Why this comparison matters
If you're a real estate developer, a proptech founder, or an architecture or engineering firm looking to expand internationally, you've probably been told to "go to MIPIM" or "get on stage at Web Summit." Both are massive events. Both promise deal flow, visibility, and the kind of connections that accelerate market entry. But they operate on fundamentally different logics, attract fundamentally different audiences, and demand fundamentally different strategies.
We've prepared and represented architecture practices at MIPIM, among them UNStudio, ODA New York and, earlier, Ector Hoogstad Architecten, and worked with proptech and SaaS companies around Web Summit. Here's what we've learned about where the real ROI lives for each type of company.
MIPIM: the deal room of European real estate
MIPIM (Marché International des Professionnels de l'Immobilier) takes place every March in Cannes. It draws developers, investors, city officials, architects and service providers from around the world. The atmosphere is deal-focused: people come to MIPIM to close, not to browse.
Who should attend MIPIM
- Architecture and design firms entering European markets.
- Real estate developers seeking capital or joint-venture partners.
- Engineering and property consultancies expanding their geographic footprint.
- Construction technology companies selling to developers and asset managers.
- City governments and economic development agencies promoting investment zones.
What makes MIPIM different
The decision-makers at MIPIM are actual decision-makers. Unlike tech conferences where you might meet a product manager or a junior BD associate, MIPIM attracts C-suite executives, fund managers and municipal leaders with signing authority. The flipside: if you don't have warm introductions before you arrive, MIPIM can feel impenetrable. The most valuable meetings happen in private lounges and pre-arranged dinners, not at booths.
Measuring MIPIM ROI
We measure MIPIM ROI across three dimensions: qualified meetings secured (aim for 15 to 25 over three days), follow-up conversion within 90 days, and mentions in industry publications. For our architecture clients, a well-prepared MIPIM campaign has generated three to five serious project leads and two or three partnership enquiries per event.
Web Summit: the stage for proptech and SaaS visibility
Web Summit in Lisbon is enormous, chaotic and energy-rich. The audience skews toward technology: investors, startup founders, corporate innovation teams and media. For proptech and SaaS companies, Web Summit offers something MIPIM can't: exposure to a tech-native audience that understands product-led growth, recurring revenue and platform economics.
Who should attend Web Summit
- Proptech companies seeking funding or strategic partnerships.
- SaaS platforms looking to enter the European market.
- Companies that want coverage in technology media.
- Firms whose product story works on stage: visual, demo-able or data-driven.
What makes Web Summit different
Web Summit is a visibility engine. A strong stage slot can generate more press coverage than a year of trade advertising, and the side-event ecosystem (Night Summit, investor lounges, partner dinners) creates genuine serendipity. But the sheer scale means that without a strategy you'll spend three days walking and collecting business cards that lead nowhere.
Measuring Web Summit ROI
We track Web Summit differently: press mentions and social amplification, investor meetings secured, partnership conversations started, and email-list growth from booth or stage exposure. For SaaS companies expanding into Europe, a pre-event outreach strategy is what separates a list of qualified leads from a bag of business cards.
Head-to-head: the strategic comparison
Audience quality vs audience volume
MIPIM wins on audience quality for real estate: every person you meet is in your industry. Web Summit wins on volume and cross-sector exposure: you'll meet people from adjacent industries who can become unexpected partners or customers.
Cost per meaningful connection
MIPIM is expensive, from the stand to Cannes hotel rates in March. But the cost per qualified lead is often lower, because every meeting is industry-relevant. Web Summit has cheaper entry points for startups but requires more effort to filter for relevant contacts.
Content strategy
At MIPIM, your content is your project portfolio, your track record and your local market knowledge. At Web Summit, it is your product demo, your growth metrics and your vision story. The two audiences respond to fundamentally different proof points.
Follow-up dynamics
MIPIM relationships mature slowly: expect six to twelve months from first meeting to first project. Web Summit connections can convert faster, especially investor meetings, but partnership deals still take three to six months to formalise.
The hybrid strategy: why the best companies do both
The most sophisticated international expansion strategies we've seen use both events in a coordinated annual calendar: MIPIM to deepen relationships in real estate markets and showcase built projects, Web Summit to announce technology capabilities, meet investors and generate press. The key is not treating them as interchangeable; they serve different stages of the growth flywheel.
How we help clients get a return on events
We don't book a booth and hope for the best. Our event work includes pre-event outreach to target attendees six to eight weeks before the event, on-site meeting management, PR with industry media and structured follow-up after the event. Whether you're entering the French market through MIPIM or launching in Europe through Web Summit, the aim is the same: turn visibility into pipeline.
Which event should you choose?
If you're a real estate, architecture or engineering firm expanding into European markets, start with MIPIM. If you're a proptech or SaaS company seeking investors and European visibility, start with Web Summit. If you're a proptech company that sells to real estate developers, consider both, but lead with MIPIM for customer acquisition and Web Summit for brand building. And if you're unsure, talk to us before you spend the budget.