By Rachel Knowles, Senior PR and Comms Executive

As many of our clients, associates and friends will know, White Label was founded 15 years ago by two women. Two women who, from the inception of the company, stated their aim that 40% of the speakers at the conferences they organised should be female. This is taken for granted in 2024, but even as recently as 15 years ago, women were woefully underrepresented in senior roles in many areas of life.

This is thankfully changing, but there are still barriers for women and others in society. As International Women’s Day this year takes #Inclusivity as a theme, we are preparing to deliver a session on Inclusive Placemaking at MIPIM, part of the three-day conference programme for the London Stand which White Label has curated on behalf of RX Global (MIPIM organisers). The built environment is a perfect example of an industry which has long been male dominated for no logical reason, given that both men and women occupy buildings equally. So it is good to see that a number of dynamic organisations have been set up to champion women and to campaign to make the sector more diverse. One of these organisations is now a partner at MIPIM – a symbol of significant progress and a strategic relationship with the industry’s most important event.

Our Inclusive Placemaking session won’t focus just on women – it will ask how planners and developers can best meet the needs of the entire community, regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, race or economic standing. But one question we’ll be tackling is why women feel unsafe on city streets at night and discussing how local authorities, planners, architects and developers can help address the issues. Two of our expert panel members are females – the COO of a real estate investment company and the CEO of RIBA. We are looking forward to hearing their insights.

If you are at MIPIM this year, please join us on Thursday 14 March from 11:00AM – 11.45AM on the London Stand to hear more about Inclusive Placemaking.