HONG KONG, Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MIPIM Asia, the world's property market in Asia Pacific, opened its doors today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Honorable Mr. C.Y. Leung, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Government hosted the Opening Ceremony.

Mr. Leung welcomed delegates to MIPIM Asia which is being held in Hong Kong for the 7^th consecutive year. He said: "Hong Kong has the advantage of being the gateway to China, which brings numerous opportunities. We have an extensive information network, comprehensive market system and diversified market opportunities. The most important of all is that we have talents and connections to assist developers and other enterprises to enter the China market."

Paul Zilk, Chief Executive Officer of Reed MIDEM, the organiser of MIPIM Asia, said: "This year, MIPIM Asia features a new Summit dedicated to property investment in Asia, combined with a first-ever Retail Summit with the presence of more than 200 retailers, and a new exhibition area which is largely devoted to sustainable property. We are particularly excited about the new Retail Summit since Hong Kong and China are the shopping paradise of Asia."

A series of key events followed immediately after the Opening Ceremony, among which:

Keynote address 2012: A year in review and its impacts on 2013 
Dr. Joy Yang, Chief Economist for Greater China, Mirae Asset Securities and Mr. Stephen Schwartz, Chief Economist for Asia, BBVA, reviewed the main issues in 2012 and how they created opportunities. Although exports are slowing from weak demand, the two experts explained that "Asia is still a growth engine, supported by the economic strength of many Asian economies."

Inspirational Keynote Address: Inventing the future of retail 
Mr. Robert Tercek, Founder, General Creativity Consulting and Chairman, Creative Visions Foundation, explored the possibility of combining digital technology with retail in order to completely rethink the shopping experience.

RICS: Global Property Survey Q3
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reported that the sentiment in China remains robust, although signs of moderation have emerged. Hong Kong continues to experience gains in occupier and investment activity and elevated confidence levels. Results in Singapore and Malaysia paint a generally improved picture.

MIPIM Asia Sustainable Property Expo also offered many valuable insights into the regional market, with showcases such as the Kowloon area rehabilitation project developed by the Hong Kong government, or the Chinese developments of Chongqing and Tianjin cities, to name just a few.

Thursday 8 November, will offer property and retail real estate professionals new opportunities to learn and network, with programme highlights such as the Leaders' breakfast led by Dr. Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, the investment workshops dedicated to LPs, a new series of topic-based lunch tables on retail issues, the Keynote address at 2.00pm by John Devine, President-Director of Subway Real Estate and Carmine Rotondaro, Worldwide Real Estate Director of PPR Group, and last but not least, the MIPIM Asia Awards gala dinner ranking the 30 winning projects at the prestigious Grand Hyatt hotel.

For the photos of today's events, please click here to visit our ImageBank.

Notes for editors
Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is a leading organiser of professional, international tradeshows. Reed MIDEM events have established themselves as key dates in professional diaries. The company hosts MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM, MIPIM Asia and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors. Reed MIDEM belongs to Reed Exhibitions, which is the world's leading event organiser, with over 500 events held in 39 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 33 fully staffed offices.

MIPIM Asia® is a registered trademark, all rights reserved.

www.mipimasia.com

SOURCE Reed MIDEM