Spring Event: 29th April 2025

*This event is CPD Accredited

Doors Open (Registration)

(Location: The main entrance is located just off of Lower Thames Street)

08:00: Early event access for sponsors

09.00: Doors open for all other participants

Opening Remarks

09:50 - 10:00 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

Lisa Simmons, Broadcast Journalist, BBC

Session One

10:00 - 10:30 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

Understanding the needs of retailers to fill spaces: With hundreds of meetings taking place at today’s event, what do you need to know to close more deals?

• What are the expansion strategies for the next 12 months for the UK’s leading retailers? Where are they looking to grow, and what types of spaces are in highest demand?
• Understanding retailer priorities: What are the key factors influencing site selection – footfall, demographics, lease flexibility, or something else?
• How are economic conditions shaping plans for growth?
• Streamlining deal-making: How can landlords, agents, and developers tailor their offerings to match retailer needs and accelerate agreements?
• What are the biggest barriers preventing retailers from securing new sites, and how can these be overcome?

Speakers:  

• Moderator: Lisa Simmons, Broadcast Journalist, BBC
• Paul Clifford, Director, This is Flourish 
  
• Kieran Smith, Senior Property and Development Manager,  Anytime Fitness 
• Sohail Ali, Founder, Chaiiwala

SOAPBOX SESSION 🎤

11:00 - 11:45 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

The Soapbox stage provides brands with a platform to showcase their business & present property requirements to a highly targeted audience of top UK agents, landlords & retail destinations who are keen to discover exciting brands matching their available sites.

• Each brand has 4 minutes to showcase their site requirements for 2025
• Be introduced to new potential clients looking to expand into your area
• Are you looking to invest? These quick fire pitches are the ideal introduction

If you are interested in presenting on the Soapbox stage, please email: marketing@completelyevents.com

Soapbox Speakers: 

• Nick Emmerson, CEO and Co-Founder, ORBE 

• Ben Alderton, Founder & CEO, Solo60  

• Oliver Bull, Owner & Founder, Hasselsson  

• Shiv Misra, Owner, KindlyofBrighton 

• Mikael Söderlindh, Founder & CEO, DRM-LND 
  
• Kara Groves, CEO, WYSE London

Session Two

12:00 - 12:30 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

The Future of Out-of-Town Retail: Growth, Challenges, and Changing Strategies 

• What do the next 12, 24, and 36 months hold for out-of-town retail, can there be a clear strategy for continued growth?
• How is the diversification of use, such as leisure and healthcare going to shape out-of-town destinations?
• Will rising business rates and minimum wage increases help or hurt out-of-town retail compared to the high street?
• How are retailers, landlords and agents working together to ensure a successful outlook for 2025 and beyond? 

Speakers:

• Moderator: Lisa Simmons,  Broadcast Journalist,  BBC 
• Sean Riley, Head of Acquisitions,  Mountain Warehouse 
• Duncan Costin, Property Director,  PureGym 
• Matthew Reed,  Head of Asset Management,  British Land 

Session Three

14:00 - 14:20 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

Expanding into Norway: How Thon can be your retail growth partner? 

• With retail at the heart of its operations, how does Thon leverage over all its experience to help retailers expand into Norway? 
• What opportunities does Thon offer for retailers looking to enter the Norwegian market? 
• How can Thon support retailers with the expertise needed for successful expansion in Norway? 
• Why is Norway a prime location for retail growth, and how does Thon make it easier for retailers to establish a presence there?

Speakers:  

• Katherine Ingero, Shopping Centre Director, Thon Eiendom  
• Kine Eid Refsdal, Property Manager, Olav Thon Gruppen

Session Four

14:25 - 15:00 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

The landlord’s perspective: In a rapidly changing retail landscape, how are landlords adapting to evolving tenant needs, economic challenges, and sustainability imperatives?

• Adapting to shifting demands: What are the key trends influencing leasing strategies, and how are landlords meeting new tenant requirements in a post-pandemic world?
• Balancing profitability and sustainability: How are landlords incorporating ESG into their property management and development plans, and what role do these initiatives play in attracting tenants?
• With changing market conditions, how are landlords maintaining vibrancy in their retail spaces while managing rising costs and economic uncertainty?
• Examining the creative strategies and partnerships that landlords utilising to attract and retain tenants
• What’s next for the future of retail spaces?

Sponsored by:  

Speakers: 

• Moderator: Lisa Simmons, Broadcast Journalist, BBC
  
• Samantha Bain-Mollison, Head of Retail, Places for London   
  
• Laura Thursfield, Retail Leasing Director, The Crown Estate  
• Toby Tait, Director of Asset Management, Hammerson  

Session Five

15:10 - 15:40 (Location: The Vaults/Well)

The perfect time to capitalise on the positivity of the high street, what a changing narrative means for everyone.

• With the outlook for 2025 looking positive for commercial property, what is driving this renewed optimism?
• Is the resurgence of the high street a temporary trend or a long-term shift?
• How can landlords, retailers and investors capitalise on this trend? What we need to do to keep this upward trajectory?

Speakers: 

• Moderator: Lisa Simmons, Broadcast Journalist, BBC
  
• Alex Schlagman, Founding Partner, SaveTheHighStreet.org 
• Fay Cannings, Senior Inward Investment Manager, LB Waltham Forest
• Tanisha Raffiuddin, Founder & Creative Director, Concept Culture

Evening Networking Drinks Reception 🥂

16:30 - 19:30 (Location: Ground Hall Bar & Terrace)

Sponsored by: Shoppertainment

Close of Event

19:30