London, 6 November 2025 — MIPIM, the world’s leading global urban festival, has announced a major expansion of its acclaimed MIPIM Challengers programme, reaffirming its commitment to cultivating a more inclusive and future-forward built environment sector.
Following the success of its debut cohorts—spotlighting 15 rising professionals in 2024 and 16 in 2025—the 2026 edition will welcome up to 40 Challengers, the largest group since the programme’s inception. This expansion represents a bold step toward ensuring that the voices shaping the future of real estate are diverse, innovative, and globally representative.
Championing Emerging Talent in the Built Environment
The MIPIM Challengers programme was launched to identify and empower the next generation of real estate leaders, offering young professionals the opportunity to engage directly with top executives, investors, and developers from around the world.
This year’s programme introduces a streamlined and accessible application process, encouraging both company nominations and self-nominations. Selected Challengers will act as visible ambassadors for their organisations at MIPIM, gaining valuable exposure and industry visibility.
In addition to receiving a complimentary delegate pass to attend the festival, participants will benefit from preferential accommodation rates, participate in roundtable discussions, and co-author a thought leadership paper alongside senior figures from leading global property companies. They’ll also attend an exclusive networking cocktail event, designed to spark collaborations and build meaningful professional relationships.
Building Leaders Through Learning
In 2026, MIPIM is elevating the programme further by introducing a bespoke leadership development course. Each Challenger will receive three personalised coaching webinars and an on-site training session focused on AI implementation—a key competency in shaping the future of real estate.
Following MIPIM, selected participants will contribute exclusive insights to be published across MIPIM’s global channels, showcasing their thought leadership and helping shape international conversations in the property industry.
Empowering the Next Generation
“MIPIM has long been a gathering place for seasoned professionals in real estate, but if we want the industry to evolve and stay relevant, we need to make space for fresh thinking and the next generation of leaders. That is why the Challengers programme matters,” said Nicolas Boffi, MIPIM Director.
“It brings in bold, young voices who challenge the status quo and offer new perspectives. Since launching in 2025, we’ve seen immediate impact — some of our first Challengers returned the following year not just as attendees, but as experts, joining panels and mentoring the next cohort. In 2026, we are expanding the programme to welcome even more rising talent. I’m excited to see how they’ll shape the conversations at MIPIM and help drive the industry forward.”
How to Apply
Candidates or employers must submit a short statement (up to 200 words) answering the question:
“Tell us why you or the person you nominate should be selected as a MIPIM Challenger. Highlight recent achievements, leadership experience, and how you or your nominee are contributing to shaping the future of the built environment.”
MIPIM’s 2026 edition will strategically focus on key global priorities, including residential development, data centres, equality of opportunity, healthcare, and artificial intelligence.
The programme is open to professionals under 31 years old (as of 31 March 2026) who are passionate about innovation in the built environment and have not previously attended MIPIM.
A new element requires Challengers to nominate two senior executives from their organisation. If selected, each Challenger will conduct a pre-MIPIM interview with one of their nominated leaders, discussing the future of real estate. These conversations will be published across MIPIM’s platforms.
Since its introduction in 2023, the MIPIM Challengers initiative has drawn over 150 submissions from 20 countries, including Mauritius, South Africa, and the United States.
The 2024 cohort established the MIPIM Challengers Network, a long-term forum connecting participants beyond the event to support collaboration and mentorship across generations.
The programme has already proven to be a powerful career catalyst. Among past participants, Rachel Munro, Senior Associate at Shoosmiths, earned a nomination for Inspiring Women in Property, while Federica Sanchez of Lombardini22 gained international attention for her groundbreaking work in architecture and neuroscience.
Applications are open until 21 November 2025, with winners to be announced in December 2025.
About MIPIM
MIPIM is the world’s premier real estate event, gathering the most influential figures from every sector of the international property industry. The 2024 edition attracted over 20,000 delegates from 90 countries, including 70% of the world’s top 100 investment managers, collectively managing more than €4 trillion in assets.
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