The annual Propel by MIPIM NYC, hosted by Reed MIDEM and New York-based venture capital firm MetaProp, moved fully on-line in December 2020 in response to the challenges of the global pandemic. Reflecting a year in which technological solutions have accompanied our working lives, the conference celebrated a deepening digital adoption, applauding PropTech’s resilience and increasing centrality in the real estate ecosystem.
“The crisis is a catalyst, calling for change,”said Aamir Paul, Schneider Electric’s US Country President, in his keynote speech.
Although on-line, and global in its scope, a New York spirit still pervaded the event – from Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been’s rousing keynote, through to MetaProp Managing Director Aaron Block’s interventions.
“I’m excited about the chance to continue to internationalize the PropTech space, while we keep solidifying New York’s place at the center of the PropTech ecosystem,” Block said, kicking-off the conference.
Said Nicolas Kozubek, Director Propel NYC:“We launched this event five years ago at a time when enthusiasm for innovation was all around. But fostering change is still a question of innovation – and talent.”
Throughout the event, sustainability solutions came to the fore, while panelists and speakers appraised the short- and long-term effects of the pandemic.
Another key message was the increasingly essential role of data, and exciting capital commitments which are set to partner the world of PropTech into a more mature phase.
PropTech’s pain points – new and old – still need some attention. From the perennial challenge of diversity, to the ongoing battle with the coronavirus and the patchiness of digital adoption, the real estate world has plenty of work to do. But from the summit’s enthusiastic tone, that’s just how the industry’s vibrant community likes it.
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