Office Investment: who wants what?

Adrian Griffith, Associate Director of GVA 
and NextGen Midlands Committee Member writes...

On Thursday 23 February 2012, BCO NextGen in the Midlands hosted a discussion event at the Barclays Latitude Club in Birmingham.  The venue hosted the first panel debate between five of the largest stakeholders in the future of Birmingham and the wider region, the title being 'Office Investment: Who Wants What'.  In front of 60 attendees, the panel, chaired by Carl Potter of GVA, answered questions from the floor and through the live feed of Twitter on a bank of monitors behind them. 

Our panel of speakers included:

• Jason Constable Barclays Corporate
• Anthony Leonard Hines
• Alex Turner USS
• Jonathan Wallis Miller Developments

Questions ranged from “What are the 2 or 3 criteria you look for when investing in property?” and “Is a pre-let essential when kick starting a development?” to “How attractive is  Birmingham for office investment?” and “As a result of the recession what will never be the same again?”

As each panel member provided their responses, tweets were fed back to the wider audience on line. Click here to view the “TweetScript”.

With one hour allotted for the debate, time soon came to an end and was concluded with a summing up from Carl Potter (aka David Dimbleby). 

Overall the panel believe that speculative development, in the short term, is unlikely unless more that 50% is pre let, occupiers will continue to focus on shorter lease lengths, and future development will require close relationships with tenants. Ultimately everything is cyclical and whilst the recession has changed elements of the property market and development for good, memories are short and generations change.

A selection of photos posted on Twitter from audience members.

Getting ready at Barclays Latitude Club.

The audience take their seats.

Q&A with five of Birmingham's largest stakeholders.

Office Investment: who wants what? Thursday 23 February 2012 (17.30) Barclays Latitude Club, One Snow Hill, Birmingham

kindly supported by

Interested in learning more about BCO NextGen? Click here to visit www.bco.org.uk