Over 28,000 delegates from 85 countries are expected to attend Mipim 2008 next week, a rise on the 26,210 who went to the event in the south of France last year.

The UK will be the most heavily represented, with 1,733 companies already registered two weeks before the start. There have also been large increases in the representation of German, Russian and Belgian companies.

Almost 1,000 architectural and urban design firms will attend, along with more than 800 chief executives of global companies, plus 150 mayors from cities in 25 countries.

The event, held in Cannes, runs between March 11 and March 14.