Salford have been part of the Manchester at MIPIM Partnership for some years now, taking advantage of the unique opportunity to meet with developers, investors, and colleagues from across Greater Manchester, Europe and the World. MIPIM gives us a focussed opportunity to concentrate on what is happening in the investment industry and for us to put the plans for Salford out on to the table. It is essential that the public sector and private sector work hand in hand, and Salford have always collaborated with the private sector in order to deliver the change that the city has seen over the previous decades. In a changing market, it is important that local authorities stay on top of current trends, and it’s important that Salford attend MIPIM and engage with the whole supply chain in order to bring the investment needed over the coming decades.

There are some extensive developments going on across the city that deserve international attention. Looking forward, MediaCityUK continues to be one of our biggest developments and despite the fact that the BBC have only been here for 7 years, an incredible cluster of digital and broadcasting creativity has developed. MediaCityUK will more than double in size over the next few years, and we are working with Peel Media and Peel Developments to look at residential developments too. Clearly, we need to work together with the development community to achieve this ambitious growth.

At MIPIM 2018, we launched our new high-priority opportunity of Salford Crescent. Working with the University we are looking at how we attract new investment and residential developments and build on the fantastic assets we have of the existing parkland, open space, and waterside. Presenting a session at MIPIM to launch Salford Crescent delivered incredible benefits, with a wide international audience driving expressions of interest from around the world. We used the presentation at MIPIM to raise awareness of the opportunities that we had for investment, and it certainly delivered tangible benefits for us. The international interest generated from our presentation helps us to find the right partner and deliver the development and regeneration that is necessary and that will give the best outcome for the residents of Salford.

To deliver a successful MIPIM presentation, I think you need to make the audience sit up straight and want to work out what’s happening. You can no longer just show a red line on a map or a development opportunity; you have to fit it into the context of placemaking and creating the neighbourhoods that people are going to live and work in. Life has changed completely, and will continue to change with technology, so I think capturing the imagination of the future of the sector results in a successful presentation.

We didn’t hesitate in signing up again to MIPIM 2019, and we have some really interesting propositions to demonstrate as well. A big focus for next year is about placemaking and the people that make up Greater Manchester, and how they will live in the future. It is important to consider the residential spaces, as well as the social and cultural offers to ensure that we can look at putting the right sorts of developments in the right places. Another big focus for us will be around the green agenda, with the open spaces, parks and gardens becoming an important factor and focus across the region. We are incredibly lucky in Salford to have the fifth RHS garden coming to RHS Bridgewater which is going to be a phenomenal addition to the city, and reinforces why well-being and the green environment is now a fundamental part of any development.