Reed MIDEM, the organiser of MAPIC, has confirmed the theme of this year’s upcoming industry event which will return to Cannes, France in November.
This year will the event return with a closer look at the fundamental changes being experienced by the retail & leisure sectors. Consumer behaviour will be under the microscope, as the event looks to see which trends are driving the changes, such as an increased desire for sustainability. As such, this year’s theme has been announced as “People, Planet, Profit: Navigating retail towards a more human world.”
This consumer insight has triggered a change in indirection for some brands – according to a survey of global investors conducted by CBRE, more than half of respondents had already adopted ESG criteria.
A representative explains: “Nowadays, buyers seek meaningful purchases, and therefore businesses now need to be driven by a purpose that goes well beyond profit; a purpose that is rooted in community, the environment, and society.”
Challenging times
MAPIC’s markets director Francesco Pupillo says: “The entire retail industry has endured two of the most challenging years in its history, with many big transformations.
“Next-generation retail will be about putting people and the planet first – the consumer is now looking for deeper meaning in what they do and what they buy, whilst businesses need to add a social role to have genuine social impact.
“MAPIC will emphasise the new ways of doing business, with more flexible models that will allow industry players to meet current customer needs.”
Reinventing MAPIC
A wide selection of initiatives will be embraced with four focuses: New Retail (Retail Village), Leisure (LeisurUP), Food (The Happetite Forum), and Innovation (MAPIC Innovation Forum).
Following its debut last year, LeisurUp will return to concentrate on the importance of human interaction and physical experiences. A key focus of organisers is to help attendees identify and select the best leisure solutions and partners to transform traditional retail sites into exciting lifestyle destinations.
Nhood is one company already committed to this year’s event. CEO Etienne Dupuy says: “Nhood is excited to be attending the new MAPIC 2022, especially as it aligns strongly with our vision of co-creating and animating sites into new living spaces across Europe.
“Nhood works for better places: enhanced services, housing, responsible, local, innovative shops, close to the local, with and for the inhabitants. In this way, we respond to the challenges of tomorrow’s city and commerce. The strong selection of senior players attending MAPIC makes it a must-attend event for Nhood.”
MAPIC 2022 will take place from 29 November to 1 December 2022, at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. More details and registration can be found on the event’s official website.
Last year’s LeisurUp by MAPIC focussed on the leisure and retail sectors’ recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, with sessions covering a wide range of topics such as storytelling, immersive environments, and creating emotional experiences.
