The British retail community is expected to turn out in force at the annual British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) conference at London Olympia on 11 and 12 September 2013.
For the first time, BCSC is bringing the revamped event in the retail property calendar to London, minimising travel and accommodation costs for delegates while maximising business networking opportunities.
BCSC Showcase has been concentrated into two days, with retailers, landlords and investors descending on the capital in what will be one of the largest gatherings of shopping centre owners and developers in the UK.
Despite a recent spate of retail administrations, there is little doubt that the industry’s vital signs remain strong. The Showcase will yet again be a hive of deal-making and networking opportunities, as the biggest decision makers in retail and property gather together.
The Showcase will include thought-provoking content and direct access to unrivalled, reputable and knowledgeable expertise by bringing together exclusive, high profile speakers.
In recognition of the increasing role leisure and food retail plays in the industry, the exhibition will feature a street scene, with a broad range of restaurants and a demonstration kitchen. There will be no fee for retailers, further reducing their costs.
The Showcase will also feature a London Hub, purely focused on investment and development opportunities in the capital. The area will allow delegates to meet away from the main exhibition area, with some of the capital’s main players. Fewer seminars and the new one-room formula will ensure there is more talking and more action at this year’s conference.
Bookings are now open and delegates can register via the BCSC website.
Michael Green, Chief Executive, BCSC, says: “The strength of BCSC has always been its membership and we’ve gone away and redesigned the conference in order to facilitate the changes the members wanted to see. They wanted a condensed event, with more time and space for deal making which was at the top of our agenda.
“I wanted this year’s conference to be a real change in direction, shifting the focus back on to business and ensuring that we get the right people talking. The seminars we have planned reinforce our conference as the retail property industry event of the year.”
