The BREL Forum in Riga Will Bring Together Leading Real Estate Experts from the Baltics and Other European Countries
2 November this year, the annual Baltic Real Estate Leaders (BREL Forum), dedicated to the real estate sector and the latest trends related to it, will be held at the VEF Culture Palace. As is customary, the forum in Riga will bring together leading industry experts, entrepreneurs and investors from the Baltic States and other European countries to discuss important issues and challenges related to the industry, forecast its further development and help attract foreign investment. This year, the BREL Forum programme will focus on smart urban landscape planning, innovations in retail and the development of the technologies of the future.
One of the forum’s keynote speakers, who will open the first BREL session, will be Henriette Vamberg (Hanriette Vamberg), Executive Director and Partner at the Danish architectural firm Gehl Architects. She will discuss the development of an urban landscape that is comfortable for residents, presenting examples of real projects aimed at transforming cities and strategies for improvement based on research into people’s daily habits. Damian Harrington, Regional Head of Colliers International in the EMEA region, will speak about attracting talent and investment to cities that serve as examples for other European regions. Gijs Klomp of the Netherlands, Head of Investments at NEPI Rockcastle, will share his views on investment in the Baltic market and the challenges associated with it. He will highlight the key advantages of the Baltic market and innovations in retail, as well as discuss the opportunities offered by the clusters of Central and Eastern Europe and the legal aspects of these processes in different countries of the region.
Keith Silverang, Executive Director of the Finnish company Technopolis, will give an overview of the rapid development and transformation of the working environment, emphasising the important role of sustained productivity and the attraction of innovation and talent. During the forum, Sohvi Rajamäki (Sohvi Rajamäki), Executive Director of Schneider Electric in the Baltics, will discuss future trends in commercial real estate, including “green building” standards, workplaces designed for active work, and the influence of the Internet of Things on building and building-maintenance policies. Zulfukar Tosun from Germany, a representative of Metro ECE Center Management, will give an informative lecture on shopping-centre trends and the impact of digitalisation on consumer habits.
Other leading experts from the Baltic real estate market in Lithuania and Latvia will also be among the forum’s speakers and panel-discussion participants: Oskars Ozoliņš, Chairman of the Board of the construction company Merks; Dr Oskars Redbergs, an engineer and architect; Nils Ušakovs, Mayor of Riga; Aivaras Abromavičius, Chairman of the Board of Preses Nams; and Andžela Koļesņikova, Partner at Colliers International Advisors. Throughout the day, they will actively discuss the main trends in this sector in Latvia and beyond its borders. As in previous years, the forum will be moderated by Ģirts Rūda, Chief Legal Officer at RB Rail AS).
The BREL programme is divided into three sessions with different focuses. The first block will address the urban environment, attractive city planning and the development of urban space, which has recently become a widely discussed topic. The second session will be devoted to investment, with local and foreign investors sharing their views on the real estate market in the Baltic region, its position and forecasts for the coming years. The topic of the third session will be future prospects, with a focus on digitalisation and technology. During this session, experts will examine the latest industry trends, which will soon affect the real estate market in the context of office buildings, industrial sites and retail locations. The forum programme will also address current topics such as: Internet of Things, e-commerce, consumer experience and last-mile delivery. Networking opportunities will be available to participants between sessions.
Detailed information about the BREL Forum programme, participants, key topics and registration opportunities is available at www.brelforum.com. The event will be held in English. The event is organised by Colliers International in cooperation with iDEA HOUSE events.
