March 11 – 14, Cannes, France: GVA Sawyer took part in MIPIM 2008

March 11, 2008 - MIPIM, one of the world’s largest international real estate exhibitions, started in Cannes. The number of participants exceeded 28 thousand people from 85 countries. GVA Sawyer participates in this significant event in the world property market for third year running.



March 11 - Cameron Sawyer, Chairman of the Board of GVA Sawyer and General Director of Rutley Russia Property Asset Management, took part in the conference on Investment Policy in Russia organized by Vedomosti newspaper. In his speech, Mr. Sawyer touched upon investment in commercial real estate. According to him, the volume of investment in real estate made up $ 2 b. within 10 years – 1993 to 2003, but it amounted to $ 20 b just in 2007. Nevertheless, there is still a shortage of projects, attractive for foreign investors, in the Russian market. Besides, IRR decrease trend is observed. Industrial property, according to Mr. Sawyer, is still one of the most attractive segments for investment, which is conditioned by a shortage of spaces within it.



March 12 - Cameron Sawyer took part in a panel discussion organized by the Guild of Property Managers and Developers (GMD) – ‘Investment into Russian commercial real estate and the world liquidity crisis: smooth water in a rough sea?’. Influence of the world financial crisis on Russian economics and property market, as well as position of Russia in the global market and its investment future, became the main topic of the panel discussion.

March 12 – Vera Setskaya, President of GVA Sawyer, took part in a panel discussion organized by representatives of Saint-Petersburg authorities and business. During the discussion, the state role of the development of investment projects in Russia was touched upon. Besides Mrs. Setskaya, Andrey Chichkanov (KUGI), Lev Pukshanskiy (Morskoy Fasad) and Olga Litvinova (DLA Piper) took part in the session.



March 12 - a presentation was held at the company’s stand within MIPIM program, at which the expansion of the company’s investment management activity was announced: creation of a new department, Investment Brokerage, and appointment of its management – Jean Bergeron, Vice President, Investment, and Julia Budnik, Head of Investment Brokerage department. 3 investment projects were presented at the event:

Urals (Ufa)
Ufa City project – development project for a mixed-use public and business complex in the center of Ufa, comprising office, hotel and retail spaces.
Development period: 2009 - 2011
Site area: 10 ha
Footprint: 6 ha
Total volume of investment: $400 m.
Consultant: GVA Sawyer
Detailed info:

Povolzhye (Samara region, Zhigulyovsk)
Samarskaya Luka project – Elite land plot, located on the bank of Volga river within the boundaries of Samarskaya Luka national park
Site area: 22.7 ha
Consultant: GVA Sawyer
Detailed info:

North West (Leningradskaya region)
Novoselye – a settlement in Leningradskaya region (40 min. from the center of Saint-Petersburg)
Site area: 700 ha
Total investment volume: $ 4 b.
Consultant: GVA Sawyer


This year GVA Sawyer presented several more projects in the framework of MIPIM 2008, including: retail and entertainment centers of Finstar in several Russian cities, Golden Fish retail park in Novorossiysk, Mosvichka mixed-use complex in Moscow, as well as Apelsin and Kalina retail centers in Novosibirsk.

March 13 - Russian Breakfast. Cameron Sawyer opened traditional Russian breakfast CRE with a tele welcome speech addressed to participants. He underlined that Russian market is more opened than 20 years ago.


Cameron Sawyer opens Russian breakfast with TV speech (avi, 19 Mb)