16 September 2026 | Guildhall, City of London. STANDARD RATE ENDS FRIDAY 17 JULY

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Programme 2026

LREF 2025 showed what’s possible when the right people come together. In 2026, we’re taking that further. Our theme this year, Connectivity, explores how the links between people, places and sectors will define London’s next chapter.

London is already one of the most connected cities in the world – through its global networks, diverse communities and position at the centre of international trade, investment and innovation. But as the city faces generational challenges such as AI, climate change and shifting geopolitics, the question is no longer whether we are connected, but how well those connections work.

This is where those connections turn into real-world outcomes.

Explore the LREF 2026 agenda below:
Filter: All stages Keynote Stage Interactive Stage Place Stage Innovation Stage Borough Stage Roundtables

Keynote Stage

Great Hall
Hear from industry leaders tackling the biggest challenges shaping London’s built environment, with perspectives from policymakers, investors and developers driving the sector forward.

Interactive Stage

Old Library
Join expert panels and lively discussions exploring the sector’s most pressing issues, with opportunities for audiences to contribute ideas, perspectives and solutions.

Place Stage

Livery Hall
Explore the future of London’s key locations, with insights into major regeneration projects, emerging districts and the partnerships delivering growth across the capital.

Innovation Stage

Print Room
Discover new ideas, technologies and solutions transforming the built environment, with sessions showcasing forward-thinking approaches to development, design and delivery.

Borough Stage

Connect with borough leaders shaping London’s neighbourhoods, gain insight into local priorities and explore opportunities for partnership and collaboration across the capital.

Roundtables

Safe haven, resilient returns: London’s office market as the anchor in uncertain times

10:00 - 10:45 | Keynote Stage

In an era defined by geopolitical volatility and economic uncertainty, one investment thesis is crystallising with remarkable clarity: London’s office market represents a rare combination of stability and opportunity. This session examines why international capital is returning to London with office transactions surging over 50% to £9.5bn in 2025. We’ll explore how London has emerged as the “flight-to-quality” destination, with investors identifying London offices as one of the most resilient sectors for 2026.

Key discussion points include:

  • Why geopolitical uncertainty is strengthening London’s investment appeal
  • The return of large-scale transactions: 24 deals over £100million completed in 2025, double the previous year’s total
  • How investors view offices as one of the most resilient sectors through 2026, with exceptional fundamentals
  • Where smart capital is positioning for the new cycle

Join us to understand why, when the world feels uncertain, global investors are finding certainty in London.

In association with JLL

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Profile shot for Jamie Acheson

Jamie Acheson

Managing Director and Head of UK Investment
Feldberg Capital
Profile shot for Ali Meadows

Ali Meadows

Head of International Capital for UK Capital Markets
JLL
Profile shot for John Woodger

John Woodger

Head of Central London Capital Markets
JLL
Profile shot for Ruth Jackson

Ruth Jackson

Head of UK Investment Management – Real Estate
M&G
Profile shot for Joe Binns

Joe Binns

Head of Investment
Stanhope
Profile shot for Dan Nicholson

Dan Nicholson

Executive Director
GPE

West London Orbital: Unlocking West London’s Future

10:00 - 10:45 | Place Stage

West London is a £70bn economy and home to some of the capital’s most exciting large-scale developments – but there’s a missing piece of the puzzle. In this session, West London Alliance, Transport for London and partners present the West London Orbital (WLO): the line that unlocks West London’s future.

The WLO is a proposed new London Overground route from Hendon to Hounslow. With the majority of the route using existing rail track, WLO services could be running by the 2030s. One of the Mayor of London’s top priority projects, the WLO would transform London’s economic geography and real estate investment landscape by:

  • connecting the regeneration opportunities of Brent Cross Town and Staples Corner at the northern end, via Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common and Acton, to the creative tech innovation hub of Golden Mile London at the southern end
  • bringing nearly half a million more people within commuting distance of a transformed Old Oak district
  • linking to Heathrow and central London via the Elizabeth Line and the Midlands via HS2
  • supporting the delivery of an estimated 15,800 homes and 11,500 jobs

The panel will demonstrate the strong partnerships underpinning the project, explore some of the exciting development opportunities which the route would unlock, and set out the next steps to make the West London Orbital a reality.

This session is available to sponsor.

In association with West London Alliance

Future-Ready London: Delivering Buildings That Perform

10:00 - 10:45 | Innovation Stage

As London’s built environment faces increasing pressure to improve performance, reduce operational costs and respond to evolving standards, developers, consultants and occupiers are looking for practical ways to deliver buildings that remain resilient, efficient and commercially viable over the long term.

This challenge is intensified by both a changing physical environment, including more extreme weather conditions, and a more volatile operating context, shaped by energy price fluctuations.

This session will explore what that means in practice, including how frameworks such as the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, alongside operational performance approaches including NABERS, are shaping decision-making across new build, retrofit and fit-out projects.

Bringing together perspectives from across the industry, the panel will discuss the realities of delivering high-performing buildings: balancing cost, operational efficiency, energy resilience and future readiness while responding to growing expectations around measurable performance in use.

Drawing on real project experience, the discussion will examine how project teams can improve efficiency, avoid stranded asset risk and create buildings that deliver lasting value for owners, occupiers and communities across London.

In association with Willmott Dixon

Connecting London’s Growth: Delivering the Digital Infrastructure for a World-Class City

10:00 - 10:45 | Borough Stage

As London’s economy, public services and built environment become increasingly dependent on digital connectivity, the delivery of resilient and future-ready digital infrastructure has become a critical challenge for the capital.

This session brings together London’s Sub-Regional Partnerships, local authorities and VodafoneThree to explore the barriers to delivering mobile and fixed digital infrastructure, from planning and investment challenges to development coordination. Through borough case studies and industry perspectives, the discussion will examine how stronger collaboration between government, local authorities, developers and telecommunication providers can unlock investment and ensure connectivity keeps pace with London’s growth ambitions.

In association with South London Partnership, Local London, Central London Forward, West London Alliance and VodafoneThree

The role of retail in creating world-class, leading destinations

11:00 - 11:45 | Keynote Stage

London faces intensifying global competition – retail and place strategy are central to maintaining its appeal to consumers and occupiers, across all sectors. Discover how retail, F&B and leisure are driving next-generation mixed-use destinations, underpinned by returning investor appetite for retail. Through leading London case studies, we will explore how bold, retail-led strategies are underpinning demand and setting the global pace.

In association with Savills

Open and Safe: perceptions of safety in an investment context

11:00 - 11:45 | Place Stage

International perceptions of London as an unsafe destination are not only misinformed – they threaten to undermine the flow of investment, talent and tourists into our capital. This panel brings together representatives from one of London’s leading BIDs, New West End Company, alongside stakeholders working across public safety and the built environment. They will discuss how connected security and technology infrastructure is playing a vital role in deterring crime in the capital and safeguarding our global reputation as a hub for investment and commerce.

In association with New West End Company

Building Above the Network: delivering London’s transport integrated development

11:00 - 11:45 | Innovation Stage

Drawing on McLaren’s experience at Angel, Bank and Bond Street, this panel will share insights from delivering complex schemes above and around live TfL infrastructure. The session will explore the practical realities of building over operational assets – from safety, logistics and phasing to design and programme strategy – while examining why these locations have become increasingly attractive post-pandemic. It will also consider how overstation development can create commercially successful, well-integrated destinations that enhance local character, support London’s global competitiveness, and generate vital income to reinvest back into the transport network.

Such developments are now recognised as a critical tool in strengthening London’s economic growth, enhancing local character and supporting the capital’s global competitiveness, while generating vital income to reinvest in the transport network and enable further sustainable, high-density development.

In association with McLaren

Evolving Housing Delivery: Navigating demand, risk and investment

12:00 - 12:45 | Keynote Stage

Starting on site now hinges on certainty of an exit route, and that looks nothing like it did a decade ago. With traditional buyer demand thinner and investment appetite more selective, what does “de-risking” actually mean in 2026? This session focuses on who we’re building for, which exit routes still work, where the forward-funding gap is widening, and what the Government (or the GLA) can do to restore investability and unlock delivery at scale.

In association with Savills

Built on Partnership: 10 Years of Broadgate

12:00 - 12:45 | Interactive Stage

Marking ten years of the Broadgate Framework, this session explores what it takes to deliver large-scale, multi-site regeneration through a long-term single redevelopment partnership.

With over £1 billion invested by British Land and GIC across six schemes, each conditional on the success of the last, the framework relied on a one-team approach between client, investor and delivery partners. Lessons learned on earlier sites and digital construction advancements informed later phases, improving design decisions and identifying opportunities across the programme.

The panel will unpack what made this partnership work in practice: the principles that underpinned collaboration, the conditions that enabled a global investor to take a leap of faith, and what the industry can learn, including what could have been done differently and why this approach has yet to be adopted more widely.

In association with Sir Robert McAlpine

From research to reality: what developers and councils can learn from Brent Cross Town’s heat network

12:00 - 12:45 | Innovation Stage

As heat networks move into a more mature and regulated phase, the real estate sector is increasingly asking: what do successful heat networks look like, and how are they enabled? The session combines RE:UK’s latest industry research with a live, large-scale case study to answer that question and highlight the impact of investment into developing connected infrastructure. Bringing together Related Argent, Barnet Council and Vattenfall, the panel will use Brent Cross Town to explore what heat networks are, the benefits they can deliver – from low carbon heating and energy resilience to improved customer service – and the partnerships behind them. Set to serve 6,700 homes and over 25,000 workers, the case study will illustrate how developers and local authorities can play a critical enabling role in delivering reliable, community-focused infrastructure.

In association with Vattenfall

How to get the Bakerloo Extension over the line

12:00 - 12:45 | Borough Stage

This is about more than transport. The Bakerloo Line Extension is a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to transform lives across south east London, unlocking new homes, creating jobs and driving real climate action.

After years of planning and groundwork, the project is ready to move forward. It’s a long-term investment in London’s future, helping to build a greener, fairer city. Find out how we’re pushing ahead to make the extension a reality.

In association with London Borough of Southwark and London Borough of Lewisham

West London Regional Park: Shaping a greener, healthier and more connected West London

14:00 - 14:45 | Borough Stage

Ealing, working with partners across West London, is shaping the emerging West London Regional Park—a bold, landscape-scale proposition placing green and blue infrastructure at the heart of sustainable growth and investment. Spanning parks, waterways, town centres and cultural assets, it will connect Ealing’s towns and the wider corridor along the Brent River Valley to the Thames, creating a more coherent, resilient and attractive place to invest.

The session will discuss similar exemplar projects at scale, demonstrating how integrating nature can unlock development viability—enhancing land values, improving health outcomes, and mitigating climate risk. It will highlight the public sector’s convening role in de-risking delivery, aligning policy, and leveraging funding to crowd-in private investment. It will also explore how cross-borough collaboration can generate long-term value, positioning the Regional Park as a catalyst for inclusive growth and a model for partnership-led placemaking.

In association with London Borough of Ealing

Housing for Every Londoner: lessons from Stroudley Walk

15:00 - 15:45 | Keynote Stage

London’s housing crisis has pushed the need to deliver at scale to the top of the agenda – but how often are new developments designed to respond to the diverse needs of local communities they serve?

Led by Muse in partnership with Poplar HARCA, the regeneration of Stroudley Walk is delivering 274 new homes, with 51% affordable housing. Shaped through extensive engagement with the local community, with more than 500 residents helping inform the masterplan and the mix of homes being delivered, the project responds directly to local housing needs by incorporating adapted homes designed for families with neurodivergent children – the first provision of its kind in Tower Hamlets.

The session will explore how the scheme balanced ambitious affordable housing targets with commercial delivery, and how design decisions from housing typologies to public realm, were shaped by local priorities. It will also open a wider conversation about how housing providers are responding to the need for adapted homes across their portfolios, and what lessons projects like Stroudley Walk offer for future developments. Crucially, the scheme demonstrates that responding to specific community needs does not have to come at the expense of viability, showing how developers can still deliver successful, commercially sound projects while making meaningful interventions that support local communities.

In association with Muse

National Policy, London Practice: Are the New Reforms Delivering for London?

15:00 - 15:45 | Interactive Stage

The planning, housing and development landscape has shifted significantly over the past year. From changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, to the emerging London Plan review, local government reorganisation, New Towns proposals, the Homes England Strategic Plan, the Affordable Homes Programme 2026–36 and wider regulatory reform, government has introduced an ambitious package of measures intended to accelerate housing delivery, unlock investment and support growth.

Yet policy does not land evenly across the country. In London, where density, tall buildings, complex viability challenges and multi-layered governance are the norm, the impact of these reforms may look very different from elsewhere.

This interactive session will examine the cumulative impact of the government’s reform agenda from a London perspective. Have the changes introduced so far been sufficient to improve confidence, unlock delivery and change market momentum in the capital? Where are reforms having the greatest effect, and where do barriers remain?

Audience members will play an active role in shaping the discussion, contributing experience from across the London market through facilitated debate and live feedback. Insights from the session will be captured and fed in a post event infographic post, shared on all the socials, signposting London’s response to the national growth conversation, circulated by AtkinsRéalis, ensuring London’s response helps inform the national conversation on planning, housing and growth.

In association with AtkinsRéalis

Local London: Delivering the Capital’s Next Wave of Growth

15:00 - 15:45 | Place Stage

Local London’s Vision for Growth seeks to transform the capital’s largest sub-region across northeast and southeast of London into a hub of inclusive, sustainable economic development, innovation, and opportunity. Hear from the recently elected Leaders of the capital’s fastest-growing sub-region, on their development priorities covering the unique and diverse opportunities available for residential, commercial, and industrial growth.

In association with Local London, Vistry and Avison Young

Innovation in action: The future of low-carbon concrete through industry collaboration

16:00 - 16:45 | Innovation Stage

The Accelerating Concrete Decarbonisation Group (ACDG), established by Derwent London in 2024, is a developer-led initiative connecting the supply chain to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon concrete.

Bringing together 35 collaborators across the property and construction sectors, ACDG creates a platform for knowledge-sharing, testing and cross-industry collaboration to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon concrete.

This session will explore how greater industry connectivity, across developers, engineers, contractors and suppliers, can overcome barriers to adoption, build confidence in low-carbon solutions, and enable their widespread use on real projects.

In association with Derwent London

Future Feltham: Gateway to Growth

15:00 - 15:45 | Borough Stage

Feltham is emerging as one of London’s most significant regeneration and connectivity opportunities. At its heart is the MOD Feltham site – a major public land opportunity that could deliver over 1,000 homes, new employment space and vital community infrastructure, while acting as a national pilot for unlocking surplus MOD land.

This session will explore how Hounslow Council, the Ministry of Defence and the Greater London Authority are working together to bring forward a new model for public-sector led regeneration, using coordinated investment in housing, infrastructure and placemaking to unlock long term public value.

Positioned within the Heathrow growth corridor, Feltham has the potential to connect local people to opportunities in high growth sectors including food, film and TV, advanced logistics and the green economy. The discussion will examine how strategic infrastructure, including the Southern Rail Link to Heathrow and enhanced local transport connections, can support inclusive growth and establish Feltham as a gateway to opportunity in West London.

In association with London Borough of Hounslow

From Thamesmead New Town to Charlton Riverside Opportunity Area: Connecting Greenwich’s Regeneration Story

16:00 - 16:45 | Borough Stage

For over 50 years, Greenwich has been at the forefront of London’s regeneration story. From the bold vision of Thamesmead and the landmark arrival of the Elizabeth line in Woolwich, to the market success of Greenwich Millennium Village, the borough has consistently demonstrated how substantial public investment and private capital can successfully combine to reshape places.

Today, Greenwich is entering its most ambitious phase yet. Armed with a progressive new Local Plan, emerging Urban Regeneration Frameworks, and major development opportunities across Thamesmead New Town and the Charlton Riverside Opportunity Area, the borough is actively connecting major public and private investment with local communities.

This session explores how local authorities can provide the proactive leadership, commercial certainty, and robust public-private partnerships needed to unlock long-term growth while retaining civic identity and social value. Reflecting on landmark successes and future pipeline opportunities, our panellists will outline how Greenwich is actively shaping and funding the next generation of urban regeneration in London.

In association with Royal Borough of Greenwich

Claiming the Centre Ground: Why the timing is right to choose the Central South

09:00 - 10:30 | Roundtables

Central South is the global gateway to the UK and a region of opportunity ripe for investment. Just a short distance from London our key cities include Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester not forgetting the vibrant conurbation of Basingstoke.

Parliamentary approval has been given for a combined county authority for Hampshire & Solent, with a Mayor for the region due to be elected in May 2028, which means devolved powers and a seat at the table with government.

Twenty per cent of all FTSE 100 companies and more than 100,000 SMEs are based out of the region. The Central South will be recognised as a region of excellence for AI and we already have a strong defence cluster. With 2 national parks and a Jurassic coastline, the Central South is a highly desirable region which generates a strong return on investment.

This round-table session will bring together established major names in the region with potential investors and we anticipate the discussion will be lively and fruitful.

We will focus on:

  • The compelling narrative for our region
  • Our region’s strongest investment opportunities
  • Why now is the time to choose the Central South

If you would like to be part of this round table discussion please get in touch with Events@BusinessSouth.org

In association with Business South, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, Blake Morgan and Knights Brown.

Deep Tech Growth – converting innovation into UK advantage

11:00 - 12:30 | Roundtables

The UK is already a global leader in deep tech, but sustaining that advantage requires coordinated action across real estate, academia and investment. This session will bring together a select group of senior leaders, across specialisms, to explore the key opportunities and challenges shaping the sector.

In association with Savills

The carbon connection: Decarbonising commercial buildings through intelligent refurbishment

11:00 - 12:30 | Roundtables

London’s property market is undergoing a major shift from ‘new build’ to revitalising existing urban landmarks. Driven by environmental urgency and rising costs – with London office construction up to 40% more expensive since 2020 – refurbishment has become a commercial and environmental imperative.

This session will provide a practical roadmap for the lifecycle of modern buildings, drawing on real world case studies ranging from one of Europe’s largest active commercial retrofits, Citi Tower, to the complete facade overhaul at 334 Oxford Street, down to the specialised heritage preservation of The Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields

Armed with in-depth knowledge of London’s architectural landscape, our panel of specialists will deliver actionable insights on intelligent refurbishment, with key themes including:

  • The logistics of restoring and reinstalling façade systems for major carbon savings
  • Strategic intervention points for routine maintenance through to complete overhauls
  • Balancing heritage preservation with the need for improved energy performance and climate resilience
  • The diagnostic frameworks for providing certainty around long-term asset value

In association with Permasteelisa Group

The Connected Venue: Sport, Culture and Capital in City-Making

16:00 - 16:45 | Roundtables

Stadiums, arenas and leisure venues are increasingly shaping London’s cultural economy, attracting investment, influencing global capital flows and creating value far beyond event day. Drawing on Mott MacDonald’s Global experience, this session will explore how these spaces can be commercially successful, adaptable and positively integrate with the local communities, acting as catalysts for regeneration while delivering long-term social and economic value. From revenue generation and fan experience to meanwhile uses, transport connectivity, and environmental performance, the discussion will focus on what lessons can be applied to London and where the Capital requires a more nuanced approach, with insights from both the public and private sector including owners, operators and adjacent land owners.

In association with Mott MacDonald

The Circularity Gap: Why material reuse isn’t scaling across London offices

16:00 - 17:30 | Roundtables

While refurbishment has become the dominant strategy for reducing embodied carbon in London’s office market, a critical challenge remains unresolved: how to deliver materials reuse at scale. In practice, large volumes of usable materials continue to be discarded through strip-out cycles and Cat A fit-outs, with circularity ambitions often compromised by programme pressures, procurement constraints and risk concerns. This creates a clear “reuse gap” between what the industry intends to achieve and what is consistently delivered on live projects.

Drawing on Stace’s experience across projects such as 155 Bishopsgate, 20 Giltspur Street and work with ReLondon, this roundtable will focus on the real-world barriers to reuse. It will explore where carbon savings are genuinely being realised today, where reuse breaks down in delivery, and how challenges around certification, logistics, commercial viability and stakeholder alignment limit wider adoption. Particular attention will be given to how these issues play out differently at single-asset level versus across large, complex estates.

Framed through the LREF theme of connectivity, the discussion will examine how better alignment between clients, designers, contractors and supply chains could unlock more consistent, scalable reuse outcomes. Ultimately, the session will argue that the next phase of decarbonising offices is not just about choosing refurbishment over redevelopment, but about fundamentally rethinking how projects are delivered so that reuse becomes repeatable, commercially viable and embedded as standard practice.

In association with Stace




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