Illinois REALTOR Bill Caton at a meeting in the IAR booth at MIPIM 2016 in Cannes, France. He's one of a number of Illinois REALTORS who are taking part in the international real estate expo.

Illinois REALTOR Bill Caton at a meeting in the IAR booth at MIPIM 2016 in Cannes, France. He’s one of a number of Illinois REALTORS who are taking part in the international real estate expo.

Want to see a scale model of London’s Thames River district?

How about a presentation on Dubai’s effort to build entire islands for developments?

That’s just a portion of what you see at MIPIM, billed as one of the world’s largest real estate shows. Illinois REALTORS are taking part in the conference, which is being held in Cannes, France. The association’s participation is part of a broader effort to increase the state’s image abroad as a place to invest, and to make sure if foreign investors do think of property transactions in the U.S. they use a REALTOR.

IAR has a booth in the National Association of REALTORS pavilion, where it is joined by Arizona, Missouri and Miami.

London has a scale model of the Thames River district at its exhibit in Cannes, Paris.

London has a scale model of the Thames River district at its exhibit in Cannes, Paris.

So what’s the trade show like?

It’s bigger than the NAR convention in terms of scale. The Palais des Festivales has three stories of presentation room, but the exhibits spill out into the area surrounding the convention center. London and Dubai, for example, have massive tents which showcase development options.

The London exhibit’s scale model takes up space equivalent to about two hotel rooms. And that’s just about a quarter of the exhibit’s full footprint.

Yachts in the harbor at Cannes, France. Many are used by companiers to help promote their businesses and host parties.

Yachts in the harbor at Cannes, France. Many are used by companies to help promote their businesses and host parties.

And for those companies that want to spend more, there’s always the nearby harbor. Many firms have rented space on scores of yachts that are berthed just outside the Palais.

How does Illinois fit in? Quite well, although we are operating at a much more cost-conscious level. We have a booth that showcases facts about the state, and it allows space for IAR members to meet with those interested in the state and the services REALTORS provide.

The association first took part in MIPIM last year. This is the second year of a three-year commitment.