MIPIM 2018 took place hard on the heels of the President’s Club scandal. In a few weeks, efforts were made to call time on the worse excesses of the culture it represented: the MIPIM Code of Conduct was quickly revamped and the London Festival of Architecture launched its Elephant Campaign. The demand for pink elephant badges confirming a willingness to call out unacceptable behaviour outstripped supply.
One year on, many women and gay men that I speak to about going to MIPIM this year, as in past years, respond with a knowing look and a resigned sigh. The reputation of MIPIMs gone by are well known: it could be seen standing outside Caffe Roma in the evenings and was experienced by many young women and some gay men.
But has the good start, evident at last year’s show, been built on?
Across the real estate sector there is a lot of excellent work being done by companies and individuals collaborating to improve diversity across the property sector in the UK. Some, like Women in Property, have working at it for decades. However, the number and range of activity has escalated. We have Real Estate Balance doing fabulous work. The recognition of Freehold’s work, which has changed the lives of many LGBT+ people, by the sector at the EG Awards was a powerful demonstration times have changed.
BAME in Property is also having a real impact. Changing the Face of Property goes from strength to strength and is a good working example of efforts to make a difference across all strands of diversity for the future of the sector.
The relevant professional bodies are now all on board and pushing the diversity agenda for real estate as a whole.
So how do we ensure all that energy and work travels with us to to MIPIM?
Thursday is the day for celebrating and promoting diversity. Making Space for Diversity is on at the London Stand – and it is pleasing to note that the promotional image for that event appears on the front page of the MIPIM website. There is an interesting Inclusion Forum, at which KPMG France’s survey of gender diversity in real estate will be discussed. LFA’s Elephant Campaign is being enhanced with a great added twist: multiple designs of elephants. As LFA points out in its challenge to every individual in the sector to be call out inappropriate behaviour, even elephants are diverse.
There is also a growing recognition that small groups meeting, sitting and talking are preferable to the suited, booted, night-time drinking. Preferable because they create a more inclusive business like culture that is better for making connections.
Some have taken steps to ensure their attendees are more diverse too, bringing the most effective range of their talent to do business with and meet a diversity of potential partners and clients.
As the diversity of the attendees increases year on year, the rate of change will be exponential. Who wants to miss out business because your attendees were one dimensional and could not really connect with the diversity you found amongst the potential clients present?
MIPIM 2019 presents us all with an opportunity to take a big step forward for diversity in real estate, to improve the culture and maximise our business at the same time. Have conversations about calling out any sexism, homophobia and racism as well as safeguarding yourself and your colleagues. Be visible as someone who is a conscious supporter of diversity in our sector and committed to not being a by-stander while the unacceptable happens.
Get yourself an elephant badge or do it your own way. Freehold members will be wearing Freehold pins and/or using a Freehold/Changing the Face of Property lanyard. Hardwicke has rainbow lanyards. Join with the sentiments of the Elephant Campaign they are visible in their conscious support of diversity. The companies, firms and chambers that put thought into creating inclusive events, encouraging their delegates to be visibly inclusive and call out the unacceptable will make a difference for the better and reap the benefits.
Brie Stephens-Hoare QC is a barrister and mediator at Hardwick
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