2019 Agenda: Impacting lives
In an age where environmental and social responsibility is more important than ever, organisations involved in the development, funding and management of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) must consider how their activities impact students, institutions, communities and the wider world. Across the industry there are startling examples of progress and innovation; from carbon net-zero developments to radical energy reduction technologies, and from intergenerational pilots to wellbeing centric design.
The 2019 Student Accommodation Conference, Exhibition and Awards will showcase the best, and challenge you to find new ways to deliver sustainable, socially positive projects. Everything from the performance of PBSA as an asset class to how it’s positioned to respond to the UK’s changing educational landscape will be discussed.
And, ahead of the general election, you will also get the inside track on what the different outcomes will mean for PBSA at this politically charged event.
How will tomorrow’s vote affect UK higher education? Boris Johnson has promised an end to austerity and all opposition parties promise new money for education. But ongoing Brexit uncertainty and its attendant economic risks could threaten any new government’s ability to spend. David Lammy MP, Minister for Education under the last Labour Government, offers an up-to-the-minute assessment of what tomorrow’s contenders want to do (and will be able to do) for the sector – and how their policies might impact demand for student accommodation. Will the appetite for new PBSA development accelerate or stagnate?
What do we want in terms of changes to fees, funding structures and sector support from the next government? Is the enhanced role for higher education colleges and apprenticeships as proposed in the Augur report going to come to anything? What will be the impact of this year’s high-profile construction delays and the Bolton fire? Our experts will answer your questions on how the sector may respond to the challenges and opportunities, and how requirements for PBSA development may evolve.
First-sight of the findings from Cushman and Wakefield’s UK Student Accommodation report.
Demand trends and insight into what’s driving student recruitment, how pricing trends are evolving, who’s developing where and what demand holes exist? Which schemes are successful and what innovations are there in the sector? We will also explore policy trends and the model the long-term health of the market.
Visit our Student Accommodation partners and exhibitors to find the latest products and services and make new connections. View more >
Concurrent sessions
Chair: Guy Montague-Jones, Deputy Editor, Property Week
How are broader trends in property affecting student accommodation and how is the growth of other residential sectors changing investment considerations?
In the face of a rapidly maturing UK market, PBSA investors are looking beyond borders for fresh opportunities. We’ll investigate the expansion of higher education provision worldwide and forecast which international markets are likely to offer the most positive capital flows and the strongest investment returns.
The Vita Group’s landmark sale of its £600million portfolio to DWS has drawn attention to the continued strength of high-end PBSA in the UK. How did the deal develop? And what does the future hold for both VITA Group and the partnership with DWS? We invite the leaders on the deal to find out.
Chair: Paddy Jackman, Interim Director, Hospitality and Accommodation Services, University of Birmingham
The need to reduce carbon output is both mandated by Government and demanded by citizens – as evidenced by recent Extinction Rebellion demonstrations. Beyond the build, what new technologies, processes and retro-fitting opportunities exist to improve sustainability in PBSA, and how do we evidence success to regulators and occupants?
The need to consider environmental impacts is amplified when it’s of vital importance to students. From modern materials and methods of construction and self-generating power, to the cities and systems developments PBSA operates in. We explore how developers can think and act more sustainably through hearing from a pioneer in the space.
Rosie Tressler, CEO, Student Minds grills Bobbi Hartshorne, Global Head of Student Wellbeing, GSA on the role PBSA in Student Wellbeing. Exploring the current state of the market, the threats and the opportunities available to the sector as a whole and individual operators. Come along for a lively discussion and some top tips on how to get ‘Woke’ to wellbeing as a commercial component of your brand and service proposition.
Once the preserve of the US and Australian university experience, Residence Life has now been adopted by many universities across the UK where it plays a valuable role in building community and engaging students with university services. But what if that accommodation is provided by a PBSA third party? In this presentation we explore how one PBSA provider re-imagined Residence Life drawing on academic research, student insight and staff feedback. We share what was learned along the way, and the positive impact the programme has had on both students and the provider.
Visit our Student Accommodation partners and exhibitors to find the latest products and services and make new connections. View more >
Chair: Emma Shone, Deputy News Editor, Property Week
As the UK PBSA market matures, student numbers are rising across continental Europe, Asia and beyond, tempting developers to look beyond borders for fresh opportunities. We’ll consider which regions and countries offer the best opportunities.
Many councils are sceptical about the impact of large student bodies on town and city centres, often leading them to take a negative view of PBSA proposals and developments. Others look to them to encourage urban regeneration, social cohesion and a boost for local economies. We look at both sides of the argument and consider how the industry can create and communicate positive scenarios.
We’ve seen so many attempts fail – whereas others just work. Why? In this presentation we explore how one university integrates with its providers and wider community, what was learnt where things went wrong and applied to affect subsequent success, we look at the data on the positive effects to the provider.
Modular construction is increasingly common, as evidenced by a recent spate of joint ventures and increased production capability UK-wide, and Ester McVey recently announced desire to make the UK a world centre for modular construction. Utilising the landmark Holloway Road development, we investigate the requirements for success, the barriers to growth and how they can be overcome. In short, is the future of PBSA modular?
Chair: Paddy Jackman, Interim Director, Hospitality and Accommodation Services, University of Birmingham
More and more co-living schemes are springing up in the UK and beyond. Is the rise of co-living an opportunity that PBSA developers should embrace? What potential is there to use co-living as an asset management strategy? How can co-living be used in planning consent? And what are the constituent parts of co-living? Is it re-targeting?
The need to combat climate change making energy efficiency ever more important, we explore innovations in the way the PBSA developers can use the carrot rather than stick to encourage efficient usage, find out what you can apply to you existing and planned developments.
Age UK has estimated that 3.6 million people in the UK live alone, and there’s strong evidence to suggest that social isolation leads to poor health and life quality. Humanitas Deventer, a pioneering Dutch retirement provider, is combining student living with retirement and care provision, contributing to social cohesion and changing the economic model for students. We look at how the scheme works and explore the opportunities and challenges with scaling the model.
In recent years PBSA has trended towards the provision of ever more luxurious ‘high-end’ accommodation. Yet, with tighter budgets and likely changes in student fee structures, educational establishments are crying out for affordable alternatives. What tools do we have at hand to respond to this demand, and how open are we to low-cost innovation?
Visit our Student Accommodation partners and exhibitors to find the latest products and services and make new connections. View more >
What drives accommodation and university decision making? What features matter and which don’t? How are lifestyles evolving? Tim and Bobbi host a panel of UK and International students reacting to and debating key issues raised during the conference including affordability, wellbeing and resident life.
This exciting session will incorporate live, real-time polling of thousands of students from the Global Student Living online research panel.
On the eve of the General Election, Lord Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation, former Minister of State for Universities and Science, discusses the future of university education, learning and the make-up of the student body. What should the priorities be for the next Universities Minister? Can social mobility really be achieved through successfully widening participation at universities? How would changes to the make-up of the student body impact on demand for accommodation? How will the role of student accommodation in supporting students and enhancing learning evolve?
Please note: Information correct at time of publishing. Programme and speakers subject to change.