A new initiative, Ladies Who Cannes, has been set up to change the perception of the annual real estate exhibition MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier).
The initiative has been created by Anastasia Ttofis (pictured, left), co-founder and CEO of property legal advice firm ILA, Kim McGinley (pictured, right), director of commercial broker firm Vibe Finance, and Rosalia Lazzara-Tilley (pictured, middle), founder and CEO of social media consultancy Manuka Media. Lazzara-Tilley has worked in the mainstream and specialist mortgage markets both on the lending and advising sides.
Ladies Who Cannes has been designed to “support and empower women” who have been discouraged from attending MIPIM due to its perception as a “man’s club”, the three said.
Ttofis, McGinley and Lazzara-Tilley said they wanted to offer a “safe and inclusive community for networking, learning and growth”.
Ladies Who Cannes aims to give women a platform to connect, share insights and feel welcome at global real estate events.
The network has also set out to address the challenges and questions women have when thinking about attending MIPIM.
Ladies Who Cannes will host a discovery event on 23 October at Megan’s at the Sorting Office in London from 9am to 11am. It is open to all women who want to know more about next year’s MIPIM and join a community that supports them.
Tickets can be purchased at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ladies-who-cannes-launch-event-tickets-1002933770907
The launch event is being sponsored by Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) and JMW Solicitors.
Jodi Lund, partner in the real estate team at JMW Solicitors, said: “I am delighted for JMW to sponsor Kim, Rosalia and Anastasia in their collaboration on this initiative, which has the potential to reach and elevate those areas of the specialist finance space that still need a spotlight, and [that] will benefit from their energy and experience.”
Ttofis added: “We created ‘Ladies Who Cannes’ because we saw a real need for a community where women could come together, support one another, and make the most out of their MIPIM experience.
“Our goal is to build a network that not only helps women prepare for MIPIM 2025 but also provides them with the confidence and connections they need to thrive. We are incredibly grateful to our headline sponsors, Hampshire Trust Bank and JMW Solicitors, for their generous support in making this launch event possible.”
McGinley added: “We want to ensure that every woman who attends our events feels included, supported and ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that MIPIM presents. This is about creating a space where we can lift each other up and succeed together.”
Lazzara-Tilley said: “Our events in Cannes next March will be the perfect mix of professional development and enjoyment, setting the stage for a truly memorable and beneficial experience at MIPIM 2025.”
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS
