My friend who works in commercial real estate spends the entire year preparing for three days in November. Not a vacation. Not a conference really. MAPIC in Cannes.
First time I heard about it I thought he was exaggerating. “Its just a trade show” I said. He laughed and told me I had no idea what I was talking about. That was three years ago. After attending MAPIC once myself last year I completely get it now.
If you work in retail real estate and you are not at MAPIC you’re basically invisible for the next 12 months.
What Actually Happens at MAPIC
MAPIC stands for Marché International Professionnel de lImplantation Commerciale et de la Distribution which is a mouthful in French but basically means the international retail real estate market. It’s held every November at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Same venue as the famous film festival.
For three days in early November maybe 9000 people from the retail property world descend on Cannes. Developers. Retailers. Investors. Brokers. Property managers. Everyone who matters in the industry shows up.
This year MAPIC 2026 is scheduled for November 3rd and 4th. Cushman and Wakefield is bringing over 100 professionals from 25 countries which gives you an idea of how seriously major firms take this event.
The setup is part trade show part networking event part deal making marathon. Theres an exhibition floor with booths from major players. Conference sessions covering retail trends and market insights. Award ceremonies. But the real action happens in the spaces between all that official programming.
Why MAPIC Matters More Than Other Events
Retail real estate is relationship driven. You cannot just email someone cold and expect to close a deal on a shopping center lease or a mixed use development project. You need face to face time. You need to build trust. You need multiple conversations over coffee or drinks where you figure out if you actually want to work together.
MAPIC concentrates all those relationship building opportunities into 72 hours. Instead of flying to five different countries over six months to meet potential partners you meet them all in Cannes during one long intensive week.
The attendee list reads like a who is who of retail property. Companies like Altarea, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, Apsys, Newmark. Major retailers scouting expansion locations. Developers looking for anchor tenants. Investors hunting for the next big mixed use project.
When I attended last year, I watched a developer from Spain close a preliminary deal with a US retailer for three locations in Madrid. The whole negotiation happened over espresso at Cushman and Wakefields booth. Twenty minutes. Handshake. Follow up emails scheduled. Done.
Try doing that through normal business channels and it takes six months minimum.
The New Venue Setup for 2026
This year MAPIC is moving to a new location within the Palais called Riviera 8. Its sea facing which sounds nice I guess but more importantly its designed specifically for networking and deal making.
The new space has lounges, dedicated networking tables, full food and beverage service. Everything set up to facilitate those casual conversations that turn into actual business deals.
Cushman and Wakefield will have their stand there offering barista coffee which is smart. Nothing brings people together like free quality coffee at a trade show. Last year their stand was packed all day every day because the coffee was actually good unlike the generic conference coffee most events serve.
They are also hosting Open House Networking Drinks which based on last year will be where the real connections happen. Once people have had a couple drinks the conversation gets more honest and deals start coming together.
Who Attends and Why They Come
The attendee mix at MAPIC is what makes it valuable. Youve got established global brands like Bath and Body Works, Alo, Xiaomi, GongCha. Fast growing retailers from Asia and the Americas looking to enter European markets. European retailers scouting expansion into new territories.
On the property side you have got shopping center developers, mixed use project owners, urban regeneration specialists. Companies managing billions in retail real estate assets like Sonae Sierra with operations across 35 countries.
Then there’s the service providers. Architecture firms. Design studios. Tech companies offering retail solutions. Sustainability consultants. Everyone who touches retail property in some way shows up.
What draws them all together is opportunity. Retailers need locations. Developers need tenants. Investors need projects. Brokers need to connect all these people and take their cut. MAPIC puts everyone in the same place at the same time which dramatically accelerates deal velocity.
The Conference Programming Actually Matters
Unlike some trade shows where the conference sessions are boring filler between networking, MAPIC actually puts together valuable programming. Over 100 sessions covering current retail trends, case studies, market analysis.
Topics range from integrating leisure and entertainment into shopping centers to navigating cross border expansion in different regulatory environments to sustainability in retail real estate.
Cushman and Wakefield experts lead several sessions sharing insights from their work across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. Their Global Retail and Leisure team manages 650 million square feet of retail property and brokers $11.8 billion in transactions annually so when they talk about market trends people listen.
The MAPIC Awards ceremony is another highlight. Projects compete in categories like Best Mixed Use Development, Best Shopping Center Renovation, Most Sustainable Retail Project. Winning gets you visibility and credibility that helps attract tenants and investors.
Figure 1 A woman standing on the promenade in Cannes, with palm trees and a beachside view, reflecting the vibrant atmosphere of the city for Retail Real Estate events in November 2026.
Why Cushman and Wakefield Goes Big on MAPIC
Major firms like Cushman and Wakefield treat MAPIC as a critical business development opportunity. They are not just attending. They are hosting events, running sessions, setting up elaborate booth spaces designed to facilitate client meetings.
Bringing 100 professionals from 25 countries is not cheap. Hotel costs in Cannes during MAPIC are ridiculous because demand is so high. Booth space costs thousands. Travel and entertainment budgets add up fast.
But the return on investment makes it worthwhile. Those 72 hours in Cannes generate business relationships and deal flow that sustains the entire year. Clients expect to see their brokers and advisors at MAPIC. If you’re not there you are signaling you don’t take the retail sector seriously.
For professionals working in retail real estate attending MAPIC is basically mandatory if you want to stay relevant. Miss it one year and you spend the next 12 months playing catch up on deals and relationships that formed without you.
The Cross Border Focus for 2026
This year 2026, MAPIC is putting extra emphasis on cross border retail expansion. Specifically brands from Asia and the Americas looking to enter European markets and vice versa.
Theres a dedicated closed door networking event for exactly this purpose. Retailers ready to expand internationally get matched with property owners who have available space in target markets. The matchmaking format is based on speed dating which sounds silly but apparently works well for initial introductions.
With retail becoming increasingly global the cross border expansion piece is where a lot of growth opportunity exists. A successful Asian brand wanting European presence needs local knowledge about regulations, consumer preferences, site selection. Property owners need to understand what international brands require in terms of store formats and lease terms.
MAPIC facilitates those conversations in ways that don’t really happen anywhere else.
Bottom Line for 2026
If you work in retail property and haven’t attended MAPIC yet you should seriously consider going. The networking alone justifies the cost. Add in the market intelligence you gain from conference sessions and informal conversations and its basically essential professional development.
For anyone already planning to attend this November, Cushman and Wakefield will be at their stand with coffee and networking events. Stop by. Have a conversation. See what opportunities might exist.
Three days in Cannes might seem like an expensive distraction from real work. But in retail real estate those three days at MAPIC often generate more business value than months of traditional prospecting and relationship building.
Save the date. November 3rd and 4th 2026 in Cannes. See you there.
About: Ali writes about commercial real estate events and industry trends at BZPost, based on firsthand experience attending major property conferences worldwide.
