Pictured at the launch of an alternative property offering - innovative houseboats from Bluefield Houseboats are: (l-r) Alderman Allan Ewart; Jonny Baird, Bluefield Houseboats; Dr Theresa Donaldson, Chief Executive, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council; Tony Reid, Chairman of Bluefield Houseboats and Councillor Uel Mackin, Chairman of the Council's Development Committee.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Investment Team had a highly successful presence at MIPIM UK recently in London, showcasing the council area as The Right Combination for opportunity and investment to developers and investors from all over the world.

MIPIM UK is the largest exhibition and conference for property professionals in the UK with over 5000 delegates attending and over 100 exhibitors showcasing their cities and projects. It continues to provide a great platform for the Council to highlight the many opportunities for retail, office, hotel and mixed-use developments.

Over the 3-days of MIPIM UK the Investment Team carried out a packed itinerary of meetings, networking events and attendance at property seminars, aimed at making connections with key players in the market. Visitors to the stand included the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid; The Rt. Hon. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, MP; Directors of the Legacy Foundation, Rio Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora; a delegation of key Developers from China and investors keen to learn more about Lisburn Castlereagh City. The stand with the theme ‘The Right Combination’ attracted significant interest and potential investment opportunities.

Speaking about MIPIM UK, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee, Councillor Uel Mackin, said: “Taking part in MIPIM UK is essential for the development of our investment offering. It was a great opportunity to prove to investors that they should be considering Lisburn Castlereagh City for their portfolio.  This is the second year of exhibiting at MIPIM UK and it demonstrates the Council’s commitment to the development of our area. We exhibited alongside major UK cities and Councils and our message is very clear ‘we are open for business’ and that we certainly have ‘The Right Combination’. We are looking forward to following up on the leads that we got from the exhibition and having further discussions.”

The Council is engaged in an active Investment programme with the next event ‘Lisburn Castlereagh at Westminster’ being held in March 2017, to enable investors to meet with Council representatives and for Lisburn Castlereagh businesses to meet with potential customers.