One MIPIM delegate almost spent the entire week missing his meetings and drinking sink water rather than rosé. The poor chap found himself locked in the loo of his room at the Eden Hotel in Cannes – with no mobile phone – when, in comedy sketch-style, the door handle fell off on the inside. Thankfully, Cushman & Wakefield’s Joshua Askew eventually heard some muffled cries. “It took me and a few hotel staff about 20 minutes to locate the right room by following the shouting,” he told Diary last night. “And it was another half an hour before we got the door open, by which point the poor guy was shivering with just a towel wrapped around his waist.” Not the most dignified start to the conference. Though if the scenes at Caffé Roma last night are anything to go by, there will be plenty now giving him a run for his money.
IN YER MERC, LIZZIE There is a rule among cyclists that your car must have a lesser value than your bike. That probably was the case for Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armistead when she hired a car to take her to the start of her ride into Cannes with the Cycle2Cannes cyclists. Until it broke down. But luckily when you are a superstar cyclist you tend to have superstar cyclist buddies. A quick call to super sprinter Mark Cavendish and Lizzie has
herself a nice Mercedes SLS. Not really designed for bike-carrying, though, since poor Lizzie had to squeeze in the back, arms and legs wrapped around her bike. Let’s just hope Cav doesn’t see this!
BRISTOL PASSION Some mayors are very enterprising. As the crowds gathered for the arrival of 90 sweaty cyclists, greeted as usual by London mayor Boris Johnson, one other UK mayor saw an opportunity to showcase his city. Stand
up George Ferguson, mayor of Bristol. As Boris with his signature floppy blonde hair waved in the cyclists in his unique way, Ferguson in bright red trousers shook hands from the other side of the funnel. Clever mayor. It is the first time that Bristol has come to MIPIM under its own steam and this mayor is seizing every opportunity he can to talk about his city. Chapeau!
mymipim
WHAT HAPPENS TO MIPIM MOODS AND MEETINGS WHEN THE HEAVENS OPEN? EMILY WRIGHT CAUGHT UP WITH CHRIS BELL, KNIGHT FRANK’S EUROPE MD, ON THE LONDON STAND TO FIND OUT
spotted
Minnie Mouse being super grumpy and not allowing Diary to take her picture unless we paid her? Whatever Minnie, a journalist can turn pap in a matter of seconds.
Chris Grigg keeping a straight face like a true pro when a roller-skating child crashed at his feet midway through an EGTV interview on the Croisette.
The Turkish prime minister being herded about outside the London stand by some possibly over-officious security guard.