and get impressions together. Being together is the human basis for human behavior. I am not afraid that this will be erased with the development of online. Our Mapic Innovation Forum has doubled this year because malls and retailers need to be closer to the consumer, they need to serve customers with their new needs. However, companies are looking for options to be more than just online. Online retailers now want to find points for offline sales. We have a zone of online retailers this year looking to find a place for a pop-up, corner or traditional store, because they understand that it is not possible to be represented exclusively online. They tested the online marketplace, but realized that the consumer has a need for a physical experience.
Tell us about the business program MAPIC, Laisure Up and The Happetite
The main theme is rethinking urban development, creating points of attraction. We are not talking only about shopping, We are talking about lifestyle projects. Cities and businesses must come together to create attractive areas where consumers can find everything they need at once: shopping, dining, entertainment, cultural sites. The future is behind such projects. We need to find opportunities for such a mix so that people come there. Take a look at an example of Crocus Group projects. In Myakinino you can attend concerts, buy any goods, eat in a restaurant, and they have more and more restaurant concepts, they also develop many entertainment concepts in their projects. This is where the market is heading. Of course, Crocus made such a concept earlier, essentially predicting the development of the market. All these functions can be accommodated not only in shopping centers, but also in certain urban locations. In many European cities, the city center now needs to be strengthened with new concepts, services, good restaurants, entertainment, places where you can listen to music, while of course, and recharge the cultural component. It's not only about capitals and major cities, but also about small ones. That is why the theme of leisure and entertainment will be so strong at this year's exhibition. Representatives of huge amusement parks will participate in the business program, and now they are ready to adapt their format for small spaces in order to fit into the already established infrastructure of cities. This is something that we could not have imagined even three years ago.
It is interesting to hear about such a transformation. Just recently we discussed that small formats at home would be relevant ... and you are talking about such a transformation ...
Yes, the pandemic has pushed for change. Many people have been at home for a year, and now they want to have the most fun and have a positive experience.
You are announcing three projects at once: MAPIC, Leasure Up and the Happetite.
Yes, the Happetite has been held in Italy before. But as a result, we realized that it would be good to include it in the MAPIC program, since it is an international business platform. It is correct that the F&B industry is inside the main exhibition. We planned Leasure Up as a separate event, but today it also makes sense to integrate it into the main program so that representatives of the F&B and entertainment industries can meet with developers, investors and representatives of city administrations. After all, they usually do not meet. This is exactly what the industry needs: dialogue and collaborative solutions for consumers.