LIVERPOOL may consider pulling out of the world’s leading property convention in the future.
This year will be Liverpool’s 10th consecutive appearance at the Mipim (Marché International des Professionnels d’Immobilier) conference in Cannes, on the French Riviera.
The city’s investment and regeneration agency, Liverpool Vision, leads the effort in the resort.
Last night, Vision’s investment director, Mike Taylor, said the city needed to have a debate whether it should continue going to Mipim after next month’s event.
In recent years, it has cost between £250,000 and £175,000 to staff a stand with a delegation and rent a yacht.
In 2008, Liverpool had 25 private sector sponsors, but last year there were just six – and this year eight.
This year’s Mipim will be used as a stepping stone to launch Liverpool’s presence at the Shanghai World Expo, which starts in May.
Liverpool will promote the multi-billion pound Liverpool Waters scheme and new developments in its commercial district at the event.
Mr Taylor said: “The Liverpool Vision board was very keen that this year in particular was a stepping stone to our presence at the World Expo.”
He said it was hoped the city would learn a lot about how to brand itself on the international stage from being at Shanghai.
He added: “On the one hand, there is a sense we have managed to increase our presence at Mipim and gain more economic value, but it is something which is hard to evaluate in hard numeric terms.”
