by Bob Denton
The property sector is unusual in many senses, and one of its obvious differences from other sectors is that it does not have an established annual showplace — until this year, that is.
We therefore decided to undertake major research into how such an exhibition would be viewed, and what people would like to see from it. The results were fascinating and presented something of a challenge: the outcome is the Property Business Show ’89(*), which takes place at the Barbican from Tuesday February 14 to Thursday February 16.
It was obvious that some previous attempts to stage property shows did not quite get it right, making it all the more important for us to do so.
Clearly a high calibre of exhibitors from across the property spectrum was needed to attract the right calibre of visitor. This has been achieved with agents including Debenham Tewson & Chinnocks, Bernard Thorpe & Partners, Matthews & Goodman and Conrad Ritblat.
Developers are represented by Crest Estates and Sovereign City Properties. Public bodies include the Commission for the New Towns, the London Docklands Development Corporation, Property Services Agency, Cheshire County Council and Cumbernauld Development Office; and financial groups exhibiting include Hill Samuel and First National Commercial Bank.
We had decided to include a number of features highlighting areas of special interest to those in the property and related professions.
Opening the show will be Hartley Booth, chief executive of British Urban Development, and a man who has been very much in the headlines recently for his strong views on the regeneration of Britain’s inner cities.
Other heavyweights at the show include the RICS, which will be showing its surveyors’ bookshop operation, and the College of Estate Management from Reading, which is using the show to explain its professional education programme.
Hartley Booth’s presence at the show is supported by one of the special features on urban renewal, sponsored by Derrick Wade & Waters, a development consultancy specialising in the field.
Estate Gazette is sponsoring the show’s central feature, the “Property Browser”, which will display up to 1,000 property details, plus developers’ and architects’ models to allow visitors to browse through the range of properties currently available.
A computerised service matching requests for information to those responsible for promoting the schemes will be in action throughout the show to ensure a speedy response for inquiries.
Facility Management magazine is sponsoring “The Planned Office”, a feature to help ensure you that your property is used to the full.
When we formulated the show, we decided that a programme of workshops should accompany the exhibition. Our research backed up these ideas and the respondents held clear views on what subjects should be discussed and who they wanted to lead the discussions.
The workshop programme, devised by Sheila Graham of the RICS subsidiary Institution & College Conferences, offers a range of subjects which are pertinent and timely.
The opportunities that 1992 will offer are being much talked about in the business world generally, and have excited interest from those in property.
Colin Vaughan, of Debenham Tewson & Chinnocks, is leading “The Property Investment Market — Opportunities in Europe”, which will also include Jones Lang Wootton partner Geoffrey Woodling, DTC director Keith Stockdale and representatives from financial institutions.
Effective management of office property is covered in “You and Your Property — House of Horrors or Tunnel of Love?”
This should offer a fresh approach to the subject, looking at how facilities should be planned for new technology and how to make the most of our environments.
Chaired by Roger Blackhurst, publisher of Facility Management, the speakers are Mike Warner, partner of Richard Ellis, Jonathon Hewitt, director of Rosehaugh Stanhope and chief engineer of the Broadgate Development, Rod Homer, senior manager of group property at the Midland Bank, and Clive Hilton, managing director of Facility Group Technology.
“Time and Stress Management — A Survival Guide” could be a subject close to all our hearts. This workshop will cover the art of delegation, how best to identify available resources, how to maximise available time and how to minimise stress. Speakers here will include Robert Scott, management adviser to the Industrial Society, and Nicholas Arthur, a director of Herring Son & Daw.
Retail property, rating, residential, enterprise zones, VAT and rent reviews will also be covered by leading exponents from the profession.
Debenham Tewson & Chinnocks, who have chosen the Property Business Show as their first major exhibition, are taking one of the larger stands and see this as an ideal opportunity to reach their target audience. They view this as a major component of their overall corporate marketing plan.
(*) Tickets are available from Christine Johnson, Property Business ’89, Focus Events, Greencoat House, Francis Street, London SW1P 1BR (01-834 1717).
