Team Pexhurst recently attended The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) between 21st and 22nd May 2024. It was our first time in attendance, and it won’t be the last! Aside from getting the chance to take in some fascinating seminars, it was also great to catch up with some existing clients at the event and meet new industry professionals during the jam-packed fringe events at the end of each day.
With over 13,000 people in attendance (up from 7,500 last year), the first seminar we attended focused on the need to avoid greenwashing claims on the road to net zero and how it would be possible to do that. Led by chair Claire Petricca-Riding, the session identified the various greenwashing practices that the industry needs to be aware of and revealed that buildings are performing 2% worse than they were in 1990.
For instance, the term ‘greenhushing’ refers to leaving things unsaid, even the positive things, for fear that being vocal will lead to greater scrutiny. Additionally, ‘greenrinsing’ indicates the regular changing of targets before they are achieved to disguise insufficient action while also signalling proactivity.
We were also very interested to sit in on our second seminar on the Tuesday, this time looking at emerging assets in the industry. Held in Leeds’ Markets and Sectors Pavilion, the seminar was chaired by Ruth Oates, the Director of Buro Four, and highlighted the importance of underpinning the economy with science and technology to encourage growth in the industry.
With the government committed to spending £20 billion a year on research and development and over 2,000 frameworks currently in the UK, this is such an important topic and one that underlines why the industry needs market access on a global scale.
Wednesday morning saw a very engaging and thought-provoking seminar about the opportunities creating commercial space can provide growing sectors. With input from many of Warwickshire’s leading developers, the talk highlighted how Warwickshire had become a highly attractive county for dynamic industries, such as the gaming and automotive sectors.
In fact, the speakers revealed that 15 e-commerce logistics brands had located in the area in recent years and there are typically around 40 to 50 projects taking place in Warwickshire each year.
As a company looking to the future as much as the past, Pexhurst team members were also keen to attend a seminar later that day that very much had its eye on the future. Led by Chair Ian Leech, Editor of the Yorkshire Business Insider, and featuring input from leading environmental and sustainability managers from across Yorkshire, the seminar was keen to stress the importance of utilising experience and knowledge from the past to support the increasing need for sustainable practices and the reduction of carbon emissions.
Conversations revolved around needing community and political support, protecting nature and ecology around development sites, trials of ‘bio-diversity corridors’ on industrial estates, and the need to encourage sustainable transport.
Every member of the team took great pleasure in having the opportunity to take in so many interesting seminars and take part in discussions about key topics affecting the built environment. We are already looking forward to next year’s event!
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