MAPIC 2016 kicked off on Tuesday evening along the French Riviera in Cannes, Fance, with an ice breaker cocktail party. While total attendance figures aren’t out yet (8,000 is the estimate), the event this year is presenting numerous discussions surrounding the ongoing transformation of shopping centers in the face of online lifestyles. However, the focus now is less on new apps and home delivery and more on how smart phones and online shopping can help malls produce experiences for their shoppers. Leisure opportunities are nearly as important to sucsessful shopping centers as fashion shops these days. Numerous CEE-based exhibitors will be launching and exhibiting projects during MAPIC 2016, including HB Reavis, J&T, Echo Investment, Crestyl, Unibail-Rodamco, Neinver, IKEA and GTC.
