Let’s be clear – Diary is not suggesting for a second that anything is beyond the capabilities of Jackie Sadek. Well-known, well-loved and famously vocal, the chief executive of UK Regeneration is a property industry legend. But her influence may have been the tiniest bit overstated at the Urbanistas’ third birthday party held at the Building Centre, WC1, last week. The programme for the event, which Jackie was on the panel for, read: “Jackie is a national spokesperson for regeneration matters and chief executive of the UK.” That’s quite some step up, but if anyone can whip this country into shape, it’s the Sadek.
Debt adviser’s dressing down
Having preconceptions about someone because of their sartorial choices is a schoolboy error in the property industry, David Pearl and his selection of casual shirt and jeans combos perhaps being the most notable example. Last week when a managing director of a well-respected debt adviser wandered into the office of a hedge fund for a meeting kitted out in more casual attire than others might expect, he was told by the front of house that post deliveries would be taken at the desk downstairs. Lesson learnt people. Never judge a dressed-down debt adviser.
Tourist economy exterminated
Daffodils, lamb and the humble leek? Consider them all exterminated by Wales’ new, most popular tourist pull – Doctor Who. The country is now dotted with filming locations for the BBC TV show and visitors are flocking over the River Severn for a chance to see Britain’s most famous extraterrestrial time lord in action. All good for the economy, right? Not necessarily. Diary heard at EG’s Question Time debate in Cardiff last week that those pesky aliens and the sonic screwdriver are upsetting mere mortals. Ken Poole, Cardiff Business Council director, exclaimed: “They come for Doctor Who and then they disappear.” Faster than the TARDIS, no doubt.
EG question time: a great gig
Speaking of EG’s Question Time, with an itinerary that covers 10 cities across the UK, the QT roadshow is basically the equivalent of those lavish concert tours of old. It’s all there: from diva behaviour to complicated riders (a white towel, a bottle of strawberry Ribena and a bowl of M&Ms – brown ones removed, please). We have struck up celeb friendships along the way – hello Union J and S Club 7 – and now, not for the first time, politicians are jumping aboard the EG bandwagon. Chancellor George Osborne and communities secretary Greg Clark clearly timed their visit to the Midlands powerhouse in Birmingham last week to coincide with our regeneration round table staged in the city at the same time. As team EG sits down to plan our autumn events schedule, we have a message for politicians and pop stars: form an orderly queue and we will do our best to add some magic to your events. Even you One Direction, even you.
JLL sculpts the perfect triathletes
Property loves a triathlon. And no one knows that better than JLL. Not only is the agent the host of one of the biggest triathlons in the country – some 3,500 of you will take part in the JLL Property Triathlon and Property Swim next month – but this year it was also one of the headline sponsors at the ITU London leg of the triathlon world championship on 30 May. As sponsor of the event, JLL had its brand displayed at the scene of the race at Hyde Park and was able to invite staff and clients to take part. Triathlon training takes time, consistency and a lot of patience. You have to lay the foundations correctly and then build each part of the race – swim, bike, run – brick by brick by brick. Or at least that is how JLL built its triathletes. Three of them, made of Lego. The sculpture took eight people some 600 hours and more than 135,000 bricks to build.
