Press Releases
PRESS RELEASE: 2 November 2010
‘Building Profitable Business with China’
Future City Forum joins with UK-China Eco-cities & Green Building Working Group to assist UK companies to do business with China
Special 1-day conference session, Thursday 25 November, The Mermaid Theatre, London
What is this about?
Is your company or organisation seeking to build profitable business with China? If so, then this special conference session of Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010 – which has been organised in conjunction with the UK-China Eco-cities & Green Building Working Group – will prove invaluable. It will take place on Thursday, 25 November 2010, at The Mermaid Theatre, London.
According to Alan Kell, Co-chair of the UK-China Eco-cities and Green Building Working Group: “China is the biggest and fastest growing urban development market in the world. But it is also one of the most difficult and many companies have lost time and money in their efforts to do profitable business there, possibly to the detriment of their business elsewhere.”
He adds: “The key to doing successful and profitable business with China is for companies to understand precisely what the opportunities are, what financial and business support is available to them, who they need to be partnering with, and what is expected of them in terms of standards and performance if they are to succeed in China. This conference session will directly assist companies seeking to build profitable business with China and form partnerships to achieve their ambitions.”
Companies and organisations supporting the China business session include UK Trade & Industry, Arup, Atkins, Benoy, BioRegional Quintain, Hyder and Halcrow.
Why UK companies and organisations should attend this event
This 1-day special conference session, which will take place on day 2 of Future City Forum, Thursday 25 November, will enable UK companies and organisations to:
· Understand China’s urban development and city building plans in relation to its national priorities and the launch of the 12th 5-Year Plan from 2011-2015.
· Understand the nature and the magnitude of international support required to deliver these future cities in China, and the resultant commercial opportunities.
· Identify priority Chinese cities and target projects for business development.
· Gain knowledge of the UK Government and industry programmes supporting low-carbon sustainable city development in China.
· Understand the opportunities to establish value-chain partnerships to develop and deliver successful business in China.
· Understand the investment, development and urban planning opportunities in China.
· Understand the architectural, engineering and professional services opportunities in China.
· Understand the critical role of quality, standards and capacity building in China and related business opportunities.
· Gain first hand, practical information, via in depth case studies of actual business experience, from both large companies and SMEs, about the critical success factors for doing profitable business with China.
Who will benefit from this special session
· Investors, fund managers and property developers.
· Suppliers of professional business services (e.g. lawyers, accountants, facilities managers, etc.) which can enhance the overall business value chain.
· Architects, engineers, surveyors, planners, interior designers, energy efficiency consultants etc.
· Low-carbon product developers, manufacturers and suppliers.
· Companies seeking to do business in China related to the delivery of sustainable cities and green buildings, potentially by partnering with other companies operating in the international supply-chain.
About Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010
The 2-day Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010 international conference is focused on the physical, economic and social regeneration and development of the urban environment and waterfronts in the context of financial constraints, ageing infrastructure, population growth and the shift to the low-carbon economy.
It will allow the public and private sectors to draw on global knowledge, experience and best practice to help develop integrated, robust solutions to the enormous financial, economic, social and environmental challenges their cities must address if they are to remain competitive.
The event will be opened by Rt Hon Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport), and is supported by the London Development Agency, The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, Gateway to London, and the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability. UK and continental European cities involved include Bilbao, Dundee, Edinburgh, Ghent, Glasgow, Hamburg, London, Manchester, Peterborough, Stockholm, and San Sebastian, plus the Republic of Montenegro. From North America we welcome Toronto.
The Future City Forum conference programme comprises the following sessions:
· New types of investment vehicles for sustainable urban regeneration, including TIF (Tax Increment Finance), JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas programme) and LABVs (Local Asset Backed Vehicles).
· Professional standards for assessing sustainability; Addressing the financial risks of low carbon technologies; and the impact of environmental regulation and legislation
· Retrofitting cities: Adapting and updating the existing infrastructure and built environment
· Sustainable developments and low carbon projects in the regeneration of the local economy
· The waterfront as a catalyst for sustainable urban regeneration and development
· Concluding Round Table Discussion Forum (chaired by Peter Head OBE, Director, Chairman of Global Planning, Arup and Chairman of the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability)
Further information:
1. Alan Kell can be contacted on 07803 206 126 or email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Alan is a leader of international programmes to integrate information and communications technology (ICT) into buildings, communities and cities as part of an integrated response to the challenges of economic, social and environmental sustainability. He operates as a governmental advisor, programme director, and international consultant in this field. He is Founder of Intelligent & Green Systems Limited, providers of international consultancy, research and programme management on the integration of ICT into the built environment; Co-chair of the UK-China Eco-cities and Green Building Working Group; Leader of the UK delegation to the Beijing Intelligent, Green and Energy Efficient Buildings Expo since its launch in 2005; Co-founder of the INTEGER intelligent & green buildings programme in the UK, Hong Kong and China; Co-founder and first chairman of the world's first MSc in Intelligent Buildings at the University of Reading; Founder of the Centre of Excellence for Intelligence in Buildings; and former Executive Director of the European Intelligent Building Group.
2. The UK-China Eco-cities and Green Building Working Group includes a wide range of companies and organisations active in China, including Arup, Atkins, Benoy, BioRegional Quintain, British Standards Institute (BSI), China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Hyder, Halcrow, London South Bank University (LSBU), David Lock Associates, Pall Mall Principals, Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL), Savills, and ZZA.
PRESS RELEASE: 27 October 2010
Top speakers confirmed for regeneration finance & investment special at Future City Forum
Hot on the heels of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s recent policy statement in support of Tax Increment Finance (TIF), Future City Forum and Colliers International present on day 1, 24 November, an expert-led investment programme covering new style urban regeneration funding.
Expert speakers include Dave Anderson, Director of City Development, Edinburgh City Council; Peter Cosmetatos, Director of Policy (Finance), British Property Federation; and John Downes, Managing Director, Langtree Group plc., and Frank Lee, Head of Holding Funds and Advisory, Northern Europe, JESSICA Task Force, European Investment Bank.
The investment programme will complement the main Future City Forum conference programme and will map a clear way forward for delivering transport, infrastructure and public realm in challenging economic times. It will cover TIF, JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas programme) and LABVs (Local Asset Backed Vehicles) plus other key funding vehicles.
The investment programme includes:
SESSION 1 (Delivering major infrastructure, transport and public realm)
Features two case studies covering the use of TIF schemes:
● London Underground’s Northern Line extension to Nine Elms, Battersea
● The regeneration of Edinburgh’s Waterfront
The seminars that follow will cover the lessons to date of TIF schemes and similar investment vehicles in the UK, the US, and elsewhere.
SESSION 2 (New partnership approaches to housing, sustainable infrastructure and regeneration)
Features three case studies covering:
● New approaches to investment in the private residential sector
● JESSICA in London – An overview of the London Green Fund
● Local Asset Backed Vehicles – PxP West Midlands Partnership and On Site North East
The seminars that follow will cover the conditions for success in public private partnerships; what JESSICA and other urban development funds can achieve, and how they can work with Local Enterprise Partnerships.
Other expert investment speakers include:
● Andrew Appleyard, Head of Specialist Funds, Real Estate, Aviva.
● Dan Anderson and Adrian Clery, Directors of Colliers International.
● Alex Conway, European Programmes Director, London Development Agency.
● Giles Frost, Executive Director, Amber Infrastructure.
● Amelia Henning, Associate in the Social Infrastructure Team, Royal Bank of Canada.
● Kuljeet Hothi, Partner, Eversheds.
● Matthew Hudson, Head of Business, Transport for London.
● Charlie Hughes, Chairman of the European Urban Regeneration Council of the Urban Land Institute and Chairman, Smart Futures.
● Julian Ware, Principal, Corporate Finance, Transport for London.
About Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010
The main theme of Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010 is how cities can remain economically competitive at a time of major financial constraint and mounting pressures to upgrade their infrastructure and built environment, create wealth and employment, house their citizens, and meet ever tougher environmental obligations.
The comprehensive 2 day programme of case studies and seminars/workshops will enable delegates involved in urban regeneration to draw on global experience and best practice to develop robust solutions to the challenges they face.
Transport Minister, the Rt Hon Norman Baker MP will deliver the keynote opening address.
Official support
The event is supported by leading London regeneration agencies – Gateway to London, London Development Agency and London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, plus a host of cities including Toronto, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Stockholm, Glasgow, Peterborough, San Sebastian, and Dundee as well as the Republic of Montenegro. Commercial organisations supporting the event include Colliers International, Arup, Veolia, and IBM.
Conference speakers include:
• Rt Hon Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport)
• Branimir Gvozdenovic, Minister of Economic Development, Republic of Montenegro
• Dave Anderson, Director of City Development, Edinburgh City Council
• Mark Bradbury, Deputy Director of Development, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
• Juergen Bruns-Berentelg, CEO, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
• John Campbell, President and CEO, Waterfront Toronto
• Ian Abbott Donnelly, CTO Europe, IBM Big Green Innovations
• Trevor Gibson, Director of Environment Capital, Peterborough City Council
• Peter Head OBE, Director, Chairman of Global Planning, Arup and Chairman of the Institute for Sustainability
• Charlie Hughes, Chairman of the European Urban Regeneration Council of the Urban Land Institute and Chairman, Smart Futures
• Neil Parker, Development Director, Sustainable Communities, Veolia Water Outsourcing Limited
• Arnold Spek, Director, Eneco, Netherlands
• Thomas Rudin, Partner, White arkitekter AB, Stockholm
• Caroline May, Partner & Head of Environment, Safety & Planning Group, Norton Rose
• Peter North, Head of Project Delivery, Environment, London Development Agency
• Sonia Roschnik, Operational Director, NHS Sustainable Development Unit
• Jackie Sadek, UK Regeneration
• Arantza Tapia – Councillor for Mobility and Territorial Planning in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Spain
Full programme and speaker details can be seen at: www.futurecityforum.com
FURTHER INFORMATION:
• The dedicated event website at: www.futurecityforum.com which contains full details and background information about the event.
• Journalists can register to attend the event by contacting Ian Harper:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or tel: +44 (0) 1347 868571 or +44 (0) 7989 912186.
PRESS RELEASE: 21 September 2010
Top London development agencies support Future City Forum
Key London regeneration and development agencies have come on board as supporters of Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010.
They include the London Development Agency (LDA), The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), Gateway to London (the inward investment arm of the LTGDC), and the Institute for Sustainability.
These influential bodies join the growing number of UK and continental European cities supporting the event, including Dundee, Edinburgh, Ghent, Glasgow, Hamburg, London, Manchester, Peterborough, Stockholm, and San Sebastian, plus the State of Montenegro. From North America we welcome Toronto. A number of key private sector organisations are also supporting the event.
Commenting on the support from the key London agencies, Ian Harper, Future City Forum conference director, said:
“This support comes at a time of major financial belt tightening by public sector bodies in the UK and across continental Europe. What is attracting them to support this event is the emphasis on learning from the best practice and experience of other cities from the across the UK and continental Europe and from elsewhere in the world, and then analysing and understanding how they can apply this knowledge to their own situations.
“At a time of austerity, the organisations and cities supporting the event fully appreciate the enormous value of the best practice and experience developed by other cities when it comes to making the most effective use of finance.”
Beating the financial constraints
The main theme of Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010 is how cities can remain economically competitive at a time of major financial constraint and mounting pressures to upgrade their infrastructure and built environment, create wealth and employment, house their citizens, and meet ever tougher environmental obligations?
Transport Minister, the Rt Hon Norman Baker MP will deliver the keynote opening address, while in addition to the core conference and seminar programme that will address a number of the key challenges facing cities, it has just been announced that there will be a dedicated investment stream to run in parallel to the Day 1 conference & seminar programme.
Sponsored by Colliers International, this investment stream will draw on case studies and expert speakers to provide detailed information on new types of urban regeneration funding vehicles, including TIF (Tax Increment Finance), JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas programme) and LABV (Local Asset Backed Vehicle).
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced on 20 September that local authorities will be given the freedom to borrow against future tax increases to fund development using TIF, so offering a potential way of funding regeneration during the financial squeeze. To date councils have lacked the borrowing powers to get finance for schemes based on predicted increases in tax revenues.
Conference speakers include:
• Rt Hon Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport)
• Branimir Gvozdenovic, Minister of Economic Development, Republic of Montenegro
• Dave Anderson, Director of City Development, Edinburgh City Council
• Andrew Appleyard, Head of Specialist Funds, Real Estate, Aviva
• Mark Bradbury, Deputy Director of Development, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
• Juergen Bruns-Berentelg, CEO, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
• John Campbell, CEO, Waterfront Toronto
• Ian Abbott Donnelly, CTO Europe, IBM Big Green Innovations
• Trevor Gibson, Director of Environment Capital, Peterborough City Council
• Peter Head OBE, Director, Chairman of Global Planning, Arup and Chairman of the Institute for Sustainability
• Charlie Hughes, Chairman of the European Urban Regeneration Council of the Urban Land Institute and Chairman, Smart Futures
• Neil Parker, Development Director, Sustainable Communities, Veolia Water Outsourcing Limited
• Laurens Knegt, Managing Director, Eneco, Netherlands (Clean Tech Delta, Rotterdam)
• Krister Lindstedt, White arkitekter AB, Stockholm
• Caroline May, Partner & Head of Environment, Safety & Planning Group, Norton Rose
• Peter North, Head of Project Delivery, Environment, London Development Agency
• Dr David Pencheon, Director, NHS Sustainable Development Unit
• Senior representative of Port Authority of Belgrade
• Arantza Tapia – Councillor for Mobility and Territorial Planning in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Spain
Full programme and speaker details can be seen at: www.futurecityforum.com
FURTHER INFORMATION:
• The dedicated event website at: www.futurecityforum.com which contains full details and background information about the event.
• Journalists can register to attend the event by contacting Ian Harper:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or tel: +44 (0) 1347 868571 or +44 (0) 7989 912186.
PRESS RELEASE: 23 August 2010
Future City Forum + WaterfrontExpo 2010
Future proofing the urban environment – Global knowledge applied locally
International Conference, 24 – 25 November 2010, The Mermaid Theatre, London
The world’s cities face a series of major challenges. How can they stay up to date and remain economically competitive at a time of major financial constraint and growing pressures to upgrade their infrastructure, create wealth and employment, house their citizens, and meet ever tougher environmental obligations?
This exciting 2-day international event at the superb Mermaid Theatre in central London, will provide many of the answers. The comprehensive programme delivered by leading experts will enable public and private sector organisations engaged in urban and waterfront regeneration and development to draw on global experience and best practice to develop robust solutions to the financial, economic, social and environmental challenges facing towns and cities.
Conference supported by the London Development Agency, The Institute for Sustainability, Colliers International, Arup, Veolia, IBM and a host of cities including Toronto, Hamburg, London, Edinburgh, Stockholm, Peterborough, San Sebastian and Montenegro, plus a host of expert speakers.
Conference programme
The comprehensive conference and seminar programme features five sessions and will give delegates every opportunity to explore and analyse key issues in depth and detail:
SESSION 1: Funding and finance; Regulation and legislation; Professional standards for assessing sustainability.
SESSION 2: Retrofitting cities: Adapting the existing infrastructure and built environment to meet low-carbon requirements.
SESSION 3: Sustainable and low carbon developments in the regeneration of the local economy.
SESSION 4: The waterfront as a catalyst for sustainable urban regeneration.
SESSION 5: Concluding Round Table Discussion & Debate Forum. (Chairman: Peter Head OBE, Director, Chairman of Global Planning, Arup)
Networking Reception
All participants will be invited to attend the Networking Reception at the venue at the end of the first day – the perfect way to make new industry contacts before enjoying the evening in vibrant central London.
Site visit/Study tour programme
On Friday 26 November there will be a FREE-to-DELEGATE programme of Site visits/Study tours to key London developments. The programme includes a comprehensive guided tour of the site of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Keynote speakers include:
Branimir Gvozdenovic, Minister of Economic Development, Republic of Montenegro
Dave Anderson, Director of City Development, Edinburgh City Council
Andrew Appleyard, Head of Specialist Funds, Real Estate, Aviva
Juergen Bruns-Berentelg, CEO, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
John Campbell, CEO, Waterfront Toronto
Ian Abbott Donnelly, CTO Europe, IBM Big Green Innovations
Trevor Gibson, Director of Environment Capital, Peterborough City Council
Peter Head OBE, Director, Chairman of Global Planning, Arup and
Charlie Hughes, Chairman of the European Urban Regeneration Council of the Urban Land Institute and Chairman, Smart Futures
Neil Parker, Development Director, Sustainable Communities, Veolia Water Outsourcing Limited
Laurens Knegt, Managing Director, Eneco, Netherlands (Clean Tech Delta, Rotterdam)
Krister Lindstedt, White arkitekter AB, Stockholm
Caroline May, Partner & Head of Environment, Safety & Planning Group, Norton Rose
London Development Agency (senior speaker to be notified for London Thames Gateway Green Enterprise District project)
Dr David Pencheon, Director, NHS Sustainable Development Unit
Senior representative of Port Authority of Belgrade
Arantza Tapia – Councillor for Mobility and Territorial Planning in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Spain
Full programme and speaker details can be seen at: www.futurecityforum.com
Who should attend
This conference will be of value to municipal authorities and professionals involved in urban regeneration and development, including funding and investment; regulation; building design, construction and retrofitting; waterfronts; transportation; infrastructure; energy efficiency and generation; water and waste management; and tourism.
Event heritage
This new event is brought to you by the organisers of the successful WaterfrontExpo event series. Since its launch in London in 2003, WaterfrontExpo has been hosted by a number of cities including Amsterdam, Riga, Glasgow, Lisbon and Liverpool and has become a key event for senior professionals from the public and private sectors involved in urban and waterfront regeneration and development.
The event also includes a full programme of site visits and receptions, plus site seeing tours for delegates’ partners. A pdf of the conference programme can be downloaded at: http://www.waterfrontexpo.com/wex08/documents/WaterfrontExpo08_conference.pdf
FURTHER INFORMATION:
• Journalists can register to attend the event by contacting Ian Harper:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or tel: +44 (0) 1347 868571 or +44 (0) 7989 912186.
