First published on LinkedIn, 22 March 2018
This year was my fourth at MIPIM and I was interested to see how it would compare to previous years in the aftermath of the President's Club dinner. Beforehand, there was a palpable nervousness around the degree of scrutiny the conference would be under, with people genuinely worried about inadvertently ending up on the wrong end of an expose. Some firms were so concerned that they pulled their delegations altogether.
So what was it like in the event? Much the same as any other year. We hosted a series of excellent events with fantastic guests. I made some great new connections and cemented existing ones. I walked for miles and was pleased that I managed to do 5k with the Property Run club on Wednesday morning. There was certainly more discussion on diversity and gender equality, and I found myself telling male friends and colleagues stories that to me, are matter-of-fact, but to them were deeply shocking.
Unfortunately, I was also on the receiving end of some harassment. Only two men out of the many thousands that were in Cannes, but it's still two too many. My response to both of these men was the one I've learned over many years - ignore the outrageous comment, firmly but politely ask them to refrain from touching me, and turn away. My number one priority is to avoid the situation escalating. However, an interesting thing happened last week - after I told him to go away, one of these men approached another woman. She complained to staff and he was thrown out.
Why didn't I do that? To be honest it never occurred to me. I did what I always do - dealt with it, moved on and then beyond telling a few people as an anecdote, don't mention it again. But this is what has changed. The recognition that we need to tell our stories; that this is how the paradigm shifts and we all stop turning a blind eye to, or tolerating, unacceptable behaviour. And I must point out, although I didn't complain, I was not completely unaided. Other men did step in and offer to help me.
There is no getting away from the fact that MIPIM is still a very male environment. As others have pointed out before me, this is a reflection of the industry in general and changing it will be a long, slow process. There are things we can do now, starting with encouraging women to go to MIPIM. You may think you don't fancy it, or it's not for you, but there are myriad ways to do MIPIM and the professional opportunities are unparalleled.
Seek out women who have been before, either through Women in Property, MIPIM Women, REWIRE, through your own network or searching LinkedIn. For one thing, it's good networking in its own right. And for another, I and every other senior woman I know, would be happy to give support and advice.
Everyone at MIPIM needs to remember that it's work. When you strike up a conversation with a stranger and they are being smiley and friendly, your only thought should be that this is a professional interaction, whether it's 11am or 11pm. If you wouldn't say or do it in the office, don't say or do it at MIPIM.