PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Over 300 delegates, came together in Shanghai’s JW Marriott for what was described as a highly successful second edition of Retail Real Estate Market China June 15-16, with a 15% attendance increase on last year.
Delegates packed the event venue and remarked on the level of business discussions over the two intense days. From its opening hours, the JW Marriott welcomed key international industry players in retail real estate as well as Chinese developers/franchise partners intent on doing business together, considering new trends and selecting projects in China.
Networking and deal-making were also a key focus of RREM, through innovative formats such as 8 pitching sessions and 12 topic based lunches centred on themes such as Pop-Up stores, retailtainment, food and beverage etc.
Organised by Reed MIDEM, RREM (MAPIC China) is the primary deal making event dedicated to Chinese retail real estate, gathering together Chinese and international retailers, retail property owners/investors, management companies and agents looking to explore business opportunities on the Chinese market. RREM is powered by MAPIC - the world’s leading event in the retail real estate sector, held annually in Cannes.
Nathalie Depetro, Director of RREM and MAPIC commented, “The second edition of RREM was a success thanks to very interactive formats of deal-making and high quality speakers demonstrating the attractiveness of this vibrant market full of promise for the retail sector.”
A strong representation of CEO’s made up part of the RREM conference programme including Leo Ding, CEO of SCPG; Jack Wang, CEO of RET; Zhibin Wang and Vice President of Dalian Wanda. International CEO’s included Laurent Milchior, CEO of Etam; Mohamed Haouache, CEO of Oui Open; Tom Gong, Founder and CEO of All Dragon, and Mario C. Bauer, CEO of Viapiano.
On day one, during the first panel entitled "Retailers Success Stories in China", Mr. Mario Bauer, CEO of Vapiano Franchising International, shared his experience on bringing the German F&B brand into China. "We have modified quite a bit some elements of the brand to gain a prominent position in the market,” he said. “We are currently enjoying a very healthy customer mix of 70% locals and 30% foreigners. To achieve this, we make sure that the brand retains its core DNA while at the same time adapting to the local market. For instance, we have added grills to our salad menu as purely vegetarian salads simply are not popular here. We have adjusted the tables to adapt to the sharing culture, etc."
Addressing RREM attendees in an introductory speech, Chris Igwe - Founder of Chris Igwe International (CII) - stated that “No market can be fully understood from outside its borders. The opportunities in the Chinese market are unimaginably huge, but there is no substitute for on-the-ground research, assessment and testing in order to properly understand the local habits and expectations of consumers. This takes time. Patience is not always our greatest virtue in business today, but the Chinese market requires it, indeed demands it, in order to minimise the risk of failure.”
RREM does not end here: the date for the third edition of Retail Real Estate Market China will be announced shortly.
Notes to editors:
About Reed MIDEM:
Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is an organiser of professional, international markets that are essential business platforms for key players in the sectors concerned. These sectors are MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, MIPCANCUN and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM, MIPIM Asia, MIPIM UK, and MIPIM Japan for the real estate industry and MAPIC, Retail Real Estate Market brought by MAPIC in Shanghai and MAPIC Italy for the retail real estate sector.
About Reed Exhibitions:
Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2015 Reed brought together over seven million active professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully-staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. www.reedexpo.com