Retail folk gear up for BCSC 2011
Around 2,500 delegates from across the UK will attend the annual conference and exhibition for the British Council of Shopping Centres in Manchester next week.
The retail property community's biggest event in the calendar will have North West agents, occupiers and developers out in force to make the most of the occasion.
Among the fringe events going on around the main conference programme, retail agents Cheetham & Mortimer will once again be hiring the Mojo bar and nightclub on the evening of the main conference day, Tuesday 20 September. C&M optimistically points out its party is invitation-only.
Law firm Brabners Chaffe Street is hosting clients and contacts at Bar 38 earlier in the evening on Tuesday, as are Savills with a party at Revolution in Deansgate Locks. The real estate and retail teams of Shoosmiths solicitors are holding an informal drinks reception at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, also on Tuesday from 5pm.
The ever-ambitious Town Centre Securities is hoping there will be agents able to rise early on Wednesday for a breakfast reception at Urban Exchange in Piccadilly Basin, where it has one unit left to let.
The conference takes place at Manchester Central from Monday to Wednesday. The theme for this year's conference is 'time to think differently'. Headline speakers for the main session on Tuesday morning include Jeremy Collins, head of retail development at John Lewis Partnerships; Guy Grainger, head of retail at Jones Lang LaSalle, Martin Perry, director of Henderson Global Investors; and Greg Mansell, research manager at IPD.
- View the full programme here