ULI Spain Annual Conference 2024 : Thrive on Change

When

2024-05-08 - 2024-05-09

Choose Your Calendar

    Where

    IE Tower Paseo de la Castellana, 259E Madrid 28029 SPAIN

    What’s on the program?

    Welcome to the ULI Spain 2024 Annual Conference.

    This year's conference will offer open dialogue, keynote presentations, and thought leadership with real estate and urban development leaders from Spain and Europe, leveraging the ULI global community of over 45,000 members. The event will bring together over 300 ULI members and a professional community of developers; investors; urban planners; designers; public officers; and other market influencers united to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

    ULI Spain's Annual Conference aims to focus on best practices and first-hand insights from real estate and urban development leaders across Spain, and Europe.

    Real estate is currently facing a challenging financial market, while still urgently having to fight against climate change and ensuring decent housing for all. But more structurally, the evolution of long-term drivers such as geopolitics, demographics, technology, and end-user expectations are an extraordinary opportunity for key players to accelerate change towards a more diverse, sustainable, user-centric, and profitable Real Estate.

    Where industry leaders unite to shape the built environment.

    Enjoy the conference!

    Alberto Valls, Chair, ULI Spain

    Bárbara Recio Pelayo, Executive Director, ULI Spain

     
    The full event programme is available as a downloadable pdf here. 

    Programme

    DAY 1 / 8 MAY at Lázaro Galdiano Museum (Access by Calle Serrano, 122)

    18:00: Reception and Registration

    18:30: Welcome and Introductions ULI Spain

    18:45: Keynote Speaker: 'Towards Urban AI', Hubert Beroche, Founder, Urban AI

    19:15: Pedro de Churruca II Edition Award Ceremony

    19:45 – 23:00: Networking Cocktail at Lázaro Galdiano Museum gardens 

    DAY 2 / 9 MAY at IE Tower – Torre Caleido (Access by Calle Monforte de Lemos, 9)

    08:30 – 09:20 : Reception and Registration

    09:20 – 09:30: Welcome and Introductions

    • Alberto Valls, Chairman, ULI Spain (Urban Land Institute)

    • David Jeffrey Goodman, Dean, IE School of Architecture and Design

    09:30 – 11:00: SESSION I - Setting the Scene: ‘A Fractured Outlook.’

    09:30: Global Shifts: Geopolitics in Uncharted Territory: Navigating a Geopolitical Recession

    • Keynote Speaker: Manuel Muñiz, Provost, IE University and Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs

    09:45 – 10:15: Macro-Economic Outlook

    • The Macro-Environment and its Effects on the Global Property Industry in General
    • Keynote Speaker: Simon Durkin, Global Head of Real Estate Research and Strategy for Equity Private Markets, BlackRock

    10:15 – 11:05: Panel: Real Estate Capital Markets

    • How does the macro-economic outlook, and the geopolitical recession affect real estate investments in Europe, and in Spain?
    • How should investors adapt to the new economic 'normal'?
    • Spain emerges as a key player in the real estate market, and the opportunity in Europe.

     Panelists:

    • Vanessa Gelado, Senior Managing Director and Country Head of Hines' operations in Spain, Hines
    • Javier Arús, Senior Director, AZORA
    • Miguel Pereda, Vice Chairman, Lar España; Executive Chairman, Grupo Lar
    • Javier Solís, Managing Director, Head of EMEA - Real Estate AM, Goldman Sachs
    Moderator: 
    • Simon Durkin, Global Head of Real Estate Research and Strategy for Equity Private Markets, BlackRock

    11:05 – 11:50: SESSION II - Decarbonization. Accelerating change. Road to Zero.

    The importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters in the real estate industry continues to grow. While the economics of decarbonization—high construction costs and labour shortages—are causing headaches for investors, there is strong agreement about the importance of ESG credentials to future real estate capital values.

    • Is ESG a value-driver for real estate? How does it impact asset values?
    • Has there been a shift of mindset form debate to action?
    • What are the challenges and opportunities with ESG?

    11:05 – 11:10: ULI Europe C Change Initiative

    • Keynote Speaker: Olivia O'Brien, Research Director, ULI Europe

    11:10 – 11:50: Panel. Accelerating Change. Road to Zero. 

    • The cost of decarbonization
    • European regulations – EU taxonomy
    • Physical climate risk
    • Responsible investing: green real estate financing products
    • Renewable energies 
    Panelists:

    • Daniel Chang, Managing Director and Head of Europe ESG, Hines
    • Ana Cunha, Strategic Sustainability Advisory and CSR Director, Deerns Group
    • Felipe Pérez, Head of Spain, Primonial REIM
    • Paul Kennedy PhD, Portfolio Manager and Head of Portfolio Strategy, European Real Estate Group, JP Morgan Asset Management 
    Moderator: 
    • Olivia O'Brien, Research Director, ULI Europe

    11:50 – 12:15: Coffee Break 

    12:15 – 12:20: Speaker: Juan Velayos, Chairman, The District

    12:20 – 13:05: SESSION III - AI and Digitalization.

    12:20 – 12:25: Speaker: Carlos Olmos de Frutos, Founder, OX & uDA (Acquired by Alantra) and ULI Spain Executive Committee member

    12:25 – 13:10: Panel. Adapt for success: How to thrive in an everchanging world.

    AI and technology have set a new pace of change for business opportunities. Recent crises have also tested our ability to adapt quickly however, it is still difficult for companies to stay ahead of the game. We discuss how technologies are intended to leverage proprietary data and artificial intelligence to better inform investment decisions and improve processes.

    Innovation triggers disruption: new paradigms, with a vision of how to do things differently, approaching leads to new business models and therefore new companies that are difficult to classify according to traditional parameters.

    Today, we revolve around companies leveraged in technologies that have triggered these new paradigms. They are just the tip of the iceberg of what is coming in the next ten years. 
     
    Panelists:

    • Naqash Tahir, Executive Director of Research and Development and Investments, RealAssetX, PGIM Real Estate
    • Miguel Nigorra, Partner and Co-Head of the Europe Team, Fifthwall
    • Adam Burstow, Business Development Executive, Amazon Web Services
    Moderator: 
    • Francisco Luis Machín, Chief Data Officer, IE University

    13:10 – 13:55: SESSION IV - City Transformation.

    13:10 – 13:20: Introduction: Myriam Inmaculada Peón, General Director of the Office for the New General Urban Planning of Madrid. Urbanism, Environment, and Mobility Department, Madrid City Council

    13:20 – 14:05: Panel. City Transformation

    Leaders in urban regeneration from Spanish and European cities discuss how to make cities more resilient, equitable places from a social, environmental, and economic perspective, especially post-pandemic and considering the growing urgency to address climate change. We will discuss urban regeneration and transformational projects on the commercial cores of our great cities. How are cities evolving?

    Panelists:

    • Adolfo Ramirez-Escudero, Chief Executive Officer, CBRE España and Divisional President LATAM
    • Sofie Verstraete, Chief Development Officer, Revive
    • Javier de Pablo, Co-Chief Executive Officer, DEEPLABS
    • Miguel Hernández, Director of Strategy and Corporate Development, CREA Madrid Nuevo Norte
    • Flavio Tejada, Director of the Masters in Real Estate Development, IE University; Director, Arup
    Moderator: 
    • Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean, IE School of Architecture and Design

    14:05 – 14:10: Closing of the Conference: Alberto Valls, Chairman, ULI Spain (Urban Land Institute)

    14:10: Vino Español

    14:30: VIP Lunch (invite only)

    16:30: Amazon WS – AI Workshop (CEPSA Tower)
     

    Conference Fees

    The conference fee covers the two-day programme: opening cocktail on 8 May and all conference sessions on 9 May, including coffee breaks.

    • Join & Go fee: not a member yet? The Join & Go fee covers 12 months of ULI Associate Membership and the conference fee at a discounted rate
    • Join & Go registration: contact our customer service team at [email protected]
    • Membership fees: Private: €360 | Public/Under 35/Academic: €190 | Student: €95. Current membership fees can be found here

    Payment Terms:

    • All bookings must be paid for in advance of the event
    • Invoice payment terms strictly 30 days from the issue date of invoice
    • If your booking is less than 30 days before the event or payment has not been received by this date, you will be asked to settle the account before being permitted to enter the event
    • Please ensure that your accounts team is aware of our terms to avoid any delays to your on-site registration

    Cancellation/Refund Policy:

    • Written cancellation and refund requests received at ULI at least 30 days prior (until 9 April 2024) to the event will be awarded a full refund minus a €50 processing fee
    • No refunds will be given for cancellation requests received from 10 April 2024
    • Registration may be transferred to another member of your organisation who is eligible to attend. If necessary, fee adjustments will be made based on ULI membership status
    • Verbal requests for cancellations and refunds will not be accepted: all requests must be made in writing to [email protected]

    Interested in Sponsorship Opportunities? 

    • Learn more in the presentation here
    THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS
     
     
     

    Speakers

    Keynote Speaker

    Simon Durkin

    Global Head of Real Estate Research and Strategy for Equity Private Markets, BlackRock

    Simon is Global Head of Real Estate Research and Strategy for Equity Private Markets at BlackRock and has over 25 years’ experience in real estate strategy and research. At BlackRock Simon works alongside investment teams, portfolio management and clients, advising on investment strategy, authoring thought leadership, and articulating house views. Simon also sits on the Global and European Real Estate Investment Committees. At BlackRock Simon is closely aligned with the BlackRock Investment Institute leveraging the firm's vast expertise and knowledge, generating proprietary research to provide insights on the global economy, markets, geopolitics, and long-term asset allocation. Previously he was Head of Research for BNP Paribas Real Estate and Head of Real Asset Research & Strategy at DWS. Simon studied real estate investment and finance at City University London and was awarded an MBA at Warwick Business School.

    Keynote Speaker

    Hubert Beroche

    Founder, Urban AI

    As the founder of Urban AI, Hubert institutionalised the study of urban artificial intelligence, and has built a large, global network of technologists, municipalities, start-ups, researchers, and other urban practitioners who interact with artificial intelligence in urban contexts. He collaborated with several worldwide cities and urban stakeholders to design and implement Urban Artificial Intelligence. He is the author of several pioneering works in this field. He is also a Lecturer at Sorbonne Université, Co-Founder of AI for Tomorrow and has a background in Urban Economics, Climate Policy and Management.

    Keynote Speaker

    Olivia O'Brien

    Research Director, Urban Land Institute

    Olivia is ULI Research Director. She currently assists with both ULI Randall Lewis Centre and ULI Europe on key decarbonisation topics, including the ongoing development and maintenance of the C Change programme. Expert in the interaction between climate change and the built environment, Olivia has extensive experience in building for resilience, consulting major industry players on the major challenges faced by today’s societies. She comes from Longevity Partners, where she works as an Associate Director and Global Head of Climate Resilience.

    Panelist

    Miguel Pereda

    Grupo Lar Holding Iberia SA

    Miguel Pereda is President of Grupo Lar, a real estate company with presence in 5 countries and more than 50 years of experience, in which he is a major shareholder and where he has developed his career over the last 30 years. He is also Vice President of Lar España Real Estate, the first REIT to be listed on the continuous market. In 2015 he was appointed eminent member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) based in London. Chairman of Fundación Altamira Lar, as well as Chairman of Asociación Norte Joven, a second chance school with 35 years of activity and 3 centres in Madrid. He holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Universidad Complutense, and an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa (IE). He has also completed the Breakthrough Program for Senior Executives at the IMD (International Institute for Management Development), a master’s degree in Tax Consultancy at ICADE and the Real Estate Management Program at Harvard Business School.

    Panelist

    Daniel Chang

    Managing Director and European Head of ESG, Hines Europe Ltd

    Daniel Chang is European Head of ESG at Hines and in his role focuses on the transition to decarbonisation, enhancing meaningful social engagement in the built environment, and bolstering governance frameworks. Daniel joined Hines in 1999 as Development Manager and from 2009 to 2021 was a Portfolio Asset Manager in investment management. He continues to play a key part in the success of Hines’ European Funds with all 4 funds achieving 5 green stars in 2022 by GRESB and several being awarded as Global Sector Leaders, including the Hines European Core Fund (HECF), achieving this recognition for the last six consecutive years. In addition, HECF won the PREA open-end fund ESG award in 2021 and 2022, with Daniel playing an instrumental part in this accolade. Daniel sits on the Advisory Board for the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate, which is dedicated to creating healthy, resilient, and high-performance communities around the world. Daniel is also part of the C Change steering committee and is a member of ULI’s Sustainability Council in Europe. Prior to Hines, Daniel worked as an architect at Architecture Studio in Paris. Daniel holds a BSc in Architecture from the University of Maryland and an MBA and MS in Urban Planning from Columbia University.

    Panelist

    Ana Cunha

    Strategic Sustainability Advisory and CSR Director, Deerns Group

    Ana Cunha is the Strategic Sustainability Advisory & CSR Director at Deerns Group, a global MEP Engineering & Consultancy firm. With extensive expertise in sustainable building design, decarbonization, and ESG strategies, Ana has led the international commercial development and Global Accounts for Deerns' Group Real Estate market sector. She serves as a #BuildingLife ambassador for Decarbonisation, is founder and Vice-President of the international Commission of Alliance HQE-GBC (France Green Building Council), actively contributes to ULI and LEED/USGBC taskforces on climate transition and resilience. Ana's leadership roles included chairing taskforces for World Green Building Council (Policy taskforce for Europe Region), for UNEP-SBCI (Carbon & Sustainability common metrics) and former Sustainable Building Alliance, showcasing her commitment to advancing sustainability in the built environment.

    Panelist

    Felipe Pérez

    Head of Praemia REIM Spain, Praemia REIM

    Felipe Pérez is the Head of Primonial REIM Spain, pioneer of responsible investments healthcare infrastructures. Primonial REIM is Europe's No. 1 asset manager for healthcare property, with more than €19 billion under management in all types of healthcare. He joined Icade Santé Group in 2021 as head of Asset Management for Spain and Portugal. In 2023 he started as a lecturer of Healthcare Investment in the MDI Master at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He began his career in 2013 as a Technical Asset Manager in the infrastructure department of Quironsalud Group. In 2015, he joined Savills, as technical manager to manage a portfolio of commercial and hotel assets. Since 2019, he was in charge of developing the healthcare department of Savills dedicated to the acquisition of healthcare facilities and advising operators and specialized investors. He holds a degree from Polytechnic University of Madrid and IE Business School.

    Panelist

    Naqash Tahir

    Executive Director, PGIM Financial Limited

    Naqash is the executive director of Research & Development and Investments at RealAssetX, an innovation lab powered by PGIM Real Estate. Based in London, he leads RealAssetX which is dedicated to revolutionizing the real assets sector, in partnership with leading universities and venture capital firms. This initiative aims to invest in and deliver modern technologies across the industry, marking a significant step towards the digital transformation of real assets management. In addition to his efforts in innovation, He is deeply involved in developing strategic partnerships with venture capital firms. This initiative aims to invest in and deliver modern technologies across the industry, marking a significant step towards the digital transformation of real assets management. He has been a significant contributor to the PropTech program in Europe and is a member of AREF's Technology working group, serves on INREV’s Technology committee and is co-Chair of ULI’s council on Real Estate and Technology.

    Panelist

    Miguel Nigorra

    Partner and Co-Head of the Europe Team, Fifth Wall

    Miguel Nigorra is a Partner and Co-Head of the Europe team at Fifth Wall, where he leads the investment activities in Europe. Prior to joining Fifth Wall, Miguel worked at McKinsey for over nine years in the Madrid and London offices. As part of the digital practice,he led teams across Europe in numerous real estate engagements. He also was a Business Development & Strategy Manager at Fon Wireless, the largest WiFi network in the world. Miguel started his career at The Coca Cola Company and Diageo. Miguel is from Madrid, and currently lives in London. He received his BA in business administration and finance from Universidad Pontificiade Comillas, ICADE in Madrid, and participated in exchange programs at Fordham University in New York and HEC at the University of Montreal. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York.

    Panelist

    Adam Burstow

    Business Development Executive, Amazon Web Services

    Adam Burstow leads AWS business development for engineering, construction & real estate in EMEA. He began his career in the construction and facilities management industries as a quantity surveyor, project manager and consultant. He then joined KPMG Consulting’s real estate team, providing tech strategy and integration services, based in London and New York. This led to CIO and CDO roles in the real estate industry, most recently as Group Digital & IT Director at Grosvenor Group. Adam has also been an advisory partner at a VC investing in real estate and construction tech startups. An ever-curious urbanist and technologist, Adam co-chairs the Urban Land Institute’s UK Innovation Council. He has a degree in Quantity Surveying and an MBA from City, University of London.