The 17,996 m² property is fully let to 16 tenants and is anchored by a Real Hypermarket and Saturn, a major German specialist electrical retailer. The recently refurbished asset is situated close to major highways near Frankfurt, the largest city in the state of Hesse and Germany’s financial capital.

Herald’s primary focus is on acquiring prime retail assets across France, Germany and Italy, and this acquisition follows the recent €64.4 million purchase of Centre Sud Shopping Centre, Le Mans, France in December 2009. The fund expects to acquire additional assets over 2010, with an emphasis on prime, dominant assets in its core markets.

Commenting on the transaction, David Turner, Herald’s Fund Manager, said "Deals of this nature in Germany, where the income is secured on long leases to strong covenants, offer very attractive initial yields when compared to other core European markets. The attraction is further enhanced by the favorable finance terms available from German banks. Following on from this transaction and the recent acquisition in Le Mans, France we are continuing to look at a number of similar investment opportunities across Europe.”

source : Henderson Global Investors

Contractor Kier is carrying out the construction work and the development is expected to be completed in January 2011.

Designed by architects RMJM, The Exchange, is named to reflect its open innovation design that will help drive the exchange of knowledge and ideas. The complex will provide 21,000 ft²(approx. 1,945 m²) of dining, conference and meeting space complemented by a 35,000 ft² Innovation Centre, all located at the heart of Colworth Science Park.

The Exchange will enhance the Park’s open innovation environment where networking and collaboration are integral to the campus culture by providing modern flexible laboratory and office suites, a café-restaurant, and modern meeting plus conference facilities for up to 200 people. These facilities will be open to businesses off site to use in addition to those on the campus.

The development will support economic growth in Bedfordshire and the UK by bringing together academia, SMEs and other life science companies to drive technology transfer. This has been made possible following the investment of £13.7 million (approx. €15 million) from the Goodman:Unilever joint venture and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

EEDA has supported the development of The Exchange, including the Innovation Centre, with £4.4m of funding. EEDA’s support will enable IFR Extra, Cranfield University and the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Manufacturing (IfM) to establish a presence at Colworth Science Park. The groups will be based alongside one of Unilever’s global research centres and over 17 small and medium size enterprises in a variety of fields which undertake cutting-edge research, prototyping and product development.

The Innovation Centre will offer flexible laboratory and office suites designed to accommodate growing businesses and academics in a collaborative environment. Goodman and Unilever, which formed a 50:50 joint venture to develop the 1,200 acre site, hope the Innovation Centre will help address a shortage of scientific lab space in the area with an ‘easy in/ easy out’ leasing policy.

To mark the occasion global property group Goodman was joined by representatives from funding partners Unilever and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), as well as leading figures from IFR Extra, Cranfield School of Management and Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing, at a ground breaking ceremony on the campus.

Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, Director of Colworth Science Park said: “This scheme has been in development for some time and represents a substantial investment by Goodman, Unilever and EEDA. Having already attracted three world-class academic institutions to locate amongst leading scientists, from blue chip and start-up companies, we are confident that The Exchange will act as a catalyst for attracting additional businesses to Colworth and lead to new jobs for the area.”

Paul May, Executive Director Innovation, at EEDA said: “Once complete, The Exchange complex at Colworth will enhance the region’s position as a world leader in life sciences and will be of national significance. It is unique in that it will offer companies the chance to access world class academic institutions and R&D facilities.”

Dr Genevieve Berger, Chief Research and Development Officer, at Unilever said: “The development of The Exchange at Colworth is a major milestone for Unilever’s Open Innovation strategy and will help us to leverage a wider knowledge base to drive growth in our business.”

Colworth Science Park is situated between Cambridge and Oxford in the village of Sharnbrook, near Bedford. It sits in 1,200 acres of natural parkland providing an outstanding research environment. Occupiers have access to a wide range of specialist scientific services and facilities. Accommodation services, including 24 hour manned security, on-site printing and graphics services, plus IT support to ensure occupiers are able to communicate with maximum efficiency.

In addition, Colworth Science Park has a wealth of leisure and sports facilities on site, including tennis and squash courts, football and cricket pitches and a 9-hole golf course. There is also a convenience store, café and restaurant, and Bright Horizons day nursery, providing secure professional childcare.

source : Goodman

After consultation with a number of interested parties, including the independent committee of the board of directors and its financial advisor, Brookfield Office Properties Canada has agreed to pay $100 million of the purchase price for Brookfield Properties’ interest in Brookfield Place in cash instead of solely through the assumption of debt and units in the new REIT, as originally announced. The remainder of the purchase price will be paid by the assumption of debt and units valued at approximately $20.90 per unit. In light of this change, Brookfield Office Properties Canada will not pay the previously announced special distribution to unitholders on closing of the transaction.

The impact of the above cash payment is a reduction in the number of units outstanding by approximately five million to 93 million and an increase in expected funds from operations available to unitholders on an annualized basis in 2010 to $1.27 per unit from $1.20 per unit. In addition, Brookfield Office Properties Canada’s monthly distributions commencing on closing of the transaction as modified will increase to $0.07 per unit, or $0.84 per unit on an annualized basis.

On closing of the transaction, Brookfield Properties and its affiliates, which currently hold approximately 89.7% of BPP’s common equity, will hold in aggregate an equity interest in Brookfield Office Properties Canada of approximately 90.6%, including the consideration Brookfield Properties is receiving for the sale of Brookfield Place.

As a result of Brookfield Properties’ ownership of equity interests in the REIT of more than 90%, under applicable Canadian securities laws it would be possible for Brookfield Properties to initiate a privatization of the REIT and certain related party transactions without seeking the approval of the minority unitholders. Recognizing this, Brookfield Properties has agreed that following closing it will not initiate any such privatization or related party transaction without minority approval. This undertaking will terminate in the future if Brookfield Properties and its affiliates hold in aggregate an equity interest in Brookfield Office Properties Canada of 75% or less for a period of 12 months.

The independent committee appointed by the board of directors of BPP to consider the proposed transaction has received an opinion from its financial advisor, Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd., that the transaction as modified is fair, from a financial point of view, to shareholders of BPP other than Brookfield Properties and its affiliates. The board of directors, on the unanimous recommendation of the independent committee, has determined that the proposed transaction as modified is in the best interests of BPP and is unanimously recommending that shareholders vote in favour of the transaction at the meeting.

An information circular describing the modified transaction is anticipated to be mailed shortly, but at least prior to April 1, 2010 and will be available on BPP’s website and at www.sedar.com at that time. The meeting of shareholders to consider the transaction is now expected to take place on April 27, 2010. If shareholders approve the transaction at the meeting, and the requisite court approval is obtained, it is anticipated that the transaction will be completed on or about April 30, 2010.

Supplemental Information

A slide presentation containing updated supplemental information on the proposed transaction as modified is available on the Investor Relations page of www.bpoproperties.com under “Supplemental Information.”

Net Operating Income and FFO

This press release and accompanying supplemental information make reference to net operating income and funds from operations ("FFO") on a total and per share basis. Net operating income is defined as income from property operations after operating expenses have been deducted, but prior to deducting financing, administration, depreciation, amortization and income tax expenses. FFO is defined as net income prior to extraordinary items, one-time transaction costs, future income taxes, certain other non-cash items and depreciation and amortization. The company uses net operating income and FFO to assess its operating results. Net operating income is important in assessing operating performance and FFO is a relevant measure to analyze real estate, as commercial properties generally appreciate rather than depreciate. The company reconciles FFO to net income as opposed to cash flow from operating activities as it believes net income is the most comparable measure. Net operating income and FFO are both non-GAAP measures which do not have any standard meaning prescribed by GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The supplemental information includes a reconciliation of Brookfield Office Properties Canada’s expected 2010 FFO to net income.

source : BPO Properties

Savills, una de las principales consultoras internacionales de servicios inmobiliarios, y HomeAway Holiday-Rentals, han publicado los resultados de una encuesta llevada a cabo en Internet sobre las preferencias de inversión de los británicos a la hora de adquirir una segunda residencia en el extranjero.

Según se desprende del estudio, los países europeos son la opción preferida para la mayoría de los encuestados; Francia, especialmente el sur, Islas Baleares en España y la zona del Algarve en Portugal concentran las preferencias como lugar ideal para adquirir una segunda residencia. Sin embargo, zonas del sur de Europa como Chipre, Grecia o Turquía junto a países como Estados Unidos o zonas del Caribe, restan progresivo peso a Europa Occidental como destino preferido para los inversores británicos.

El Caribe junto con al sur de África, son zonas especialmente atractivas por las altas rentabilidades que se obtienen del alquiler, junto a periodos vacacionales normalmente más largos. Sin embargo, la cercanía, poco tiempo de viaje; y la preferencia por zonas costeras, continúan primando a la hora de elegir. De esta forma, las zonas de costa de España, Francia, Portugal o Chipre encabezan la lista de las zonas donde más invierten los británicos. Las zonas del interior y rurales, representan opciones poco atractivas para los británicos.

La crisis ralentiza las adquisiciones

A pesar del fuerte crecimiento del mercado de compra de segunda residencia británico -se ha duplicado desde 2001 alcanzando alrededor de 400.000 viviendas-, el actual clima económico ha ralentizado dramáticamente las nuevas adquisiciones; si el 70% de los encuestados aseguraron haber adquirido una propiedad fuera de Reino Unido en el periodo comprendido entre 2003 y 2008, sólo un 2% lo hicieron en 2009.

Si bien los peores efectos de la crisis se hicieron sentir justamente después de la crisis bancaria de Septiembre de 2008, otros factores como la contratación de los viajes internacionales y de la industria turística –ambos con enorme peso en el sector de compra de propiedades en el extranjero-, han incidido en los resultados de todo el 2009.

De igual forma, la debilidad de la libra esterlina en la eurozona ha impactado negativamente en la actividad inversora exterior; la depreciación de la moneda británica ha provocado que las propiedades, se encarezcan más de un tercio respecto a los precios previos a la crisis. Por último y a su vez, la caída de precios de las propiedades ya adquiridas, ha contribuido también a la ralentización del mercado, no sólo en términos de confianza –a los compradores no les gusta ver sus compras depreciadas en valor- sino también, impactando en aquellos que han hipotecado su primera vivienda para financiar la adquirida en el exterior; todo ello en un mercado financiero con importantes restricciones.

Perspectivas para 2010

2010 es probable que sea otro año tranquilo para la inversión en segundas residencias. Será fundamental que el sistema hipotecario mejore antes que los precios se estabilicen y la confianza del consumidor regrese. A pesar del clima económico actual, la confianza del usuario final indica que la inversión inmobiliaria no ha desaparecido, y de hecho para los que tienen capital o financiación tendrán a su favor precios relativamente reducidos para la adquisición de nuevas residencias vacacionales.

El grueso de las ventas en 2010 es probable que esté en puntos específicos como Francia, Portugal y España (principalmente las Islas Baleares). Estos lugares atraen a los inversores con altos ingresos, que no tienen problemas de financiación.

El mercado de alquiler también tendrá indicadores positivos, según la Organización Mundial del Turismo de las Naciones Unidas (UNWTO) prevé un crecimiento de los viajes y el turismo de 3% y 4% este año como consecuencia de la recuperación económica y de la confianza del consumidor.

Charles Weston-Baker, Director del departamento Residencial & Resort Internacional de Savills declara: "En 2010, el mercado de segunda residencia en el extranjero se caracterizará por la liquidez de los compradores que obviamente se beneficiarán de precios muy bajos”.

2009 war ein erfolg- und ereignisreiches Jahr für die Mobimo Holding AG ('Mobimo'). Der EBIT liegt mit CHF 98,5 Mio. 26% über dem Vorjahr (CHF 77,9 Mio.), vor Neubewertungseffekten nahm er um 29% auf CHF 89,1 Mio. zu (Vorjahr CHF 69,0 Mio.). Der Reingewinn der Gesellschaft erhöhte sich um 39% auf CHF 62.6 Millionen (Vorjahr CHF 45.0 Millionen). In diesem Gewinn ist ein Erfolg aus Neubewertung der Liegenschaften von CHF 9.3 Millionen (Vorjahr CHF 9.0 Millionen), sowie ein negativer Goodwill von CHF 15.6 Mio. enthalten. Dadurch erhöhte sich der Gewinn je Aktie um 36%
auf CHF 14.09 (Vorjahr CHF 10.37) bzw. vor Neubewertung um 42% auf CHF 12.51 (Vorjahr CHF 8.82). Daraus resultiert eine Ei-genkapitalrendite von 8.0% bzw. von 7.1% vor Neubewertungseffekten. Bis zum Ende des Ge-schäftsjahres 2009 nahm der Gesamtwert des Immobilienportfolios um 26%
auf CHF 1,9 Milliarden (Vorjahr CHF 1,5 Milliarden) zu.

Mobimo hat die im Vorjahr angepassten strategischen Leitlinien umgesetzt und durch den Zusam-menschluss mit der LO Holding Lausanne-Ouchy SA ('LO') ein wichtiges Ziel erreicht. Mit dieser Transaktion gelang der Eintritt in den zukunftsträchtigen Wirtschaftsraum Lausanne/Genf sowie eine
signifikante Diversifikation des Portfolios, handelt es sich bei den LO-Liegenschaften im Wert von CHF 393 Millionen doch um hochwertige Gebäude im Stadtzentrum von Lausanne.

Ergebnisverbesserungen im Anlage- und Promotionsgeschäft trotz anspruchsvollem wirt-schaftlichem Umfeld Ingesamt erhöhten sich die Mieterträge um 9% auf CHF 71.8 Millionen (Vorjahr CHF 65.6 Millionen), der Aufwand für vermietete Objekte lag unverändert bei 12%, Von den zusätzlich generierten Miet-einnahmen entfallen CHF 3.8 Millionen auf den Zugang des LO-Anlageportfolios. Der Erfolg aus Vermietungstätigkeit verbesserte sich um 9% auf CHF 63.1 Millionen (Vorjahr CHF 57.9 Millionen). Im Rahmen der Portfolio-Optimierung wurden in der Berichtsperiode sechs Anlage-Liegenschaften mit einem Gesamterlös von CHF 40.1 Millionen gewinnbringend verkauft.

Im Vermietungsmarkt für Büro- und Gewerbeflächen zeigen sich erwartungsgemäss Spuren des schwierigen wirtschaftlichen Umfeldes. Obwohl 2009 eine Erhöhung der Mietzinseinnahmen erzielt werden konnte, stieg die Leerstandsquote leicht auf 6,7% (Vorjahr 6,1%) an. Die Wiedervermietung von
frei werdenden Flächen dürfte im laufenden Geschäftsjahr nach wie vor anspruchsvoll bleiben.

Im Bereich der Promotion sorgten die günstigen Hypothekarzinsen und die hohe Nachfrage nach Sachwerten, verbunden mit einer nach wie vor zuversichtlichen Konsumentenstimmung, für eine rege Nachfrage nach Wohneigentum. Dank den attraktiven Stockwerkeigentumsangeboten im Raum
Zürich konnte Mobimo optimal von diesen Marktverhältnissen profitieren und verkaufte insgesamt 160 Wohnungen - soviel wie noch nie in der Geschichte der Gesellschaft. Der damit erzielte Erlös betrug CHF 182.3 Millionen (Vorjahr 126.8 Millionen), und der damit verbundene Erfolg stieg um 13% auf
CHF 25.2 Millionen (Vorjahr CHF 22.4 Millionen).

Stabile Wertentwicklung der Liegenschaften und Einmaleffekt aus LO-Übernahme Ein positiver Neubewertungserfolg von CHF 8.0 Mio. wurde mit den Liegenschaften im Bau erzielt, die für den eigenen Portfoliobestand entwickelt werden. Das bestehende Portfolio weist eine insge-samt stabile
Wertentwicklung aus, daraus resultiert ein positiver Neubewertungserfolg von CHF 1.3 Mio.


Mit der erfolgreichen Andienung von 98.9% im Rahmen des öffentlichen Umtauschangebotes für die Aktionäre der LO Holding Lausanne Ouchy SA fand der Zusammenschluss der beiden Gesellschaf-ten am 9. November 2009 statt.

Die beim Zusammenschluss ausgegebenen Mobimo Aktien wurden gemäss IFRS zum Börsenkurs per Übernahmestichtag bewertet. Aus der Transaktion resultierte ein negativer Goodwill im Betrag von CHF 15.6 Mio., der als Einmaleffekt aus dem Kauf direkt erfolgs-wirksam erfasst wurde.

Gut gefüllte Projektpipeline

Die Gruppe realisiert momentan mehrere Bauprojekte mit einem Gesamtinvestitionsvolumen von CHF 550 Millionen, wovon rund CHF 150 Millionen in den Bau von attraktiven Wohnungen für das eigene Portfolio an guten Lagen in Zürich und Lausanne fliessen. Mobimo verfügt zudem über Ent-wicklungsobjekte und Areale, die in den kommenden Jahren insgesamt ein Bauvolumen in der Grössenordnung von weiteren rund 500 Millionen ermöglichen werden. Dank diesem Investitionspo-tenzial an attraktiven Standorten ist die Gesellschaft von der zurzeit angespannten Situation auf
dem Transaktionsmarkt wenig betroffen.

Solide Finanzierung

Mit einer Eigenkapitalquote von 48% bleibt Mobimo weiterhin solide finanziert. Der durchschnittliche Zinssatz für Finanzverbindlichkeiten reduzierte sich von 3.5% im Vorjahr auf 3.1% in der Berichtspe-riode. Der Zinsspread stieg 2009 auf attraktive 2,3% (Vorjahr 2,0%). Mobimo finanziert
sich langfris-tig, die durchschnittliche Restlaufzeit der Finanzverbindlichkeiten betrug per Jahresende 5.1 Jahre (Vorjahr 5.9 Jahre).

Dividendenantrag

Der Verwaltungsrat wird der Generalversammlung vom 5. Mai 2010 erneut eine Ausschüttung in Form einer Nennwertrückzahlung in der Höhe von CHF 9.00 je Aktie vorschlagen. Bezogen auf den Jahrsendkurs der Mobimo-Aktie ergibt dies eine Dividendenrendite von 5,1%.

Ausblick

Schwerpunkte im laufenden Geschäftsjahr 2010 werden die Flächenvermarktung, der Verkauf von Stockwerkeigentum, die Integration der LO sowie die Weiterentwicklung der Projektpipeline sein. Da im Zuge der Erhöhung des Wohnanteils im Anlageportfolio einige Objekte nicht mehr als Stockwerk-eigentum verkauft sondern neu als Anlageobjekte realisiert werden, wird sich der Verkaufserfolg aus Promotion verringern, der Anteil der regelmässigen Mieteinnahmen hingegen weiter erhöhen.

quelle : Mobimo

Mr. Alexander Otto, CEO of ECE: “Our partnership with Landesbank Berlin and Berlin Hyp proves that the best quality real estate projects brave the crisis and set the direction for the real estate market. The construction of Galeria Kaskada will be an impulse for the further international expansion of ECE in the CEE region, and in Poland in particular.”

Mr. Jan Bettink, chairman of the board of management of Berlin Hyp, states: “This deal once again underlines the strong position and good reputation of the joint business division of Landesbank Berlin AG and Berlin Hyp. We are proud to have closed this significant deal despite the current financial climate. ECE as well as we – as the financial partners – professionally teamed up and committed to completing the transaction within the set timeframe scheduled by the borrower.”

Galeria Kaskada will be the premium shopping destination in Szczecin and the region of Western Pomerania. It is perfectly located in the very heart of the city center of Szczecin, with convenient access by all means of transportation. The catchment area exceeds 720,000 people and stretches out far beyond the German-Polish border. Galeria Kaskada will house 140 stores offering a top mix of fashion brands, cosmetics, accessories, multimedia, food and services. Its best quality architecture will restore the urban character of the premises and bring back the city glamour to the center of Szczecin.

In terms of the project quality, solid financial grounds, and leasing ratio Galeria Kaskada meets the current high requirements of the financial markets. Almost two years before the opening as much as 55% of its retail space has been leased. The planned shops and fashion brands to be present in Galeria Kaskada include: Van Graaf, Intersport, C&A, Humanic, Max Mara Weekend, Camaieu, Promod, Tchibo, Coffee Heaven, Rossmann, Douglas, Sephora, L’Occitane, Apart, Yes, Adidas, Nike, Lee-Wrangler, Levi’s, Wittchen, Venezia, Ecco, and many more.

The construction of Galeria Kaskada sets off within the next few days with Strabag Polska as the general contractor. Strabag will take over the construction site from Stump Hydrobudowa, the ground work company who have been preparing the site for the construction.

With the timely commencement of the construction ECE confirms its dedication to the company’s engagement in the cooperation with the city of Szczecin. Before that ECE has fulfilled a number of commitments from the agreement with the city, among them ECE built the new building of the city puppet theatre “Pleciuga”. ECE will also contribute to the city investment in road system reconstruction around Galeria Kaskada: the company has delivered the applicable traffic design documentation and will pay an agreed cash contribution.

The further development, construction and leasing, as well as long-term management of Galeria Kaskada will be realized by ECE with the loan support of its banking partner, Berlin Hyp.

source : ECE

IVG is pleased to announce that Dr. Kerstin Hennig-Brade joined the IVG Group as of 1 March 2010 as Head of Marketing. Kerstin Hennig is a real estate marketing specialist who obtained her doctorate (Dr. rer. pol./ Immobilienökonom ebs) at the European Business School (ebs), a private university in Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. In her professional career, she held leading positions at Daimler-Benz InterServices Immobilienmanagement (with a strong focus on marketing the Potsdamer Platz project) and at Tishman Speyer Properties, where she was responsible for marketing the Rockefeller Center in New York, the Millbank Tower in London and the Trade Fair Tower in Frankfurt. Before joining IVG, she was a member of the management of UBS AG, working in the field of Wealth Management, where she was responsible for developing and marketing real estate funds. At IVG, she is now in charge of the national and international positioning of the Airrail project in the framework of the Airrail Center’s marketing.

Christoph Nebl, who was previously IVG’s branch office manager in Munich, was appointed to the management team of the Airrail company and of IVG Investment GmbH on 1 January 2010. In the past few years, Christoph Nebel, who holds a degree in business administration from the University of Regensburg, Germany, has been involved in the successful development and marketing of various real estate projects. Following a professional career at Viterra AG, he joined IVG in August 2006, where he assumed responsibility for managing the marketing of the 660-meter long property at Frankfurt Airport.

IVG will also be able to rely on the advice of Adriaan A. Mast, M. Sc. FRICS, for the Airrail project. Adriaan Mast, who for many years held leading positions at Rodamco Europe B.V., is one of the most wellknown airport real estate specialists. In 2008, he established the consulting company “Masters Airport City Real Estate” (MACRE). Previously, he had held leading positions within the Airport Company Schiphol Group, where he contributed to the success of the Schiphol Airport City in Amsterdam. In 2001, he issued the Airport City Real Estate Fund (ACRE), which currently has an investment volume of approx. €400 million. In addition, Adriaan Mast provides advice to the Aero cities of New Delhi and Hyderabad.

This shows that IVG has considerably increased and strengthened the existing team. Managing Director Jens Dörrie, who has been with IVG since 2001, will manage the new Key Account Management function, with a focus on the current tenants KPMG and Hilton. Roland Liederbach – who has been on the team since November 2009 – is Head of Sales.

With a lettable area of 140,000 m², the Airrail Center Frankfurt is one of the world’s largest commercial properties. Users and visitors of this property will only need a few minutes to walk from their office desk or hotel room to one of the international check-in counters or to the ICE mainline railway station. With its communication rooms and impressive atriums, the Airrail Center provides a platform at the unique interface linking rail, road and air traffic, and has an atmosphere that promotes the exchange of knowhow and experience between institutions and companies. This will also be effectively supported by the planned construction of a multi-storey car park with approx. 2,500 parking spaces.

source : IVG

The British fashion retailer TJX Companies opted for the rue de la Senne, in the Dansaert area, Brussels, to locate its first Business Training Center in continental Europe.

Now fully gentrified, Dansaert has become one of the trendiest areas in the city, including for fashion matters. The offices taken up by TJX Companies have a total surface of about 3,000 sq.m.

TJX Companies was advised in its strategy by Sébastien Bequet and Christophe Silvie, Cushman & Wakefield.

For additional information, please contact Sébastien Bequet: +32 (0)2 510 08 27.

source : Cushman & Wakefield.

Renewed investor confidence, the return of ambitious building projects, strategies for sustainable development in major cities, Poland’s unique profile in the current crisis, and a festival of new sports projects, are some of the major attractions at MIPIM this year.

► Investors: renewed confidence

Recent research has reported signs of recovery in the real estate sector and property professionals expect to find a more confident atmosphere at this year’s event. MIPIM will therefore provide a comprehensive programme around investment recovery.

Conferences:

Ben Broadbent, Chief Economist, Goldman Sachs (UK) and Barbara A. Knoflach, CEO and Managing Director of SEB Investment, SEB Asset Management (Germany): Prospects for European recovery – economics and the implications for real estate.

Dr Thomas Beyerle, Head of Global Research, Aberdeen Property Investors (Germany): Synthesis of delegates’ opinion about the future of international real estate.

Khaled Al Aboodi, CEO Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (Saudi Arabia): Islamic Finance.

Cycle of conferences “Recovery positions.”

USA – a trillion dollars of maturing debt: impact, resolution and opportunity.
Will there be any investment opportunities in France in 2010?
Speed Matching, investment strategies.

► Developers: big projects are back

Major projects will be on show in the exhibition area this year, reflecting the sector’s dynamism in a still difficult economic environment. A number of unique projects will be presented by such regions as Egypt, South Korea and Nigeria at this 21st edition of MIPIM. And for the first time, MIPIM will host MIPIM Horizons, dedicated to countries with high potential investment opportunities.

Among the outstanding projects to be exhibited are:

Dream Hub (South Korea)
Stone Towers (Egypt)
Monte@Rivers (Nigeria)
Barcelona Economic Triangle (Spain)
City Palace (Federation of Russia)
Warsaw Bielany District (Poland)

To find out more about the main projects to be showcased at MIPIM 2010, click here.

Conferences:

Investment in Egypt: mechanisms and opportunities.

Concept of “new cities” in Morocco: investment opportunities and ROI.

► Cities: catalysts of sustainable synergy in the urban landscape

Aware of the fundamental role played by public/private partnerships in a successful sustainable development strategy, cities are launching more collaborative projects with key players such as developers, architects, and investors. This year, MIPIM will highlight a number of cities that have developed innovative approaches to governance, and will broaden the debate by addressing issues ranging from the growing global need for social housing, to the role of infrastructure in sustainable cities.

Conferences:

Sten Nordin, Mayor of Stockholm, the city of Stockholm.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London: overview of London’s approach to city planning.
Spotting the trends: shaping the cities of the future.
Ralph DiNola, Principal, Green Building Services (USA): Green Keynote.
Sustainability “sans frontières” – establishing consistent international standards and criteria for green buildings.
Dr. Anna Tibaijuka (Kenya), Under-Secretary-General & Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-HABITAT: Opportunities for social housing construction for rapidly growing cities.
The expanding need of social housing around the world: opportunity of investment?

Events and Press conferences:

The Mayors’ Think Tank, for mayors and senior representatives of local authorities: Infrastructure – key to sustainable growth.

Greg Clark, Global Advisor on the Development & Investment, Cities & Regions (UK), will report on the Mayors’ Think Tank debate the same day (Wednesday, March 17 – 03.00pm) at the Press Club

Conference organised by SymbioCity: How did Sweden become the role model for sustainable cities? Combining growth with sustainable development. (Wednesday, March 17 – 03.15pm - Audi K)

► Poland, Guest of Honour for 2010

Poland, one of the few European countries that did not go into recession in 2009, will be the Guest of Honour at MIPIM 2010, and as such, will receive special visibility.

Conferences:

Rafał Baniak, Poland’s Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy: Poland, Island of growth in Europe.

Slawomir Majman, President of PA|i|Z : Investment attractiveness of Poland towards foreign partners.
Poland: land of opportunity?
Poland: investment attractiveness in city identity.

Events:

Euro 2012 Polish cities cocktail (Wednesday, March 17 – 04.30pm – stands LR3.03/04)
Special prize for a Polish real-estate project during the MIPIM Awards 2010 ceremony (Thursday, March 18 - 07.00pm – Grand Audi)
Piano recital in memory of Frederic Chopin. By invitation only (Wednesday, March 17 - 08.00pm – Hotel Martinez)

► Sports frenzy reaches MIPIM

One of the trends at this 21st edition is the boom in sports-related building projects. Many cities exhibiting at MIPIM will be promoting sports projects to highlight new investment opportunities.

Conferences:

Opportunities for investors in the host country of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games: Brazil.
Poland: land of opportunity?
Poland: investment attractiveness in city identity (including cities which will host the UEFA Euro 2012).

Events and Press conferences:

The investment case for South Africa, a closer look at a country alive with possiblity after the FIFA 2010 World Cup (Tuesday, March 16 – 04.00pm – stand 14.18)

Investment perspectives of Lviv City: Euro 2012 new city centre development (Wednesday, March 17 – 10.00am – Agora 2)

Ryder Cup 2018 application: development issues (Wednesday, March 17 – 11.00am – stand Paris Region)

The projects on show include:

The Warsaw stand and its projects for the UEFA Euro 2012.
Stand Embratur (Brazilian Ministry of Tourism) and its projects for the FIFA World Cup 2014.
The London stand and its plans for the 2012 Olympics.

source : Mipim

Panattoni Europe, the leading warehouse space developer in Poland, received two awards in the prestigious CEE Quality Awards ceremony, which gathers the leading real estate market players in Central & Eastern Europe. The prize was awarded to the company for the Panattoni Park Mysłowice distribution center and a special distinction was granted to Robert Dobrzycki, the Panattoni Partner Managing Partner for Central and Eastern Europe.

Grand Award

The CEE Real Estate Quality Awards ceremony was held on March 3, 2010 in Warsaw. The „Industry Professional of the year” grand prize was awarded to Robert Dobrzycki, nominated in this category together with 9 other representatives from the area of law, real estate agency, construction and RE development industry from across the CEE region, among others Eli Alroy at GTC or Nicklas Lindberg at SKANSKA. The judges assessed the candidates based on last year business achievements, company results, innovation, and impact on the development of the real estate industry. Robert Dobrzycki was also acknowledged for his capability of ensuring the company stable growth despite the climate downturn in the industry.

Panattoni Park Mysłowice –Industrial & Logistics Development of the Year 2009

At the CEE QA ceremony awards were granted in 19 categories tied to the real estate industry. Panattoni Park Mysłowice, acknowledged both by clients and professionals in the real estate industry, received the Industrial & Logistics Development of the Year 2009 award. This is yet another award granted for the park in Mysłowice, deemed the best logistics center in 2009 in Poland by CIJ Journal magazine, at the CIJ Awards ceremony. Apart from the investment in the distribution center, Panattoni also reconstructed the road network, including the development of a communication node on the S1 Express Way, for ca PLN 30m.

CEE Quality Awards

The 7th edition of the contest, which is considered to be the most objective and in-depth overview of the real estate market in the CEE region, has finished. Projects were submitted from 10 CEE countries: Czech, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. This year’s ceremony was exceptional in the sense that there were more award categories (e.g. a new award for the Company of the Year in the area of construction services), higher number of judges (increase from 16 to 24 members) and a new gala location – the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

The CEEQA awards are another distinction granted from the real estate industry experts to Panattoni Europe and its president. In 2008 and 2009 r. Robert Dobrzycki received the Personality of the Year Award in another industry contest – CIJ Awards Poland. This time the recognition given by experts to the Managing Director of Panattoni Europe has a regional dimension.

source : Panattoni

On Best in Customer Service Award dinner ceremony held in Zagreb, hotel Sheraton on March 4, Colliers International was recognized and awarded for its excellence in customer service, together with 7 prestige companies working in the service industry in Croatia.

The Best in Customer Service Award is the first national competition developed to reward and accent organizations that demonstrate excellence in customer service in Croatia. Program was initiated by the company Vita Communications with the purpose to promote excellence, best practices, leadership and innovation. With the award dinner ceremony, the list of 8 Top Croatian service industry leaders was created.

Organizations competed against one another and were evaluated according to the five criteria: (1) Service Leadership; (2) Service Culture; (3) Service Positioning; (4) Service Relationship Marketing and; 5) Service Recovery. Colliers Croatia has met the advisory committee’s expectations in each segment while also distinguishing itself with its variety of quality strategic programs such as Service Excellence (with which Colliers globally prioritizes enhancement of the client’s level of satisfaction with the provided service); Colliers SEE Mentoring program (with the aim to exchange and transfer regional knowledge and experience to the local levels and continuous upgrade of the service culture); initiative to establish Croatian Green Building Council in order to promote taking responsibility for preserving environment and the Regional initiative for sustainability and environment – RISE. Apart from the above mentioned, Colliers in Croatia is perceived as the leading consultant, market connoisseur and the key first choice when in need of a sale or lease of the commercial, office, residential or industry real estate, offering 6 service lines and a team of highly qualified and committed professionals.

Vedrana Likan, General Manager, Colliers, Croatia pointed out:„ Colliers differentiates from its competition with its readiness to provide consultancy based on experience and knowledge, while commiting itself without hesitation to the full scale needs of our clients, their projects, benefit and success. We consider our people, our global platform, market knowledge and comprehensive service to be our most valuable assets and we are extremely happy that our dedication, responsibility, flexibility, long-term experience and passion towards the work we do were recognized by this award. We commit ourselves to justify and excel our client's expectations with each new step we're going to make.“

Apart from winning the Best in Customer Service Award in Croatia by its specialized approach to each project and individual dedication to each client, Colliers Internationl was also recently ranked as the #2 commercial real estate brand in the world according to the Lipsey Company Top 25 Brands Survey.

Both rewards represent the certain confirmation that Colliers International still holds the market leader position globally and locally.

In addition to the above, The International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® (IAOP®) has announced Colliers International inclusion in The 2010 Global Outsourcing 100® list, which recognizes the world's best outsourcing service providers and advisors. On that occasion Colliers has been recognized by IAOP® as a top commercial real estate service provider since the inception of the ranking, which is now in its fifth year.

source : Colliers