Plans to promote Bristol’s new Western Gateway regional powerhouse link-up with South Wales at the world’s leading international property market showcase could be scuppered by the rapid spread of coronavirus.
A growing number of major businesses have pulled out of MIPIM, the global property gathering due to take place in the South of France next month, over worries about the virus. 
While the event’s organisers have insisted it will go ahead as planned, the large number of withdrawals – which includes big names such as property agencies JLL, Knight Frank and CBRE, along with property investor Landsec, accountancy giant EY and Lloyds banking group – means promotional activities are likely to be curtailed.
Property agencies Avison Young and Savills have also said they will not attend.
Both were due to be part of a 20-strong delegation of the region’s businesses and public sector partners at MIPIM led by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which includes Bristol City Council.
Savills said it had arrived at its decision due to the growing global concern about the virus in the past week and the fact that MIPIM has “many thousands of people travelling from multiple countries across the world”.
Group chief executive Mark Ridley said: “Due to the scale and size of this conference, and the importance of the event to our industry, this decision has not been taken lightly.
“Our absolute priority is the welfare of our staff as well as avoiding any service disruption to or clients in light of increased coronavirus cases across Europe.”
Each year the show is attended by around 25,000 delegates, including potential investors, property agents, developers and media, from more than 100 countries. It is widely regarded as the prime shop window for major developments. This year it is due to take place between March 10-13.
WECA said previous delegations have been very successful in attracting partners and investment into the region who are now delivering new housing in the region.
While WECA plans to have its own exhibition stand focussing on Bristol and Bath – which will host a programme of panel discussions and roundtable events to explore key themes including innovation and quality of place – those behind the new Western Gateway had hoped to also put it on the map at MIPIM.
It was launched at Westminster by cabinet ministers last November as the UK’s third powerhouse after the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine.
But as a cross-border partnership of eight cities in the West of England and South Wales – alongside rural communities in a wide economic area – it goes one step further than the ‘regional’ powerhouses formed to date.
The Western Gateway’s prospectus, launched yesterday, focuses on inclusive and clean economic growth, “where scale and collaboration can achieve more for the people and the wider economies of countries involved than our constituent parts could achieve alone”.
Delivering this vision will add more than £56bn to the UK economy by 2030 and help achieve a net zero future.
Chair of the Western Gateway, Katherine Bennett CBE, said: “The proposal we’ve put on the table is one that will deliver the economic boost the region requires to maximise its potential. Our prospectus provides an insight into the journey we are undertaking together as a partnership of businesses and authorities, determined to deliver growth from Swansea to Swindon and Cheltenham to Weston.”
Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees added: “Our goal is to deliver inclusive and sustainable growth across the region. This partnership is ground-breaking for the region and is well placed to be the vehicle that strengthens the economy to benefit over 4.4m people.”
