The Power of Collaboration at MIPIM
12 Mar 2026
Having wrapped up my first MIPIM, three words stayed with me on the journey home from Cannes: culture, commerce and creativity.
These were the themes of the New City Playbook panel chaired by our CEO Richard Beasley on behalf of Eldon Square at the Newcastle Invest stand. As the week unfolded and conversations flowed, it became clear these ideas are the ingredients driving Newcastle’s growth.
During the panel, Natalie Potter, Head of Community – Retail at the British Fashion Council, made a point that really stuck with me: creativity isn’t a ‘nice to have’ for cities – it’s essential for them to thrive.
Fortunately for Eldon Square and the people of Newcastle, creativity is being supported across the whole ecosystem – from nurturing emerging talent through to supporting established brands.
Newcastle College Principal Jon Ridley spoke about the importance of connecting students with real-world industry opportunities and giving them platforms to showcase their work.
Earlier this year we brought together Jon and his art and design faculty team with Fenwick and the British Fashion Council to explore how we could make that happen.
Fast forward just two months, and this week at MIPIM we announced the launch of Future Heritage – a ground-breaking initiative designed to connect students with established names in the fashion industry, showcase their creativity and give them invaluable industry experience.
The commerce perspective was represented by XPE Group’s Pete Cooper, who sits on the Eldon Square Board. Pete highlighted how the destination continues to go from strength to strength, bucking national trends in both sales and footfall.
That success, he explained, comes from a long-term commitment to partnership – working closely with education providers, the public sector and retail partners to create something bigger than any one organisation could achieve alone.
Eldon Square Centre Director Helen Cowie shared how this approach is delivering real results for retailers, with many fashion brands within the centre experiencing double-digit growth in 2025.
We were also joined by Pam Smith, Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council – co-owners of Eldon Square alongside XPE Group. Pam’s passion for supporting initiatives like Future Heritage was unmistakable – and it reinforced something that became clear throughout the week – Newcastle is a city that knows how to turn collaboration into action.
I caught up with Pam and Helen as part of our LinkedIn content series to explore what makes that possible.
Their answer? Passion, collaboration and a willingness to move quickly when opportunities arise.
Reflecting on my first MIPIM, what stood out most wasn’t just the quality of the discussions on the Newcastle Invest stand – it was the wider response from the Newcastle community.
Across three days of conversations, there was a genuine desire to work together and build something meaningful for the city. Conversations sparked ideas, ideas led to action and follow-up meetings quickly followed.
Having worked with many regional locations over the years, I can honestly say I’ve rarely seen such a positive and collaborative mindset.
As Pam proudly put it: “Shy bairns get nowt.”
And judging by the energy and ambition on display this week, Newcastle certainly isn’t shy.