Top firms have pulled out of the MIPIM property conference set to take place next month due to fears over the deadly Coronavirus outbreak.
Real estate services firm Cushman and Wakefield announced on Wednesday they would no longer be sending a team to the event in Cannes, and more firms, including Knight Frank, PGIM Real Estate and Landsec, have also said they will withdraw from the event.
A spokeswoman from Knight Frank told BusinessLive on Thursday: “ The evolving nature of COVID-19 in Europe has forced us to reconsider our presence at large multi-national events.
"To that end we will no longer be attending MIPIM. The health and security of our people and clients are of utmost importance and have to be prioritised over all else.”
A statement from Cushman and Wakefield issued to Estates Gazette said: “The health and safety of our employees and our clients is our priority. With the rapidly increasing number of cases of coronavirus in Europe and the elevated industry-wide concern around attendance at large multinational events, we have decided to withdraw from MIPIM.”
When contacted for a comment, a spokesman for MIPIM said it was "monitoring developments" in the "rapidly-evolving environment".
The full statement said: “We understand and respect the concerns of clients who have decided to cancel their attendance at MIPIM.
"The event will open for business on March 10. In the rapidly-evolving environment we are monitoring developments closely. The health and safety of our clients and staff is our priority.”
Almost 27,000 delegates are expected at MIPIM 2020, set to take place from March 10-13. The festival sees officials from all sectors of the international property industry come together for networking, events, conferences and more.
The news comes after two further people in England tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of UK cases to 15.
The virus was passed on in Italy and Tenerife and the patients have been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres in the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital, London.
The new cases bring the total number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the UK to 15, with government ministers saying they expect more cases to emerge.
Authorities in Italy have reported that the number of people infected in the country grew to 400 and 12 people have died.
Across the globe, more than 80,000 people in over 40 countries are infected.
MIPIM organisers Reed MIDEM issued an update to its website on Thursday, which said once more that the festival is to "take place as scheduled".
It said: "Reed MIDEM today confirms that MIPIM will take place as scheduled in Cannes, March 10-13, 2020.
"The health and safety of everyone attending the event is our number one priority. We are continually monitoring developments and following the latest guidance from local, national and international authorities and the World Health Organization as it relates to travel to MIPIM and clients’ on-site experience."
