Conference program
Tuesday Night 18th September 2007
19:00 CEDEM Gala Party!
Občanská plovárna | U Plovárny 8 | Prague 1
Tuesday 18th September 2007
08:00 – 09:00 — Networking Breakfast sponsored by CB Richard Ellis
Introduction
EMEA investment and office trends: prospects for yield and rental change
CEE investment and office trends: prospects for yield and rental change
09:00 – 09:30 — Introduction
09:30 – 10:30 — Office market: The Case for Rental Growth
Vacancy rates are at low levels in CEE's capital cities, but most are now facing an explosion of office supply. So is there a strong case for rental growth in the near term? Today's answer to this question will impact heavily on how tomorrow's office projects are likely to do on the investment markets.
10:30 – 11:30 — Life after yield compression
Whether they level out this year or next, one thing is certain: cap rates can't fall forever. Three investment market experts get 10 minutes to make their case for what we can expect over the next few years, and five minutes to react to their opponents. The audience will vote to decide which panelist has put forward the most convincing scenario.
11:30 – 11:50 — Networking Break Sponsored by Eurohypo AG
11:50 – 12:30 — CEE's runaway construction costs
Global forces are driving up building costs across the region, but are local issues combining to make matters worse. Developers and investors square off against contractors and suppliers in this panel to decide who's to blame for the problem.
12:30 – 13:45 — Buffet Lunch
13:45 – 14:45 — Taking the hotel investment plunge
Hotel investments may still be seen as an alternative asset class by core investors, but they're attracting an increasingly conservative set of buyers. This panel will discuss the latest wave of big-name brands entering the region, the new push by budget hotels and the groups eager to snap them up.
14:45 – 15:45 — Retail focus shifts to Romania and Bulgaria
With opportunities drying up in Central Europe, developers are looking to the European Union's newest members to build enormous projects. With its large population, Romania remains the biggest prize, but Bulgaria has become an important target as well. The panel will examine how the first wave of investments has fared and what to expect from the newest batch.
Wednesday 19th September 2007
09:30 – 10:30 — Industrial developments in an expanded EU
European consumer patterns and supply-chain structures are changing fast, as retailers and manufacturers scramble to catch up with new opportunities. Listen to the players who are developing, leasing and purchasing industrial properties as they discuss the current requirements for successful schemes.
10:30 – 11:30 — Urban regeneration in Central & Eastern Europe
Many of Central Europe's most prestigious projects these days are urban regeneration developments that combine state-owned land with private capital. This panel will feature the players behind the schemes that are reshaping the region's urban centers.
11:30 – 11:50 — Networking Break Sponsored by Eurohypo AG
11:50 – 12:30 — Green tide rising
Rising energy costs and global warming are now impacting on the property sector, as green issues become a matter of corporate responsibility. Increasingly, developers and investors will find multinational end users demanding energy efficient buildings to work in. This panel will discuss the strategies for meeting these rapidly changing requirements and their impact on the bottom line.
12:30 – 13:45 — Buffet Lunch
13:45 – 14:45 — High and Low: Residential extremes
Expensive residential projects grab most of the headlines, but the low-cost housing market is proving to be a huge industry as well. Developers of both are struggling to meet the demand of consumers as new investments – and new jobs – pour into the region. The panel will feature the strategy and analysis of the sector's most important players.
14:45 – 15:45 — What Credit Crunch?
The credit crisis that began in the United States sub-prime market has left Europe's property markets unscathed – for now. With its strong economic fundamentals, could CEE actually turn out to be the place to be for property developers and investors? How are the dual risks of a global economic softening and rising interest rates going to play out for real estate players in the next 12 months? What strategies are developers, lenders and investors preparing?
