A revised format and new location mean it’s all change for the BCSC annual conference and exhibition. Laura Heywood finds out more from BCSC chief executive Michael Green.
Relocating from Glasgow to London isn’t the only big change the British Council of Shopping Centres has made to its annual conference and exhibition.
Taking place on September 11 and 12, delegates can expect a more diverse mix of exhibitors, including international retailers for the first time, an increased focus on food service and leisure operators, and more flexible ticket options.
The move to London came on the back of industry opposition to the cost of travelling to Scotland, says Michael Green, chief executive of BCSC. “People just didn’t want to go to Glasgow, they felt it was too far away and it was important we listened to our members.”
Green is adamant that the second choice of location - London’s Olympia - is the right decision given the current level of activity in the capital’s retail property market. In addition, it minimises travel and accommodation costs for exhibitors and delegates, he maintains, while attracting a greater international audience of retailers, investors, developers and agents by capitalising on the central location.
Demands to change the event’s location also led BCSC to reassess its exhibition model and acknowledge the traditional format was overdue a makeover.
What has emerged is a showcase that promises greater business networking opportunities and direct access to expertise through a revamped programme of keynote speakers and industry leaders.
Making the event much more flexible “for delegates to drop in and drop out” was a key consideration for Green, and BCSC has introduced one-day tickets for the first time.
The conference has also been reduced from three days to two, with an evening social event on September 11.
Delegate pricing has been reduced by 20% in a bid to increase attendance.
Such changes mean BCSC predicts 3,000 people will attend September’s Showcase, compared with 2,500 people who attended last year’s event in Liverpool. The delegate mix will include property owners and developers, agents and consultants, shopping centre managers, local authority representatives and retailers.
There are now more reasons than before for retailers to attend, maintains Green, who is optimistic the changes will attract many more retailers than previous years. “There’s lots more reasons for retailers to attend − it’s free for them and they now have the option of only attending for one day,” he says.
The u-turn enables BCSC to deliver improved leasing and deal-making opportunities, he adds, while the main exhibition will showcase an extensive array of the UK’s current developments, regeneration projects and new design concepts.
“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,” Green says.
“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.”
BCSC Showcase
The BCSC Showcase takes place at London’s Olympia on Wednesday September 11 and Thursday September 12. For all delegate, sponsorship, exhibition and general enquiries, contact BCSC on 0845 270 0775 or visit www.bcsc.org.uk
Speakers Programme
There will be a programme of industry-leading speakers sharing their expertise throughout the two days, including entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis, who will give a keynote address on the reinvention of the high street. Economist Andrea Boltho will consider the future of the Eurozone in a seminar on the European economy, and Hotel Chocolat, among others, will present its business and discuss the changing face of retail in an International Retail Runway, a first for BCSC.
Other subjects covered in the seminars will include what role retail can play in creating sustainable cities, and how retailers and retail property companies are adapting their business models in response to technology-driven changes in consumer purchasing habits.
Food Village
In recognition of the increasing role leisure and food retail plays in the industry, the exhibition will feature the Food Village, where delegates can meet a diverse range of up-and-coming operators and established brands.
There will also be a demonstration area where chefs, operators and specialists will showcase their skills throughout
the event.
London Hub
Purely focused on investment and development opportunities in the capital, the London Hub is an area that allows delegates to meet away from the main exhibition area with some of the city’s main players and big-name developers.
It will focus on the capital’s new developments and retail opportunities in all the main streets and estates.
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