USD Students Experience the Global Stage at MIPIM 2026 in Cannes

Each year, the global real estate industry gathers along the iconic Mediterranean waterfront of Cannes, France, for the world’s premier real estate conference, MIPIM. The 2026 conference has brought together more than 20,000 delegates from over 90 countries, including leading developers, institutional investors, city officials, and innovators shaping the future of the built environment.

This year, six students from the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego had the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary global forum:

• Lucca Deocarzia

• Isaac Ambrose

• Monet Castellino

• Mason Wilson

• Turner Loughead

• Francisco Quijano

Through networking events, conference sessions, and meetings with industry leaders, the students were immersed in one of the most influential gatherings in global real estate.

A Global Classroom in Cannes

For many of the students, the experience was both professionally transformative and personally inspiring. One student described the experience as being immersed in “an incredible volume of high-level engagement and global perspective.” Throughout the week, the group participated in numerous interviews and informal meetings with professionals from across the world, including Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These conversations exposed the students to diverse perspectives on capital markets, development strategies, and emerging global real estate trends.

Another student noted that networking at MIPIM occurred in a variety of settings that encouraged authentic interaction, ranging from morning running groups to evening receptions and private company yacht gatherings along the Mediterranean coast. These settings created opportunities to build meaningful relationships with industry leaders in ways that only a conference of this scale could facilitate.

Engaging with the Industry’s Biggest Topics

Beyond networking, the students attended panels and keynote sessions covering many of the most pressing issues shaping global real estate today. Conference discussions explored topics including:

• The growing influence of artificial intelligence in real estate decision-making

• Sustainable urban development and climate-resilient cities

• Green financing and ESG-driven investment strategies

• The rapid growth of data center infrastructure supporting the digital economy

  
  

Notably, students observed that artificial intelligence emerged as a recurring theme across many sessions, even those not explicitly focused on technology, highlighting the industry’s growing recognition of AI’s transformative potential.

Networking Along La Croisette

Many networking events took place along the famous La Croisette promenade and inside the Palais des Festivals, where the conference was held. These curated gatherings allowed the students to meet developers, investment managers, planners, and advisors from around the world. As a cohort, the group also participated in shared dinners and daily discussions reflecting on their experiences, which helped them maximize the learning opportunities available during the week.

Throughout the conference, the students documented their experiences through reflective blog posts, capturing insights from sessions, industry conversations, and observations about the evolving global real estate landscape.

Now that the delegation has returned to San Diego, the group plans to share a comprehensive debrief of their experience with the Burnham-Moores Center community, bringing back insights and relationships developed on one of the world’s most important real estate stages.