Half of speakers at FUTURE:PropTech will be female

FUTURE: PropTech announces an equally split roster of speakers will join the event to discuss this year’s conference theme of ‘Open Collaboration’.

Leading speakers joining the event include Tania Bontemps, president of Union Investment; Susan Freeman, partner at law firm Mischon de Reya; and Eugenie Teasley, head of cities, South + East of England at Uber.

The show will see 2,000+ attendees, 80+ brand showcases, 100+ speakers, 700+ companies from 50+ countries.

Taking place on 14 May at the Business Design Centre in London, the event is billed as the most comprehensive conference in the niche sector to date, with a theme focused on ‘Open Collaboration’.

Topics that will be tackled within the programme include:

• Solving the housing crisis – What role can innovation play?
• Institutional investors – using technology for better decision-making
• Innovation in facilities management
• Case studies with major occupiers
• Smart cities + Urban mobility

Gary Chimwa, founder and CEO, FUTURE: PropTech, commented: “While diversity and inclusion are increasingly being championed in the sector, there’s a big difference between talking about diversity and taking action. I’m thrilled that in our fifth year we have found a balance. I’m delighted to welcome industry experts such as Hendry Group CEO Emma Hendry, RBS innovation programme manager, Jo Saunders, and Dara Huang, founder of DH Liberty and co-founder of Viva House, to join us as speakers for this event.”

Chimwa continued: “This landmark for diversity is a result of our commitment to excellence and creation of the most extensive PropTech network globally. We’re extremely proud to be championing change the best we can and we hope that other events across industries can take note of what is possible. This is a great moment for addressing gender inequality at conferences and a strong step to further improve the diversity of our speakers in the future. Many thanks to RE: Women and Women Talk Real Estate for the awesome help so far.”

Across the stages, the conversations will explore the fundamental changes taking place in people’s living, working, and recreational lives. These are changes driven by global shifts such as urbanisation, demographics, and technology, and how the real estate industry should adapt to meet these challenges. With the currently uncertain investor market, FUTURE: PropTech will address where investors should allocate their capital for the highest return. The focus will also lay on occupiers, modern workplaces and the tenant experience. With such an array of topics, diversity of opinion is welcome at the conference.

Andrea Carpenter, director of Women Talk Real Estate, said: “Our industry partner Future:PropTech has shown real commitment to gender diversity with a 50/50 line-up of male/female speakers. It demonstrates that with forward planning and a thoughtful approach, the result can be an amazing array of female leaders on stage sharing their expertise.”

The event will include two new features, the International Zone and the Residential Agent Zone, in association with Spark Energy. The packed agenda sees 30 hours of content, with a further 121 meeting opportunities through the booking app. FUTURE:PropTech has partnered with over 80 companies, of which, sponsors & exhibitors include Aberdeen Standard Investments, Asset Mapping, Arup, CBRE, Cherre, VTS, Open Box Software, Coyote Software, GetRentr, Hubhub by HB Reavis, Innogy Innovation Hub, Mishcon de Reya, Re-Leased, Stokr, Spark Energy and W-Tech.

After the event, all speakers and exhibitors are invited to a complimentary afterparty.

• For more information, go to https://futureproptech.co.uk. PlaceTech readers can get 20% off tickets with the code PLACETECH20