Cannes for retail: what Ukrainian business can discover on MAPIC 2017

What for domestic retail can be useful on the largest exhibition of the retail industry MAPIC, which will be held from 15 to 17 November in Cannes.

Cannes is a legendary city not only for cinematographers. One of the world’s retail and retail real estate industry largest exhibitions — MAPIC — has been held for many years in this seaside town. It gathers all the leading players in the industry every time: from the largest trading chains representatives to the largest investment funds, developers and consultants who implement the best commercial real estate projects. For more than ten years, Ukrainians have been present among exhibitors. Domestic businessmen are given the opportunity to present their new projects and concepts, to get acquainted with innovations in retail and development, to establish contacts with transnational companies thanks to the presence at MAPIC. This year, the Ukrainian Retail Association provides information support for the exhibition in our country. Dmitry Dopiro, the MAPIC 2017 official representative in Ukraine, told about the history of the Ukrainians participation at MAPIC, the subject of which the exhibition is dedicated this year, the benefit and benefit from visiting the RAU exhibition.

— What in general MAPIC can be useful to Ukrainian retailers and developers? And in general, how appropriate to participate in such exhibitions, what does this give to business and businessmen?

— MAPIC (Le marché international professionnel de l’implantation commerciale et de la distribution) is the largest exhibition dedicated to commercial real estate, in the world in which leading companies from all over the world take part. For the first time MAPIC was held in 1995, and over the years it has become a key global event for retail professionals. People come here to find new partners, to get acquainted with new technologies and projects in retail, to expand their professional horizons. In addition, the exhibition is attended by about a thousand investors who carefully study and choose projects for financing. In short, if you need to find out, hand over, buy or sell something related to retail, then there is no better place than MAPIC.

— Are there any examples when Ukrainian exhibitors managed to interest international companies? It is on MAPIC just.

— Ukrainian companies have started to participate in MAPIC since 2004. During this time, many important projects for the Ukrainian market were presented at the exhibition: Ocean Plaza, Sky Mall, Respublika, Blockbuster Mall, Lavina Mall, Prospect and many others.

Therefore, this regular presence of leading Ukrainian developers at MAPIC once again confirms the effectiveness and expediency of participation in the exhibition.

HELPFUL INFORMATION

MAPIC is the largest international exhibition dedicated to retail real estate.

In 2016, the exhibition was attended by more than 8,400 delegates, including 2,100 retailers, 2,500 developers and about 1,000 investors. During the exhibition more than 100 conferences devoted to the retail theme were held.

— Every year the organizers define the key theme, which the exhibition will be devoted to. What will become the MAPIC leitmotif this year?

— In 2017, the focus will be on the Food & Beverage segment. Almost a third of visitors to shopping centers come there only for a food court, according to the CBRE study. To a large extent, cafes and restaurants have turned shopping centers into a modern lifestyle integral part. Operators representing food-formats over the past ten years have doubled the square they occupy in shopping centers, according to JLL. The square for the segment “Food & Beverages” increased from 7 to 15% in SEC, and in the next few years this figure will reach 20%. Studies also show that visitors who eat while visiting a shopping center stay there for an average of 27 minutes longer and spend 18% more money.

— What tendencies and innovations will be presented at MAPIC in this segment?

— The main trends on which the organizers are concentrated and which are noted by almost all research and consulting companies are: the food-court development from the “fast-food” format to more complex concepts. The operators begin to offer a wider choice of food: from simple products, street-food dishes through quality sandwiches to traditional cuisine for one country or another, healthy food, new experimental formats.

The exhibition program includes the conferences series dedicated to the segment Food & Beverage evolution, new exclusive concepts presentation. For the first time in history, MAPIC will have a tasting area where visitors can taste the dishes of various operators, including non-standard formats.

— And if we talk about previous exhibitions – what was the feature of one, two years ago?

— Each year the exhibition selects a new topic, which is given increased attention. For example, in 2016 MAPIC was focused on several topics – o2o (online to offline), retailtainment and innovative technologies.

HELPFUL INFORMATION

MAPIC-2016 was visited by 8,400 delegates from 78 countries of the world. Most participants were from France, Italy, Great Britain. Also, the number of visitors from Asia and the Middle East increased. The exhibitors number was 700. Such world famous companies as Tesco (grocery retailer), Savills (real estate agent), Meyer Bergman (investment fund) were exhibitors of the event for the first time.

— How many participants were from Ukraine, and who exactly: developers, retailers, consultants?

— Two companies-exhibitors — NAI Ukraine and Kodisoft — represented Ukraine last year on MAPIC. NAI Ukraine showed the SEC Lavina Mall and Blockbuster Mall projects. Stand Kodisoft was in the pavilion Mapic Innovation Forum, dedicated to new technologies in retail. The company presented at the stand interactive tables, used in cafes and restaurants, which attracted great interest. Yet two companies — Imoshan Ukraine and Colliers International Ukraine — were represented at the parent companies stands. Immoshan presented two of its metropolitan projects – SEC Rive Gauche and Petrovka Retail Park, and Colliers International — Kiev projects of SEC Retroville and SEC River Mall.

— From your point of view — at what stage of business development can you already enter the international arena?

— It is possible and necessary to go at any stage on MAPIC. If you just started working in retail, it will be useful to get acquainted with the leading players, with current trends in retail, to peep interesting solutions and find free niches, and if you are lucky – then the investor. Then visiting the exhibition will give an opportunity to keep a hand on the pulse, react quickly to changes, actively use international experience, knowledge and achievements. Well, if you want to get out of business, then it’s on MAPIC that there come about a thousand investors who can sell their project.

— What do you expect from the current MAPIC and what are the prospects for the exhibition development for 3-5 years?

— We expect consistently high quality, great practical benefits for exhibitors, presentations of new interesting projects, technologies and original schemes in retail from the exhibition this year. Well, and, of course, we expect the traditionally good weather in Cannes, the splendor and glamor of the Côte d’Azur pearl and the traditional meeting with old friends.

The exhibition prospects … Now there is a MAPIC replication in other countries: the organizers are already holding Mapic Italy, Mapic China Summit, Mapic India Retail Forum & Mapic Russia. These exhibitions are much smaller in scale than the Cannes MAPIC and are focused on local markets.

— Is it possible to organize such an exhibition in Ukraine and, in your opinion, how much it will be of interest to foreign partners?

— MAPIC has been held in Cannes since 1995 and the exhibition covers an audience of over half a billion people. Therefore, organizing an international exhibition of commercial real estate in Ukraine is like organizing a Kiev Film Festival instead of the Cannes Film Festival. Is it possible? The question is, in my opinion, unfortunately, rhetorical. So let’s take advantage of the international MAPIC exhibition opportunities, which will be held in Cannes from November 15 to November 17, 2017.