Webinars

Urban Living Webinar Series

Hosted by IHM editor-in-chief George Sell, our Urban Living webinar series has already attracted 15,000+ engaged owners, operators, investors, developers and service providers within: hotels, serviced apartments / aparthotels, BTR / student housing, co-living, hostels, short term rentals, proptech and co-working.

No cost to join and designed to encourage participants to think differently the sessions look to the future with thought-provoking discussions, debates, live Q&As with industry leaders and innovators as we collectively look to rebound from the downturn.

They promise to offer a glimpse of what hospitality and real estate professionals can expect on the run up to URBAN LIVING FESTIVAL 2022: stay-live-work, which is taking place on July 5-6 2023 in London.

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING OUR WEBINAR SESSIONS?

We’re currently taking bookings for brands and companies that wish to position themselves as thought leaders and sponsor our webinar sessions. The schedule is filling up fast – download the information sheet or contact katie@internationalhospitality.media for more information.

Watch the 40 + Urban Living webinars already hosted by scrolling to the base below or checking out our YouTube Channel


Some of our previous webinars can be found here:

• Wednesday December 8 2021 2pm GMT: Urban Living Trends [Sponsored by Flywire and AHV Associates]

Our experts predict five trends to look out for across the urban living sector in 2022
Lukas Willhoelft, development director, The Embassies
Amy Frearson, editor at large, Dezeen
Iain Murray, senior director, LIV Consult

Watch the recording HERE

• Wednesday December 1 2021 2pm GMT: Mixed use, mixed tenure, mixed length of stay 

Mixed use developments are becoming increasingly complex, with elements of residential, hospitality, office, retail, leisure and other use classes. How are these developments put together, and what drives the decisions regarding which component parts to include?

Yolande Barnes, chair, Bartlett Real Estate Institute, UCL
Harry Harris, managing director, SUSD
Geoff Hull, director, EPR Architects

Watch the recording HERE

• Wednesday November 17 2021 2pm BST: Coliving – bouncing back

How has the coliving sector rebounded from Covid and what is the global outlook for the segment? How is the guest demographic evolving and how has investor sentiment and activity around coliving evolved?

Featuring:
Ben Prevezer, co-founder and CEO, Mason & Fifth
Harry Manley, head of planning, Halcyon Development Partners
Miriam Barnhart, product manager, POHA House

Watch the recording HERE

• Wednesday November 10 2021 2pm GMT: Rising Stars 

Three entrepreneurs from different segments of the hospitality and real estate world, talk candidly about the challenges and opportunities the pandemic has brought their businesses, and discussing their hopes for the future.

Featuring:
László Varga, founding partner, Heden
Cindy Diffenderfer. co-founder, Orion Haus
Leo Colgan, co-founder, Integrated Media Solutions

Watch the recording HERE

• Wednesday October 20 2021 2pm BST: Built to Rent: standing out from the crowd 

With housebuilders, housing associations, institutions and US multifamily giants all moving in to the European BTR market, what will developers and operators need to do to differentiate their offer in an increasingly competitive market? Covering design, operations, investment, marketing, distribution and more.

Featuring:
Ben Yexley, head of BTR, flatfair
James Hart, asset manager, alternatives, LaSalle Investment Management
Rebecca Taylor, managing director of BTR, Long Harbour
Dheraen Quick, BTR community manager, Native

View the recording here

• Wednesday September 8 2021 2pm BST: The apartment and hotel room of the future.  

As building techniques and technologies advance concurrently with new ways of living and working, how will the hotel room and apartment of the future evolve to become more efficient, user friendly and sustainable? The discussion will cover architecture and design; materials; operations; amenities; technology, sustainability and more.

Panelists:
• Dylan Sutton, international business development manager, Tuya Smart
• Hilary Lancaster, CEO, Fusion Interiors Group
• Craig Patterson, director – hotel openings, design & technical services, Cycas Hospitality
• Robin Keates, director of forward funded delivery, Grainger

View the recording here


• Wednesday July 14 2021 2pm BST – The moratorium extension – what does it mean for landlords and tenants? – SPONSORED BY Watson Farley & Williams

The UK government has announced the extension of a forfeiture moratorium first introduced in April 2020 until 25 March 2022. The BBC reports that, during this period, retail and hospitality businesses have amassed £5bn in rental debt. This measure means that landlords will be unable to evict their commercial tenants for another 9 months for these rent arrears.   Plans have also been announced for a binding arbitration scheme to resolve disputes between landlords and commercial tenants.

Discover:

Lessons learnt from how landlords and tenants have collaborated during the crisis

The nature of the deals being done between landlords and tenants

The impact of CVAs and other restructuring measure

The implications of the proposed arbitration scheme

The future outlook

Panellists:

(Host) George Sell, Editor-in-chief at International Hospitality Media

Dev Desai, Property Litigation Partner at Watson Farley & Williams

Tony Milligan, Head of membership services, The Commercial Tenants Association

David Sheen, Public Affairs Director, UKHospitality

Robin Sheppard, President, Bespoke Hotels

View Recording Here


• Wednesday July 21 2021 2pm BST – The Evolution of mixed-use developments – A Yardi Webinar

A broad range of uses is the cornerstone of major new urban developments. How are these mixed-use projects evolving? How is the ‘sweet spot’ mix of tenures decided? And what are the challenges of planning, building and operating them?

Covering:
Masterplanning and placemaking
Choosing the right elements and tenures
The investment decisions behind a mixed-use scheme
Construction challenges and techniques
Infrastructure and technology
Sustainability
Operations
Sales and marketing

Panellists:

(Host) George Sell, editor-in-chief at International Hospitality Media

• Danny Sutcliffe, partner, Red Loft
• Dexter Moren Associates
• Harry Harris, director, SUSD
• Patrick Cox, managing director, Carrowmore Property

View the recording here


PREVIOUS URBAN LIVING WEBINAR SERIES 2.0 Sponsored by Res:harmonics: All sessions hosted by George Sell, Editor-in-chief, IHM, unless otherwise stated.

• Wednesday June 30 2021 2pm BST – Student accommodation – the next chapter – SPONSORED BY COMMSCOPE

The PBSA sector has seen a surge of investor interest during the pandemic with players as diverse as Barings and Ascott Residence Trust making their first forays in to the market. What are the latest trends in student accommodation design, marketing, investment and operations?

Panellists:

Brian Welsh, head of student, Roundhill Capital

Tarek Jumah, COO, Southern Grove/Future Generation

Rebecca Shafran, associate director, research, BNP Paribas Real Estate

Lydia Jones, CEO, Housemates

View recording HERE

• Wednesday June 16 2021 2pm BST – Evolution of Coliving – SPONSORED BY SAXBURY

To what extend and how soon can co-living bounce back from the pandemic? Before Covid it was one of the fastest growing real estate sectors but since then it has faced the new stigmas attached to communal areas, and even a ban on new development in Ireland. So what does the future hold?

Steve Dow, Chief Commercial Officer, Res:harmonics 

Brian Lee, Managing Director, Common

Ben Prevezer, CEO and Co-Founder, Mason and Fifth

Yianni Tsitouras, Founder / CEO, POHA House

Susannah Rock, Founder and CIO, Gravity Coliving

View recording HERE

• Wednesday June 2 2021 2pm BST – Senior living – SPONSORED BY COMMSCOPE

Senior living is changing. Developers and operators are adding amenities, a hospitality ethos and a broader range of property types, as well as exploring rental options alongside the more traditional ownership route.

Jamie Bunce, CEO, Inspired Villages

Nick White, Associate Director, Fortwell Capital

Eugene Marchese, Founder, Guild Living

Ben Barbanel, Head of Debt Finance, Oaknorth Bank

View recording HERE

• Wednesday May 19 2021 2pm BST – ESG/money v meaning

Investing is no longer just about the bottom line. Sustainable and ethical investment is now arguably as important as profit and is at the top of many institutions’ list of priorities. What do hospitality and real estate companies have to do to make sure they can access ESG investment and what sort of companies and properties are the ESG funds looking for?

Panellists:

Susan Bland, managing director, RBH Hospitality Management

Natalia Kolotneva, head of alternatives and residential, LaSalle Investment Management

Ben Channon, director, Ekkist

Zoë Berman, founder, Studio Berman and founder, Part W

View recording HERE

• Wednesday May 5 2021 2pm BST – The future of work

The longer the pandemic continues, the more old ways of working are being challenged. How will the future of work evolve? Covering working patterns and habits, office design, what now for the commuter?, repurposing real estate and more.

Stephane Bensimon, CEO, WOJO

Alexandra Brunner, COO, Clockwise

Charlie Rosier, Founder / Director, Cuckooz Nest

Neil Davies, Founding director, Neil Davies Architects

Lucy Minton, Co-founder and COO, Kitt

View Recording HERE

• Wednesday April 21 2021 2pm BST – DEBATE: Owner v operator – where does the power lie?

Motion: In the redrawn hospitality landscape, the imbalance of power between owners and operators is greater than ever. Real estate is king and owners are in the driving seat.

Owners:
Vivek Chadha, Managing Director, Nine Hotel Group
Ricky Kapoor, Managing Director, Palm Holdings

Operators:
Thomas Magnuson, CEO, Magnuson Hotels
Paul Thomas, Senior Director, International Hotel Development, Marriott Hotels 

View Recording HERE

• Wednesday April 7 2021 2pm BST – Future tech – what is on the horizon for technology? SPONSORED BY COMMSCOPE

View Recording HERE

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology across a range of hospitality and real estate asset classes, and is now intrinsic to not only smarter buildings, operations, distribution and pricing decisions but in offering customer experience and reassurance. What have been the main developments in the field, what is coming next and how can operators maintain the right balance of tech v humanity?

Stuart Duncan, Founder, Apartrooms and SmartLock Europe
Jim Dolan, Managing Director, Technology Consulting, KPMG
Lennert de Jong, CCO, Citizen M Hotels
Philip Laukart, Managing Director, WeWash, GmbH
Giles Horwitch-Smith, CEO, Res:Harmonics

• Wednesday March 24 2021 2pm GMT – A year in to Covid – investor sentiment revisited. SPONSORED BY SYNAVISION

View Recording HERE

Laura Brinkmann, VP – Private Equity, Brookfield Asset Management
Will Dear, Partner, Crosstree Real Estate Partners
Niklas Sontag, COO / Business Director, NREP and Noli Studios
Henri Wilmes, Chief Investment Officer, A and O Hostels

You will learn:
• How investors have managed their assets during the crisis;
• How their investment outlook has changed and why;
• Which hospitality and real estate asset classes have become significantly more or less attractive;
• How will real estate and operating company asset values be affected in the future and more


• Wednesday March 10 2021 2pm GMT – The hospitality transaction market. SPONSORED BY AHV ASSOCIATES

View Recording HERE

With lots of hospitality assets struggling through the pandemic, and many unable to trade through it, there is currently a distinct lack of transactions and little distress being shown. With visibility on the future still somewhat limited, what will the rest of 2021 look like? Covering the most attractive asset classes, the lending landscape, the M&A outlook and more.

Andrew Harrington, Owner, AHV Associates, Corporate Finance Advisory
Jeremy Jones, Head of brokerage, Christie and Co
Giovanni Forni, SVP Cedar Capital Partners
George Panayiotou, director, Panayiotou Capital


• Wednesday February 24 2021 2pm GMT – The rise of extended stay and aparthotels

View Recording HERE

Through a dark period for hospitality, serviced apartments and extended stay have been a shining light of resilience and adaptability. As investors and operators alike look at the sector with fresh eyes, what are the opportunities that will arise from the recovery? Covering investor sentiment, new brand launches, targeting new guest demographics and more.

Kristian Elonen, senior portfolio manager, Real Estate, APG
Robert Godwin, managing director, Lamington Group and room2
Ben Harper, group managing director, Watergate Bay Hotel, Beach Retreats and Another Place
Marie Hickey, director – commercial real estate, Savills
Morgan Sickles, VP finance, planning and analysis, stayAPT Suites


• Wednesday February 10 2021 2pm GMT – The future of youth travel

View Recording HERE

The pandemic has dealt a crippling blow to the youth travel market, with established players such as STA Travel going in to administration. But the sector has a huge advantage in the pent-up demand from a less risk-adverse demographic. What will the youth travel look like when it rebounds, and how will customer behaviour change? Covering new brand launches, the rise of the poshtel, co-living, student housing and investor sentiment.

In conversation with

Vicki Cunningham, COO, BUNAC
Steve Lowy, CEO, Anglo Educational and The Residences
Sem Schuurkes, founder, CityHub
Dan Baker, general manager EMEA, Student.com


• Wednesday January 27 2021 2pm GMT – BTR – the ‘new normal’ for urban living

View Recording HERE

How a combination of rising property prices, a shortage of new housing and changing attitudes to home ownership and rentals are making Build-to-Rent the norm for a new generation of urban professionals. Covering design and build, operations, marketing, application of hospitality skills and ethos to BTR.

Featuring:
Giles Horwitch-Smith, CEO, Res:Harmonics
Gerard Nolan, partner, Gerard Nolan and Partners; chairman, C1 Capital
Richard Smith, managing director, Moda Life Management
John Badman, head of residential, CallisonRTKL
Ed Ellerington, founder and MD, Packaged Living

_______________________________________________________________________________

•  Food & Beverage – in house or outsource?

View RecordingHERE

Erik Jacobs, Partner, HORECA Investment Partners
Eric Jafari, Creative director, edyn Group
Faraz Nagree, Co-founder, Lean Kitchen Network
Heleri Rande, Partner, Think Hospitality Group
Jason Wischhoff, Managing Director @ Benihana, Minor International

_______________________________________________________________________________

PREVIOUS URBAN LIVING WEBINAR SERIES 1.0: All sessions hosted by George Sell, Editor-in-chief, IHM, unless otherwise stated.

• New real estate models and proptech investors – [Sponsored by Res:harmonics]

View Recording HERE

Guest host: Antony Slumbers, Advisor, Future of Work, Workplace, Tech and Real Estate

Neal Gemassmer,VP International, YARDI Systems

Giles Horwitch-Smith, Managing Director, res:harmonics

Natasha Terinova, Director, REACH UK, Second Century Ventures

Jonathan Werth, Partner, LiFE Ventures

_______________________________________________________________________________

• Architecture and design – how will hospitality and real estate asset classes which are centred around communal spaces and activities – such as coliving, coworking, hotels, hostels, student housing and aparthotels – address changing attitudes to social distancing when designing and operating new projects?

View Recording HERE

Nicolai Padoan, Global Commercial Head / Director of Development Europe, Kerten Hospitality

Digby Summerhill, Director, Minotti London

Paul Wells, Partner, Dexter Moren Associates

_________________________________________________________________________________

• The future of work: offices, coworking and business travel 

View Recording HERE

Giles Fuchs, CEO and Founder, Office Space In Town

Carol Neil, Global Travel Manager, Fidelity International

Jack Sibley, Innovation and Technology Strategies, Nuveen Real Estate

Sean Worker, Managing Director and Principal, T5 Strategies

_________________________________________________________________________________

• Investor sentiment: hotels, serviced apartments, student housing, coliving, hostels and short term rentals. 

View Recording HERE

Michael Abel, Partner, TPG

Christian Birrell, Investment Fund Manager, COLIV Fund, DTZ Investors

Lissa Engle, Founder and Managing Director, Berkeley Capital Group

Mai Lan Marcilly, Director, Real Estate Private Equity, KKR

Florian Schmitz, Founder and CEO, Resonance Partners

___________________________________________________________________________________

•  ‘Workspitality®’ – how work is converging with the new-age of hospitality.

Discover how our visionairies have managed their business’ during the crisis, and what they have learnt to position themselves for the upturn.

View Recording HERE

Guest host: Piers Brown, CEO, IHM

Stéphane Bensimon, Président – CEO chez WOJO; Work, Share, Live

David Kaiser, Head of Real Estate UK and Ireland, WeWork

Matt Watts, Chief Commercial Officer, LABS

Debbie Wosskow, OBE, Co-Founder, Allbright

The term “workspitality” is a registered trademark owned by WOJO, 2020

___________________________________________________________________________________

•  Hotel funding and investment

View recording HERE

Discover the current state of hotel funding and investment. (July 2020)

You will learn: A hoteliers funding options; Current lending and investment requirements; Who’s funding and where funds are available; How to successfully access funds with a look to the future.

Andrew Harrington, Owner, AHV Associates LLP – Corporate Finance Advisory

Tim Helliwell, Director, International Corporate Banking, Barclays Bank

Mariapia Intini, Development & Investment Director Europe, citizenM Hotels

Merzak Kaddour, Investment Director, Edyn Group

__________________________________________________________________________

• Co-living: fad or phenomenon – will co-living stand the test of time? [Sponsored by Res:harmonics]

View recording here

Douglas Edwards, Managing Director, Head of Equity Raising, CORESTATE Capital Group

Joe Persechino, Head of Residential & Student Accommodation, AXA IM – Real Assets

Mathias Saleborn, Managing Director, EMEA AND APAC, BridgeStreet

Mindy Teo, Deputy Managing Director, The Ascott Limited

___________________________________________________________________________________

• The ‘hotelisation’ of real estate – what will space / living-as-a-service look like in the future normal?An opportunity to rethink the way your spaces operate and discover ways to capitalize on a revitalised outlook

View Recording HERE

Giles Horwitch-Smith, Managing Director, Res:harmonics

Brett Million, Strategic Partnerships Director, NewFlex

Benjamin Oeckl, CEO, BelForm

Jacob Wedderburn Day, CEO and Co-Founder Stasher

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Student Housing /Serviced Apartment/ Build-to-Rent: Developers Changing the Game with Technology

View Recording HERE

Murtaza Bukhari, General Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Samsung

Fred Lerche-Lerchenborg, CEO, Lavanda

Gina McMorran, Managing Director, Sales & Marketing – Europe, CA Management Services

Brian Welsh, CEO, Nido Student

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Distribution disruptionwill the OTAs bounce back? SPONSORED BY APARTBOOK

View Recording HERE

Guest host: Eloise Hanson, News Reporter, Boutique Hotel Newsin conversation with:-

Ryan Haynes, Director, Haynes MarComs

Michael McCartan, Principal, mccartan.tech

Na’im Anis Payman, Chief revolutionary, Zeevou

Michael De Jongh, CCO, Avvio.com

___________________________________________________________________________________

The unknown GDV (Gross Development Value) and its impact on funding new development projects

View Recording HERE

Guest Host: Beth Fisher, Editor, Bridging & Commercial and Development Finance Today. 

Emma Burke, Deal Origination, Maslow Capital LLP

Andrew Hosford, Managing Director, Pure Structured Finance

Russell Kett, Chairman, HVS, London

Patrick Smith, Investment Director, Frogmore

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Money v meaning (social purpose) and the role of ESG in the investment case mix

View recording HERE

Guest Host: Adam Maclennan, Managing Director, Head of UK and Ireland, PKF, hotelexperts

Richard Berridge, Blackbird Real Estate Advisory 

James Fry, Founder, Beyond Aparthotels

Leslie Gent, Head of Responsible Investing, Coutts

Josh Littman, VP Development – Europe, SH Hotels and Resorts

___________________________________________________________________________________

 Placemaking – overvalued buzzword or underutilised pursuit?

View recording HERE

Michael Goldin, Director, NoiseAware

Peter Heule, CEO, Short Stay Group and Yays

Eliza Liepina, Head of Product and Business Development, Alternative Accommodations, Roundhill Capital

Francesca Howland, Co-Founder, Bimble

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Flex rentals – investing in innovation

View recording HERE

Guest Host: Paul Stevens, Editor, ShortTermRentalz.com

Mickey Kropf, Founder and CEO, Vector Travel

Michael Chang, Partner, BV Real Estate Partners

Steve Lowy, CEO, Anglo Educational Services

Susan Tjarksen, Managing Director, Multifamily Capital Markets, Cushman and Wakefield

___________________________________________________________________________________

• The anyplace workplace: Office of tomorrow v office of yesterday

View recording HERE

Bruce Daisley, Ex-Twitter VP, #1 best selling author, EatSleepWorkRepeat

Shelley Reiner, Director, Suited ID

Charlie Rosier, Co-Founder, CuckoozNest

Tom Wordie, Marketing and partnerships, AndCo

___________________________________________________________________________________

• How are branded residences and mixed use developments shaking up urban living -SPONSORED BY COMMSCOPE

View recording HERE

Felicity Jones, Partner, Watson Farley Williams

Tea Ros, Managing Director, Strategic Hotel Consulting

Jeff Tisdall, Senior Vice President Development, Residential and Extended Stay, AccorHotels

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Meet the money: what are urban living real estate assets worth and where are the opportunities post Covid-19?

View recordingHERE

Patrick Brennan, CEO, Fair Value Capital

Kevin Colket, Founder and CEO, GHIG

Vedrana Riley, Founder and CEO, Ciel Capital

Luv Shah, Partner / CIO, Invel Real Estate

__________________________________________________________________________________

• Will traditional retirement communities be left in the past?-SPONSORED BY COMMSCOPE

View recording HERE

Jan Garde, Founder and Chairman, THE EMBASSIES OF GOOD LIVING

Justin Shee, CEO and Founder, The Kohab

Traditional retirement communities may be facing changes as society evolves. During the webinar we will be defining what a “traditional” retirement community looks like and how investors, urban innovators and developers are changing the way we look at retirement.

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Hotel hybrids and hostels – [SPONSORED BY RES:HARMONICS]

View recordingHERE

Paul Bridger, Head Rovester and Director, ROVE Hotels

Filippo Cavandoli, CEO and Founder, Nomad Aparthotels

Niko Karstikko, CEO and Co-founder, Bob W

Francois Leclerc, Brand and Operations VP – Jo and Joe, Accor

Hans Meyer, co-founder and managing director, Zoku

___________________________________________________________________________________

• Airbnb IPO – what does it mean for hospitality?

View recording HERE

Andrew McConnell, CEO Rented

Katherine Doggrell, Editor in Chief, EMEA, Questex Hospitality Group and author of “Checking Out – what the rise of the sharing economy means for the future of the hotel industry.”

Sascha Hausmann, Partner at HOWZAT ennea Group