The first London Real Estate Forum Investment Summit was held 1–4 February 2021 to provide an industry-critical briefing.
Eight sessions, available below, examined the state of the market and opportunities to drive growth in London, and across the UK.
In these recorded webinars leading economists discuss the year ahead, sharing intelligence around the impact of the crisis and new economic policies.
Government, city, and regional leaders in regionally focused sessions, share their latest plans, present strategies for growth and explore how we can work together to drive recovery create a sustainable future.
“It is vital that in the aftermath of this pandemic we seek to tackle with renewed urgency the underlying socio-economic problems that have been exposed and exacerbated by this crisis. The development sector will be central to this effort.”
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Webinar catch-up
State of the Market
This session kicks off the summit, bringing together leading industry economists to review the state of the market and the year ahead. Our speakers discuss the current global and regional conditions, big-picture trends, key policy changes and opportunities for growth across different sectors.
Panel
Alex Notay, Placemaking and Investment Director, PfP Capital (Chair)
Mark Allnutt, Senior Managing Director, Greystar
Emma Cariaga, Joint Head of Canada Water development, British Land
As we look ahead to 2021, there is a clear focus from public sector leaders on economic recovery strategies a both a London-wide and local level. Our panel discuss the findings from NLA’s Opportunity London report, which provides and overview of the key growth strategies across the London Boroughs. We examine the challenges that lie ahead for public and private sectors and highlight key opportunities to facilitate investment.
Panel
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London (Keynote)
Catherine Staniland, Director, NLA (Chair)
Laura Citron, CEO, London and Partners
Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development, Transport for London
Catherine McGuinness, Chair, Policy & Resources Committee, City of London Corporation
Cllr Darren Rodwell, Deputy Chair Housing and Planning, London Councils; Leader, Barking & Dagenham Council
What does the region need to continue to attract new sources of capital and new occupiers? How do we best articulate our competitiveness and sector strengths in a time of unprecedented change? These are some of the questions asked as the West Midlands Combined Authority defines its strategies for growth in partnership with the private sector through public sector. In association with West Midlands Growth Company.
Panel
Katie Kopec, Director – Strategic Development Consulting, JLL (Chair)
Pete Gladwell, Head of Public Sector Partnerships, L&G
Carl Potter, Principal and Managing Director, Avison Young
Neil Rami, Chief Executive, West Midlands Growth Company
Clare Wildfire, Global Practice Leader for Cities, Mott MacDonald
This session focusses on Birmingham’s Future City Plan that sets out strategies and directions of development in the city for the next 10 years. The next decade will see the arrival of High Speed Two in the city centre, the hosting of the Commonwealth Games and the delivery of major new mixed use and commercial schemes. We also discuss the role of growth and knowledge intensive industries in driving city growth and how this can be fostered by the public sector. In association with Birmingham City Council.
Panel
Asha Devi, Midlands City Advisory, Arup (Chair)
Simon Delahunty-Forrest, Development Director, Birmingham City Council
Bek Seeley, Managing Director, Development Europe, Lendlease
Join Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council and Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester along with key private sector partners to discuss why Manchester has both the foundations and building blocks to re-establish its previous momentum as the UK’s premier growth city. The economic interruption of the pandemic has not diminished the city’s aspirations for a more inclusive and greener economy. Manchester is ready and able to play a leading role in the agenda to ‘level up’ the country’s economy. In association with Marketing Manchester & Manchester City Council.
Panel
Prof. Greg Clark CBE, Global Advisor on Cities (Chair)
Sir Richard Leese, Leader, Manchester City Council
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
John Holden, Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects, The University of Manchester
Chris Oglesby, CEO, Bruntwood
Paul Pavia, Head of Development, MEPC
Arlene van Bosch, Development Director for Mayfield, U+I
Liverpool explore how the city and city region’s economic recovery is being spearheaded through 2021 and how the government’s ambitions to “level up” can be reflected in this agenda. How does the next lockdown halt and hinder the levelling up agenda and what do we need to do next to keep ahead in spite of economic pressures from both Brexit and COVID?
Panel
Alex Irwin-Hunt, Global Markets Editor, FDI Intelligence (Chair)
Jessica Bowles, Director of Strategy, Bruntwood
Raphael Miller, Co-Head of Investment, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Tony Reeves, Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council
In this session, Katrine Feldinger, Deputy Director of the recently constituted Scottish National Investment Bank, gives an opening briefing to share Scotland’s economic growth strategy, its ambitious plans in the drive to net zero and how Scottish Government, cities and regional stakeholders are enabling a transformational investment agenda in the lead up to Cop26. The panel discuss and take questions on how investment and real estate sectors are responding.
What approaches and strategies are being applied at a local level to facilitate partnerships and investment? What is the role of the private sector in unlocking potential and supporting sustainable growth? What are the priorities for the year ahead? How can we define and measure the value of new developments, socially as well as economically? Our speakers respond to the London-wide picture set out in NLA’s Opportunity London Report, which provides an overview of key growth strategies.
Panel
Sara Bailey, Managing Partner, Head of Real Estate, Trowers & Hamlins (Chair)
Cllr Julian Bell, Leader, Ealing Council
Barbara Brownlee, Managing Director, Westminster Builds
Cllr Clare Coghill, Leader, Waltham Forest Council
Cllr Ravi Govindia CBE, Leader, Wandsworth Council
Geoff Pearce, Deputy Chief Executive, Swan Housing Group