Investment Summit 2021

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
  • Debapratim De, Senior Economist, Deloitte
  • Tony Travers, Director, LSE London
Watch now

Opportunity London

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
  • Nick Searl, Joint Managing Partner, Argent
Watch now

West Midlands: Developing in Partnership

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
Watch now

Birmingham: ‘Future Proofing’ the Big City

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
  • Rob Valentine, Director, Bruntwood
  • Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council
Watch now

Manchester: People, Place, Prosperity

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
Watch now

Liverpool: Levelling Up Post-COVID

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
  • Barry Roberts, Managing Director, Morgan Sindall
Watch now

Scotland: Enabling a Green Future

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.

Panel
  • Michaela Sullivan, Chair, Scottish Property Federation (Chair)
  • Katrine Feldinger, Deputy Director, Scottish National Investment Bank (Shareholding and Investment)
  • Sindhu Krishna, Head of Sustainable Investments, Phoenix Group
  • Nick Penny, Head of Scotland, Savills
  • Anna Stamp, Interim Programme Director, Edinburgh BioQuarter
Watch now

London: Driving Growth

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
Watch now

Speakers

Mark Allnutt
Senior Managing Director — Europe, Greystar

Cllr Julian Bell
Leader, Ealing Council

Sara Bailey
Managing Partner, Head of Real Estate, Trowers & Hamlins

Jessica Bowles
Director of Strategy, Bruntwood

Barbara Brownlee
Managing Director, Westminster Builds

Andy Burnham
Mayor of Greater Manchester

Emma Cariaga
Joint Head of Canada Water Development, British Land

Laura Citron
CEO, London & Partners

Prof. Greg Clark CBE
Global Advisor on Cities

Cllr Clare Coghill
Leader, Waltham Forest Council

Graeme Craig
Director of Commercial Development, Transport for London

Simon Delahunty-Forrest
Head of City Centre & Design, Birmingham City Council

Asha Devi
Midlands City Advisory, Arup

Katrine Feldinger
Deputy Director, Scottish National Investment Bank (Shareholding and Investment)

Cllr Ravi Govindia CBE
Leader, Wandsworth Council

Pete Gladwell
Head of Public Sector Partnerships, L&G

John Holden
Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects, The University of Manchester

Alex Irwin-Hunt
Global Markets Editor, FDI Intelligence

Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London

Sir Richard Leese
Leader, Manchester City Council

Katie Kopec
Director – Strategic Development Consulting, JLL

Catherine McGuinness
Chair, Policy & Resources Committee, City of London Corporation

Raphael Miller
Co-Head of Investment, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Alexandra Notay
Placemaking and Investment Director, PfP Capital

Chris Oglesby
CEO, Bruntwood

Paul Pavia
Head of Development, MEPC

Geoff Pearce
Deputy Chief Executive, Swan Housing Group

Nick Penny
Head of Scotland, Savills

Carl Potter
Principal and Managing Director, Avison Young

Neil Rami
Chief Executive, West Midlands Growth Company

Tony Reeves
Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council

Barry Roberts
Managing Director, Morgan Sindall

Cllr Darren Rodwell
Deputy Chair Housing and Planning, London Councils; Leader, Barking & Dagenham Council

Nick Searl
Joint Managing Partner, Argent

Bek Seeley
Managing Director, Development Europe, Lendlease

Anna Stamp
Interim Programme Director, Edinburgh BioQuarter

Catherine Staniland
Director, NLA

Michaela Sullivan
Chair, Scottish Property Federation

Tony Travers
Director, LSE London

Rob Valentine
Director, Bruntwood

Arlene van Bosch
Development Director for Mayfield, U+I

Cllr Ian Ward
Leader, Birmingham City Council

Clare Wildfire
Global Practice Leader for Cities, Mott MacDonald