Lancashire ramps up its presence at top international conference

The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership is leading the county’s largest ever presence at MIPIM International, the property and investment conference in Cannes, France.

More than 25,000 delegates will attend the expo which runs March 12-15.

These include potential investors, developers, property agents and policy makers drawn from across the globe.

The Lancashire delegation will be part of Greater Manchester’s MIPIM Partnership. However, this year the Lancashire consortium has also booked an exclusive venue next to the main MIPIM site to host a series of invitation-only events, meetings and networking opportunities.

These include a VIP dinner on March 11, sponsored by national law firm Shoosmiths, which will feature a Lancashire menu prepared by Hipping Hall head chef and BBC Masterchef Professionals finalist, Oli Martin.

A second evening event, sponsored by Conlon Construction and Anderton Gables, will take place the following night, while the Eric Wright Group is supporting a business lunch on March 13.Also on

the 13th, the Lancashire LEP will be hosting a special Northern Powerhouse reception. The engagement programme will be rounded-off by a Lancashire Ambassadors’ brunch on Thursday, March 14.

David Taylor, chairman of the LEP, said: “This will be our third visit to MIPIM International and once again we have aligned ourselves to our near neighbours Greater Manchester and the wider Northern Powerhouse initiative.

“However, we also recognise that with the economic challenges and global competition facing many UK regions Lancashire needs to increase its visibility within the Powerhouse. We also want to promote our distinctive character and undertake more direct engagement with potential investors and employers.”

Lancashire will be exhibiting within the Manchester Pavilion throughout MIPIM, highlighting a range of large-scale investment opportunities and major schemes.