Latest news with #MIPIM
Leaders
01-05-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Media Regulator Showcases Sector Developments, Investment Potential
At the Digital Communication Conference hosted by the Faculty of Communication and Media at King Abdulaziz University, the General Authority of Media Regulation (GAMR) spotlighted key transformations in the media landscape and emerging investment opportunities, reaffirming its commitment to advancing the sector. The conference fostered meaningful collaboration, bringing together students, faculty members, industry experts, and media professionals. Dr. Mohammed Al-Masoudi, General Supervisor of Communication and Marketing at GAMR, noted that the Authority's participation underscored the current state of the Saudi media sector, highlighting significant positive changes backed by data and measurable outcomes. He further emphasized that the conference stands as a leading platform—both nationally and globally—in the field of digital communication, directly contributing to the evolution of the media ecosystem through its rich program of workshops and specialized scientific sessions. Related Topics: SBA Explores AI Collaboration with SCAI to Advance Media Production Gaza Trilateral Summit: France, Egypt, Jordan Call for Immediate Return to Ceasefire Diriyah Unveils Revolutionary Media & Innovation Hub at MIPIM 2025 Saudi Media Forum Launches SMF Connect: Bridging Cultures, Empowering Media Talent Short link : Post Views: 21 Related Stories
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Architect is revolutionizing the industry with 'vertical forest' concept for high-rise homes: 'Best ... in the world'
Italian architect Stefano Boeri is bringing nature into big cities with his "vertical forest" concept for sustainable high-rise homes, which promote urban biodiversity and improve the quality of life for residents. The innovative, eco-friendly dwellings have earned Boeri and his studio the 2025 MIPIM award in the Best Mix-Use Project category for their Wonderwoods project, located in the heart of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Euronews explained that Wonderwoods is the first vertical forest in the Netherlands that features both apartments and public amenities, including dining areas, commercial spaces, and sports and leisure opportunities. Opened in February, the 341-foot tall Wonderwoods houses 200 apartments that overlook the city center, but the building gives a new meaning to the term concrete jungle. It incorporates 360 trees and 50,000 plants into the balconies and façades, providing fresh, clean air for residents and also helping reduce stress. Plus, the vegetation — equivalent to about 2.5 acres of forest, according to Boeri's architecture firm — absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, helping to cool the area near the building and benefiting the planet. Wonderwoods Vertical Forest also attracts wildlife, including birds looking for shelter, a nesting spot, or a place to rest. As urban biodiversity is generally declining worldwide because of habitat loss, human expansion, and pollution, Wonderwoods will help restore balance to the local ecosystem and allow humans and animals to coexist peacefully. "The recognition of the MIPIM Award as the best 'Mixed Use' building in the world, has captured the profoundly urban character of Wonderwoods: a multipurpose and highly biodiverse architecture, open to the daily life of the citizens, plants and birds of Utrecht," said architect Francesca Cesa Bianchi during the award ceremony, per Euronews. According to the news outlet, Boeri's love for trees and nature goes back to his childhood when he read a book about a young man who abandoned city life and decided to live out his days in the forest. As Boeri got older, he realized cities just needed some regreening and envisioned building a "home for trees that also houses humans and birds," per his website, and that's when the vertical forest became a reality. Vertical forests add texture and variety to otherwise drab, gray urban buildings, and they're also functional, bringing life and animal habitats back into the city landscape. While Wonderwoods is the first multi-purpose vertical forest building, Boeri has already constructed several others, including the Bosco Verticale in Milan — the first of its kind designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti. The two towers boast 300 apartments, 21,000 trees, shrubs, and perennial plants, and around 1,600 birds and butterflies. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In 2021, Boeri also opened the Trudo Vertical Forest in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, which caters to students, young couples, and anyone who needs affordable housing options. In addition, Euronews reported that Boeri is building more vertical forests in China and Dubai, both places that would benefit from more greenery in the densely packed cities. "I try to promote urban forestation because that's what we need," Boeri previously told Euronews. "We have to multiply the number of trees everywhere. And the reasons are very clear. It's a faster, cheaper and more inclusive way to try to take down global warming." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Arabian Business
31-03-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Diriyah announces Media and Innovation District within $63.2bn masterplan
Diriyah has announced a major media and innovation district as it looks to expand creative industries in the region. Diriyah Company launched its Media and Innovation District at MIPIM in Cannes. The pioneering, future-focused hub will redefine the technology, media and communications industries by creating a dynamic new ecosystem within Diriyah, encouraging innovation and collaboration between local and global industry leaders. Diriyah Media and Innovation District in Saudi Arabia The district will serve as a new home for global media networks, creative agencies, and professionals seeking a collaborative ecosystem with state-of-the-art infrastructure, designed to promote sustainability and provide an exceptional quality of life. Spanning 250,000sq m of office GFA, the district will feature approximately 450 residential homes, and more than 15,000sq m for retail outlets, and a mix of dining options. It also includes the 325-room luxury 1 Hotel Diriyah, the first property from the global 1 Hotels brand marking its Middle East debut and designed using sustainable and local resources. Located near the planned multi-purpose 20,000-seater Diriyah Arena, the Media and Innovation District is a pioneering development in the second phase of Diriyah's urban masterplan. Designed to host tech giants and innovation hubs that will foster creativity, content creation, digital transformation, and technological advancement, the district has already attracted significant interest from investors and partners, including major international and regional broadcasting companies, as well as industry leaders. MIPIM 2025 also saw the announcement of another key milestone for Diriyah, the announcement of Armani Residences Diriyah, a 15 limited-edition residences that feature bespoke interiors curated by iconic Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani. Diriyah Company also showcased key assets and highlighted commercial office leasing opportunities. Jerry Inzerillo, Diriyah Company Group CEO, said: 'The Media and Innovation District will position Diriyah as a global hub for media production, technological innovation, and creative industries. By leveraging its rich heritage and forward-looking vision, we are cultivating a world-class ecosystem for the brightest minds in these fields.' 'We anticipate a positive response from global industry leaders eager to benefit from the world-class high-tech facilities in an environment that will encourage groundbreaking ideas, technological breakthroughs and creative content.' The district's office buildings are designed to achieve leading sustainability credentials at every stage, including planning, design, construction, and operation that will incorporate state-of-the-art technologies, and expansive, light-filled workspaces. Diriyah Company also showcased extensive commercial office leasing opportunities, and investment opportunities within the $63.2bn (SR236b) mixed-use Diriyah masterplan. This includes 1.6 million sq m of office GFA, 566,000 sq m of retail GFA, more than 40 hotels, 18,000-plus luxury residences featuring a contemporary interpretation of Najdi design, cultural, entertainment, healthcare, sports and other assets. Developed on the outskirts of Riyadh, Diriyah is one of Saudi Arabia's five giga-projects, backed by the world's fifth largest sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. As part of this transformative urban development, Diriyah aims to provide homes for more than 100,000 residents, create an estimated 178,000 jobs, attract 50m annual visits, and contribute a remarkable $18.6bn directly to Saudi Arabia's GDP once completed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hotel101 IPO? 6 Facts About the Hotel Condo Brand's Planned SPAC
Hotel101 Global, a subsidiary of the Philippines-based real-estate company DoubleDragon, known for its popular Philippine fast-food chain, Jollibee, is still hoping for an IPO through a merged special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). In April 2024, Hotel101 Global and JVSPAC Acquisition Corp. signed a merger agreement, and in January, the two said they submitted a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The companies haven't announced a date for an IPO and declined requests for an interview. But on March 11, Hotel101 Global CEO Hannah Yulo-Luccini spoke at the MIPIM real-estate conference in Cannes where she reiterated the company's ambition to complete the SPAC transaction by mid-year. A SPAC, also known as a 'blank-check company,' is a shell company that raises capital for an IPO and then merges with a private company to go public. This method avoids the usual difficult vetting process to become listed. Recent travel SPACs have not fared well. In 2024, travel agent booking platform Mondee delisted from the Nasdaq, and its CEO took a leave of absence. Travel lodging company Sonder replaced its CEO and has faced delisting, though it continues to trade on the Nasdaq. However, Amex GBT went public via a successful $5.3 billion SPAC deal in 2021. Here's what we know about the potential deal: Hotel101 pegs its IPO value at $2.3 billion. It expects the SPAC to happen in the first half of 2025, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. The company will trade under the ticker symbol HBNB. The JVSPAC Acquisition Corp. currently has about $82 million in assets, according to Bloomberg. Hotel101 calls itself a 'condominium hotel.' It sees itself as combining short-term rental platforms, like Airbnb, where third parties own the inventory, but offering the standardization and efficiency of a traditional hotel, like Sonder, Placemakr, Homes and Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, and Accor's OneFineStay. The hotel rooms are owned by individual owners but managed and maintained by Hotel101. Unit owners pay property and income tax and receive 30% of gross room revenue monthly. They receive 10 free stays a year. Hotel101 only has three open properties, all in Manila. It seeks to have properties in 25 countries "by 2026." The brand is building its first overseas properties now. One is a 680-room hotel in Madrid in the Valdebebas area close to Real Madrid's football complex. The other is a 482-room hotel in Hokkaido, Japan. It has eight other hotels in development in Asia Pacific. Hotel101 said it intends to build its first U.S. location in Los Angeles. DoubleDragon, the current owner of Hotel101 Global, is a diversified real estate company publicly traded on the Philippine Stock Exchange. As of June 2023, it had about $3 billion in assets and 1.2 million square meters of office, retail, and industrial assets. In the first nine months of 2024, DoubleDragon reported about $44 million in net income and about $111 million in revenue. According to S&P Capital IQ, its debt-to-asset ratio was about 39% at the end of last year. Hotel101's founders are Edgar 'Injap' J. Sia II and Tony Tan Caktiong, who founded Mang Inasal and Jollibee, respectively. Hotel101's app has one million registered users already, the company said. For more on the company, see JVSPAC's filings with the U.S. SEC, the Hotel101 site, and the DoubleDragon site. What am I looking at? The performance of hotels and short-term rental sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets, including international and regional hotel brands, hotel REITs, hotel management companies, alternative accommodations, and timeshares. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more hotels and short-term rental financial sector performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200. Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
21-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What next for Everton's new stadium development and Goodison Park?
In mid-February, we invited requests from our subscribers for articles on Everton you might like to read on The Athletic as part of our latest Inspired By You series. Over the last month, we've written extensively on some of the topics raised. John C and Andy K wanted to hear more about the transport provision at Everton's new stadium. That piece can be found here. Paul S and Dylan K were keen for clarity on Kevin Thelwell's future as director of football and what would come next for the club. We used Michael P's suggestion to give a rundown on the 15 players out of contract this summer and likely outcomes there. One of the most popular suggestions from our readers, though, was a look at plans for the new stadium (David O and Dan N) and Goodison Park (Ewan P and Neil P). So here, in the latest in our series, The Athletic's Everton reporter, Patrick Boyland, provides an update on those two key developments. On a stage in the glitzy French resort of Cannes, Everton director Colin Chong mapped out a vision for the club's future. Until recently Everton's interim CEO, Chong was at global real estate conference MIPIM looking to drum up interest in the new 53,000-seater stadium, its surrounding areas and the wider regeneration of Goodison Park. Advertisement Chong's pitch to potential investors at MIPIM was clear and potentially enticing. This summer, Everton will swap Goodison, their home since 1892, for a state-of-the-art facility on Liverpool's waterfront. With that comes opportunity. The Everton Stadium, as it is known, sits in a largely underdeveloped part of Liverpool's north docks. It is an area that has fallen on hard times in the post-industrial age, but one ripe with potential given its location just a mile north of the city centre. Where once, at the height of the British Empire, 40 per cent of the world's trade came through one single Liverpool dock, now the hope is that the stadium can be a catalyst for a part of the city that has long lost its purpose. So far, Everton have mostly had to go it alone. They have received small grants and loans from local authorities, largely so heritage assets can be maintained and restored, but became increasingly reliant on short-term, high-interest loans to cover costs. Everton officials held conversations with UK government ministers throughout the project in the hope of attracting further investment. Their efforts were undermined by regular flux at ministerial level, with the UK having had four prime ministers in as many years. Discussions are likely to continue. In September, Secretary of State Lisa Nandy visited the new stadium and spoke of its 'amazing potential'. Highlight of Labour Party Conference to tour the new Everton stadium with proud Evertonian @AndyBurnhamGM and Liverpool fan @LCRMayor – who is backing this amazing project. We tried to put the smile back on Steve's face… — Lisa Nandy MP (@lisanandy) September 26, 2024 Six months on, those words are yet to yield anything tangible, but the project has been given fresh impetus by the club's new American owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG). TFG inherited half-baked plans, ones largely without funding, and have looked to involve developers, club officials and local and national government in talks to find a solution. Advertisement Yet as Everton look for partners for the next phase of their proposals — potential ancillary developments near to the new stadium — they will be aware competition for funding is likely to be fierce. Also at MIPIM were representatives from fellow Premier League club and north-west neighbours Manchester United, themselves looking for investment to fund a new stadium and wider regeneration project — this time in nearby Manchester around 30 miles away. On the face of it, drumming up investment in schemes involving Manchester United, the 20-time champions of England and one of the world's biggest clubs, appears an easier task. But Everton feel they have one key advantage: they are, as Chong put it, 'at least five years ahead of any other competitor'. While Manchester United's stadium development is still a pipe dream, in need of financing and planning permission, their new stadium is a tangible reality already. 'Oven-ready,' to quote Chong's words at MIPIM. Chong comes from a construction background and was appointed by TFG to lead on development plans at the new stadium and Goodison after impressing during the takeover process. At MIPIM, he admitted to casting 'envious eyes' on Nelson Dock, the site adjacent to the Everton Stadium, and shed more light on the proposals. The Athletic first reported interest in Nelson Dock last year. 'There was always an idea that we might be able to develop a complementary development to support the stadium's development,' he said, as quoted by Place North West. 'Our new ownership has tasked me with looking for a sports-led redevelopment that could be accommodated on Nelson Dock, and maybe even further. Our owners are very keen to secure Nelson Dock because they believe they'll do something good with it regardless — that's their mindset, which is a breath of fresh air. Advertisement 'If I was given a wish list, that would be on the top of it: secure Nelson Dock and protect the asset that we've just developed. We're in a very unique position, there's over £750m of investment already, and that's probably the hardest part about sports-led regeneration.' The idea remains in its infancy, but Everton are pushing on with fact-finding and surveys on the area and there is hope Chong and the club will provide more information in the coming months. Tentative discussions have taken place with land owners Peel Holdings over the Nelson Dock site. The club are still exploring options and conducting feasibility studies with architects and engineers and no plans have yet been sent to the local council for planning permission. Sources close to TFG, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to talk publicly on the matter, note that the group's preference is for a partnership with a private developer or local or national body. What happens around the new stadium and Goodison Park has become one of their early priorities since taking ownership in December. TFG's background is not in real estate. Their primary industry is cars and they have branched out into luxury travel, conservation, entertainment and sports, owning Italian side Roma and Cannes of the French fourth tier. Ideally, they would like a partner for the scheme rather than going it alone, something that for now appears off the cards. Exactly what comes at Nelson Dock — whether it is indeed secured and how it is funded — is still up for debate. Progress is likely to be gradual rather than imminent. The club has a lease agreement for the Nelson Dock, which has been in place throughout the build, for offices and parking. That agreement will still be in place next season. But potential ideas could include bars, restaurants, hotels and even university campuses. Everton want the new stadium to become a 365-day site, hosting conferences, concerts and other events, and a catalyst for wider regeneration. In an interview with IQ Mag, head of events Suzie Parker-Myers said the stadium could hold between 45,000 and 48,000 people for big concerts. There is the potential for gigs or festivals to be held in the 17,000-capacity fan plaza at the front of the stadium, with the club possessing a licence for 15 such events each year. The Everton Stadium will host Euro 2028 games and is expected to be a venue for a rugby league Ashes Test match between England and Australia later this year. The potential is vast, but the club and new owners TFG are hoping others see it and step up to the plate, too. So what of Goodison, then? That is another question TFG would like Chong to help answer. It is four years since the club unveiled plans for a legacy project featuring affordable housing, community centres and wellbeing hubs, but that scheme is yet to get off the ground. TFG's arrival, as well as the imminent stadium move, has accelerated discussions as to what happens there, too. Advertisement One idea being considered, first revealed by The Athletic last month, is a move that would see Everton's Women's team partially take over the Goodison site. That would serve as a solution to two potential problems. The first is that Everton Women are hamstrung by their facility at Walton Hall Park, north of Liverpool city centre and about a mile from Goodison. The club do not own the site and have it on a short lease from Liverpool City Council, but the Women's Super League is pushing for clubs to be able to house at least 7,000 spectators. Walton Hall Park holds about 2,200 fans. TFG is keen to invest in Everton's women's team and improve facilities. The club are looking for solutions and want to remain within the city boundaries. Rivals Liverpool play at rugby league club St Helens, in a town 15 miles to the east, but the focus is on a solution closer to home. Internal talks continue on whether Goodison could be a new home for Everton Women and no plans have been submitted to the council yet. The idea would be for a partial deconstruction of the site, which could also be home to a legacy project, community schemes and become a prominent visitor destination, too. Before that becomes a reality, TFG and Everton will need to settle on it as their preferred outcome for Goodison, engage in a period of consultation with stakeholders including fans, residents and the local authorities, and receive planning permission. With the old stadium due to close after the final home game of the season against Southampton on May 18, time is of the essence. This is another crucial period for Everton, one in which they are plotting the future while trying to safeguard the legacy of the past. Finding achievable solutions that work for all will be tough. If they get it right, the impact on the club and city could be transformational.
