Keynote speakers for MAPIC 2021 announced

MAPIC 2021 changing to meet the challenges of the industry

Two of the most visionary industry figures have been confirmed as major keynote speakers at MAPIC 2021, the international retail, leisure and lifestyle event taking place in Cannes this November. As the industry prepares to gather once again to consider the future of the industry, Philippe Houzé, CEO of Galeries Lafayette Group, and Michel Ohayon, CEO of French investment company FIB Group, will share their views on the resilience of the market and how industry can come together to tackle the challenges the industry is facing. New dates for this year’s event are Tuesday 30th November to Wednesday 2nd December 2021.

For the first time this year, the MAPIC delegate badge will include LeisurUp, the global event dedicated to the location-based entertainment industry, and The Happetite, the international event dedicated to multi-site restaurant operators – with all three events offering extensive exhibition areas, high-level conference programmes and numerous networking opportunities.

Philippe Houzé will open MAPIC on Tuesday 30 November at 9:30 am with a keynote presentation on his vision of resilience in the retail sector and how to use innovation to rebound after challenging times. He explains: “After the global crisis we have collectively gone through, time has come for a reset. The MAPIC 2021 edition will be a unique opportunity for our industry to come together and share thoughts and ideas on how to face the challenges that lie ahead, and address them with both optimism and determination.”

Michel Ohayon will speak on Wednesday 1 December at 12:00 pm about retail investment opportunities. The FIB Group invests in the heart of many French cities with the aim of positioning itself in the best locations, revitalising and enhancing a unique and historic heritage. The FIB Group is active in various sectors such as selective distribution with the Hermione People & Brands group – including 26 affiliated Galeries Lafayette stores, La Grande Récré and Camaïeu – luxury hotels, gastronomy, wine, commercial real estate and property development.

Leisure, digitally native vertical brands and city development take centre stage
This year’s event will especially highlight the central role of the human factor, social interaction and emotions, all of which are becoming essential components in creating new experiences in lifestyle destinations. Responding to a rapidly changing industry and the considerable challenges facing it, MAPIC attendees from the retail, food and leisure industries will discover a redesigned MAPIC to respond to the considerable challenges facing the industry. In total, more than 50 leisure and food exhibitors will be present, whilst there will also be dedicated pavilions for DNVBs, innovation and cities.

A host of key industry players have already confirmed their participation at MAPIC 2021:

• Among the bellwethers of retail real estate are ECE (Germany), Svicom (Italy), Sonae Sierra (Portugal), McArthurGlen (UK), IGD SIIQ (Italy), TORG (USA), Terranae (France), Mall & Market (France), Fashion House Group (Poland) and Metropolis Shopping Center (Russia).
• On the retail side, Apple (UK), Bimba y Lola (Spain), Uniqlo (France), K-way (France), Pandora (France), C&A (Germany), Action (France), Boconcept (Denmark), Sephora (France), Unilever (Netherlands), Areas (Spain), Le Tanneur (France), Etam (France), Mango (Spain), Don’t call me Jennyfer (France), Castorama (France), Maxi Toys (Belgium) and Rituals (Netherlands) will attend.
• Representatives from the food & beverage industry include Five Guys (UK), Joe & the Juice (UK), Paulaner (Germany), Lowengrube (Italy), Groupe Bertrand (France), Fauchon Paris (France), Gloria Jens’s Coffees (Australia), Ladurée (France), Lela Lou (UK), Pata Negra (France), McDonald’s (France), Salad & Co (France), Starbucks (France) and Time Out Market (Portugal).
• On the leisure side, confirmed companies include Puy du Fou (France), Les Stroumpf (Belgium), Zero Latency (Australia), Wavesurfer (Belgium), Walltopia (Bulgaria), Hologate (Germany), Dutch Wheels (Netherlands), Oma Cinema (France), Superdough (Malaysia), Red Engine (UK), Planeta Junior (Spain), Park’o Drone (France), Merlin Entertainment (UK) and many others.
• Finally, innovation will be in the spotlight with companies such as Nuvolo (UK), Chainels (Netherlands), Visionarea (Italy), MyTraffic (France), Dilax (Germany), Xovis (Switzerland), Vemco (Denmark), Giftify (Belgium).

Nathalie Depetro, Director of MAPIC, comments: “The industry is undergoing rapid changes that are redefining the very essence of retail itself. As the world’s leading event dedicated to retail real estate, it is critical that we bring together both established and new players in the industry, to encourage them to collaborate and create the new alchemy of consumer experience.”

A multi-channel MAPIC
Continuing the multi-channel approach first introduced last year, this year’s event will, in addition to the physical event held in Cannes, consist of a digital platform to support and serve the international retail, F&B and leisure property communities, both during the event and continuing throughout the year. This platform features a series of exclusive digital events, of which some are already available on demand with more to come, as well as hosting exclusive white papers and other industry content.

The MAPIC Digital platform is open and accessible on the website.

More information on mapic.com