MIPIM: Another away win for Nottingham

It began in Derby, wandered through some of the best cities for business in Europe, and ended in a pizzeria not far from the yachts that bob up and down in Cannes harbour.

Such was the second day at MIPIM.
I reflected yesterday on what Nottingham had to offer the biggest property and development exhibition in Europe, but today began with a breakfast reception for what is grandly characterised as the Derby Embassy, the slogan for the travelling show that is Marketing Derby.
Unlike Nottingham, Derby has managed to pull together a comparatively substantial public sector budget which supports not just the activities of Marketing Derby but a walloping chunk of commercial projects ranging from phase one of a spec office development in Derby (elsewhere, no one digs earth without a prelet) through to a comprehensive revamp of Derby City Council’s HQ, and half the lease of the old Egg call centre (a deal which has enabled Indian-owned Hero TSC to set up a similar operation in the same building).
Fair play to Derby. It punches above its weight at an exhibition where many similarly sized conurbations simply don’t figure, and has a cohesive message which other locations will be jealous of (notably Leicester, which I’ll come on to in a moment).
The strength of its focus has already been well-illustrated by its refusal to take the decision which lost Bombardier’s Derby factory a huge rail contract lying down, and the fuss it made has almost single-handedly led to government looking again at the whole issue of large-scale public procurement rules.
Leicester, by contrast, is a curiosity. This is another substantial Midlands city which has a strong economy with plenty of hefty businesses and logical opportunities. So why isn’t it at MIPIM? The few people from Leicester who are here certainly felt jealous of what Nottingham and Derby are up to, wondering why there was no marketing material about their own city to hand out.
England’s provincial cities do get noticed at MIPIM because they talk tangible opportunities rather than grand, barely believable visions. Birmingham and Manchester have thrown several hundred grand at their presence and there is an expectation that they will be here.
Even though its presence is comparatively small-scale and supported by the city council rather than paid for, Nottingham’s presence has been discreetly effective. It made headlines on one of the big property consultancy stands, and it was rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest locations in Europe yesterday when it received an award as one of the best micro cities for business.
The award came from FDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times, and ranked Nottingham ahead of Geneva as a business-friendly location.
Stockholm, which won the main FDi award, has plastered its name all over the entrance to MIPIM. I’m not suggesting Nottingham should do the same, but there is every logic in gently ramping up the city’s marketing budget to support an award which has put us front and centre on an international stage.
Those who don’t come to MIPIM will inevitably focus on the yachts and the money because they make easy pictures and easy headlines. For many cities, that’s just not what MIPIM is about.
Sure, there will be some cities smooching would-be investors at some very expensive tables in Cannes. But not Nottingham. Last night it was largely in a pizza parlour reflecting happily on another day and another good win.