Nathalie Depetro, MAPIC Director.
“The pandemic has had a massive impact on retailers and consumers’ shopping habits throughout the world. Now, more than ever, the international retail sector needs to come together to discuss today’s challenges and tomorrow’s retail solutions’’
“MAPIC Digital provides a virtual business experience to keep MAPIC international retail and LeisurUp clients connected and informed,” adds Filippo Rean, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Real Estate Division. “We want to thank the retail real estate community and the leisure industry specialists for their support. We had hoped to bring everyone together in Cannes this November, but continued international travel restrictions and post-travel quarantine and self-isolation rules, mean this is not possible.”
Digital platform
The digital platform will be rolled out in three phases.
- Phase One – Preparation (November 2-17). During the first phase, users will get their logins and will be able to access tutorials for using the platform. They can also download the Retailers and Leisure Operators Guide to set up virtual meetings and check out the conference programme.
- Phase Two – The Live Experience (November 17-19). Three days of virtual meetings, retail, food and leisure concept pitches, keynote and conference panels, networking events and online meetups with retail and leisure leaders.
- Phase Three – The ‘After Live’ Experience (November 19 – December 31). Following the event, attendees can still access the database to identify contacts, as well as watching conference sessions and webinars, and viewing the Retailers and Leisure Operators Guide and Project Directory.
“With leisure playing an increasingly important role in the retail mix, particularly in the new generation of shopping destinations, it is the right time to look at leisure concepts of tomorrow and bring leisure concept companies together with international retailers,” says Francesco Pupillo, Director of LeisurUp.
“In 2020 this will happen online. In 2021, we look forward to welcoming everyone to Cannes.’’
Ahead of the event, MAPIC has also released content on their blog including a white paper with LDP on post-COVID retailing.
