Conference agenda

8.30am	Pre Conference Networking Session Delegates arrive from 8:30am when an informal breakfast is provided, and a chance to network with other attendees, before the conference starts at 9:30am
9.30am	Chairman’s Welcome & Introduction Where are we with Student Housing Property Investment? Speaker: Martin Hadland, Founder & Managing Director, Student First Group (Conference Chair)
9.40am	Student Housing in the UK & Europe – where has the market got to? Where does Student Housing fit with the wider spectrum of rented residential and other property asset classes and how is it performing? How has the sector been affected by fluctuating interest rates? How is the Student Housing sector adjusting to the growth in ESG requirements? Where is the future growth coming from when looking across Europe? Speaker: Matthew Bowen, Partner - Head of Residential Investment Research, Knight Frank
10.00am	The UK Student Housing Market in 2024 – where are the key opportunity areas over the next 5 years and how is the market evolving? What were the key transactions in the UK Market over the past 12 months and what do these tell us about where the market is heading? What is happening with UK Rents, Values, & Opportunity areas? Which UK Cities now represent real value and why is there so much demand for UK stock in the current market? Which universities are going to see the highest demand and which towns and cities will require more supply? HMOs & the private rented sector – how do they prop up PBSA and how is this changing? Speakers: Kirsten Dyer, Director, CBRE, Riah Patel, Director, CBRE
10.20am	Panel Session – the Future of UK Student Housing Investment & Operation Where do operators and investors see the market evolving? With planning challenges, rising build costs, and an increasing cost of borrowing, are there now concerns about the viability of UK Development? How is planning affecting the UK Student Housing market? How important is ESG and sustainability with each portfolio and how can we repurpose existing stock to meet modern environmental targets? What kind of stock will the UK market demand in coming years in terms of build, design and amenities? Where are the key opportunity areas moving forward, looking both at location and also at the product? Where are the Joint Venture opportunities in the UK Market? Price v expectation Utilities budgets and other costs – dragging returns Speakers: Lizzie Beagley, Director, Head of UK PBSA, Savills, Michael Burt, CFO, Unite Students, Paddy Jackman, Chief Executive, Unipol, Matt Burton, Executive Director of Partnerships, UPP, Jane Crouch, Chief Operating Officer, Fresh, Martin Hadland, Founder & Managing Director, Student First Group (Panel Chair)
11.00am	Coffee & Networking Session
11.35am	Understanding what is happening with Student application numbers in the UK and what it means What is the changing demographic of international students and what does this mean for accommodation markets? What have we learned and how are things likely to evolve over the next decade? What will affordability mean for future student numbers? Speaker: Nick Hillman, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute
11.55pm	Student Housing Industry Insights – What are students really looking for and where is the affordability? How do we see this evolving? Speaker: Tuely Robins, Head of Insights, StudentCrowd
12.10pm	Questions for Tuely & Nick
12.20pm	How do Investors see the Student Housing Property Market Why is ESG now so important and how is it affecting investment decisions? What are their aspirations in terms of size of portfolios & where do they see the opportunities Geographically? Where does Student Housing now sit in investment priorities in relation to other residential products and other property sectors as a whole? Where are investors looking for growth with rents plateauing? Where do investors stand on operational platforms? How do Investors view the Student Housing Market in the long-term sense and where do they see the growth? Speakers: Peter Manners-Smith, Director, Real Estate Income, M&G Investments, Marcus Peel, Director - Real Estate, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Juan Pepa, Founding Partner, Stoneshield Capital, Adell Nair-Grepinet, Managing Director, Trinova Real Estate, Philip Hillman, Strategic Board Advisor, Abodus & Consultant, Living Real Estate Sectors, QX (panel chair)
1.00pm	Networking Lunch Session for Speakers & Attendees
2.00pm	Building Safety, Fire Safety & Cladding – any update on what this means for Student Housing What changes are we seeing to the development process? With builds now becoming more expensive, what does this mean for viability in the sector? How are the regulations affecting the speed of delivery? Speakers: Natalie Harris, Partner, Pinsent Masons, Katherine Metcalfe, Partner, Pinsent Masons
2.15pm	How can existing student housing stock be repurposed and modernised? With embodied carbon restricting demolition options, how can old stock be transformed to fit current & emerging market needs? What is the future for new versus repurposed stock? Speaker: Nick Riley, Board Director & Head of Student Housing, Whittam Cox Architects
2.30pm	Questions for Nick, Natalie and Katherine
2.35pm	Debt in the Student Housing Sector How do the lenders view the Student Housing Market? What has been the impact on fluctuating interest rates and how do we think this will evolve in the coming months and years? What kind of deals are lenders now looking for and where? How should owners and investors be approaching upcoming refinance deals? Speakers: Louise Archer, Sector Head for PBSA, HSBC, Shivani Goolab, Real Estate, Investec, Mark Quigley, Managing Director - UK Real Estate Finance, Beaufort Capital, Martin Hadland, Founder & Managing Director, Student First Group (Conference Chair)
3.05pm	University Panel How can we deliver modern, fit for purpose facilities, that prioritise Student Wellbeing and ESG as a whole? What do constraints on University budgets mean for delivery of residential estate? How has the operation of Student Accommodation evolved and how is the sector approaching inflation and the increasing costs of living? What kind of measures can we put in place to improve the Student Experience and take the best care of their wellbeing, both in the short and longer term? How can technology and innovation help with this and what kind of ideas are we seeing? What kind of Partnership Opportunities will be prevalent between Universities and Private Sector Operators & Investors to deliver both a best in class product and service? How is planning now perceived and how should this be approached? Speakers: Vicky Ackerley, Head of Residential & Sport Services, University of Manchester, Trudi Vout, Director of Residences, Sport and Community Services, University of Southampton, Martin Hadland, Founder & Managing Director, Student First Group (Conference Chair)
3.35pm	Design, Delivery & Operation in Mainland Europe – more than a panel session 5 market leaders offer 5 perspectives on the future of the European Market. Each will present their ideas, followed by a panel discussion Why is Europe continuing to grow in popularity and where are the opportunities? Where in particular is proving attractive for Investors and how much of a priority is ESG in Europe? How do Continental Markets view the link between Student Housing and Build to Rent/Co-Living? How mature is the market and what are reasonable growth projections? What has been happening with market activity across Europe? What the investors are doing and where are they putting their money? Where are we with mature and emerging markets? Speakers: Madalena Contreras, Principal, Apollo Global Management, James Hunt, Global Head of Real Estate, Global Student Accommodation (GSA), Pavlos Gennimatas, Managing Director - European Living, Hines, Nenad Manasijevic, Principal Director, tp bennett, Brian Welsh, Founder, OPRE Solutions, Martin Hadland, Founder & Managing Director, Student First Group (Conference Chair)
4.10pm	Closing remarks from the Chair
4.15pm	Close & 2024 Student Housing Industry Drinks Reception for Speakers and Attendees

Conference Agenda