Italy, Country of Honour at MAPIC 2011

PARIS, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Market for Retail Real Estate will be casting its spotlight on Italy this year.

"We have chosen Italy as the 'Country of Honour' to pay tribute to its contribution to the retail real estate market. Italy's many years of loyalty to MAPIC is a powerful testimony to the dynamism of its key players, who have made their country a European leader in the industry. As a popular international retail destination due to the quality of its shopping centre developments, Italy also features a number of sophisticated brands that are exceptionally successful internationally," says Nathalie Depetro, Director of MAPIC.

The international reputation of Italian brands will be on show throughout MAPIC. Mario Moretti Polegato, the chairman of Geox, will talk about the success of his shoes and clothing brand in a much-awaited keynote on Thursday, 17 November. His exemplary track record will also be celebrated at the MAPIC Awards evening where he will receive the Personality of the Year 2011 prize.

In addition to this retail giant, Italy will be promoting its influence in the fashion industry at this year's MAPIC, with the attendance of many brands aiming to accelerate their international expansion, including Alcott, Benetton, Calzedonia, Camicissima, Carpisa, Conbipel, Geox, Golden Lady, Gruppo Miroglio, Kiko, Terranova and Yamamay.

The Italian market is also attracting the sector's international developers, who see this country as a key step in their growth strategy. The recent alliance between the Australian developer Westfield and The Percassi Group in the ambitious Milan Westfield project scheduled for the Milan World Expo in 2015, and the partnership between Sonae Sierra (Portugal) and ING Real Estate Development (Netherlands) in "Le Terrazze" project slated for 2012 in the Liguria region, both illustrate the interest of the Italian market as a property destination of choice. The 'How to penetrate the Italian market' conference on Thursday, 17th November, will give an insight into the experience of the Guess Italia brand, Eurocommercial Properties (Netherlands), Segece Italia, and the investor Corio Italia.

Italian shopping centre developers will also be boosting the commercial attractiveness of their market with a wide, diversified range of retail premises. At MAPIC 2011, attendees will be able to discover a number of new projects in the exhibition area: the 'Porta a Mare' makeover programme for the port of Livorno presented by the IGD Group, which will include shopping malls, "The Moon" leisure activities project on the OverItalia stand with its water park and go-kart track, the redevelopment of a former sugar refinery as a shopping centre in Chieti on the Jones Lang LaSalle stand, and the planned MID factory outlet in Fiumicino near Rome, which will be unveiled by Larry Smith Italia. A session co-organised by CNCC Italy and Quotidiano Immobiliare on "Great projects for great players' will highlight even more projects currently under development.

MAPIC will provide a comprehensive coverage of this market by giving special attention to Italian local authorities with particularly active retail development policies. A stand in the exhibition area will showcase the Lombardy region towns of Varese, Busto Arsizio and Cremona and the region of Liguria, all of which are looking for new retailers, developers and investors to help boost their commercial appeal.

One of the highlights of the Italy Country of Honour programme will be the MAPIC opening night on Tuesday, 15th November at the Marriott Hotel from 7.30 p.m. which will have a distinctly Italian flavour. In a new move this year, a post-MAPIC study trip to Rome is being organized for anyone wishing to find out more about the country's latest innovative brand concepts.

For more information on the Rome study trip, click here.

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