2022 AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
With the UK’s Premier Student Housing Event coming up on 7 Dec 2022, watch this descriptive agenda overview demonstrating exactly which leading topics of conversation, anecdotal insights, and juicy panel debates you can expect from an extensive line-up of pioneering PSBA professionals.
Book your ticket today to join your peers as the industry uncovers the very latest executive thought-leadership from across the sector once again at Property Week's Student Accommodation Conference, Showcase & Awards.
Day 1
In the opening keynote, Nicholas Porter, Founder of GSA and Yugo, will share a global lens on student accommodation and insights as he enters his 32nd year pioneering the sector, as well as anecdotes around developments he is seeing unfolding. Nicholas has been renowned for a series of first within the industry and has achieved global success through his family of businesses focused on all aspects of the student economy.
Interviewed by: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
- Ensuring viability: What are the major players doing and where are the bumps in the road?
- Taking stock: Are we building the right products for both today and tomorrow?
- How are build business models adapting to market conditions and what does this mean for PBSA?
- The competitor-collaborator dynamics: How do HMOs and private rented accommodation fit into the mix?
- A question of affordability: Can the present student funding model continue to work?
- Attracting the next generation of diverse talent into this little-known sector – how do we stand out?
Moderator: James Woolley, Partner - Student Accommodation and Blended Living, Cushman & Wakefield
- The future learning and teaching trends higher education providers are pivoting toward
- How is the student make up changing and which cohorts are attractive in today’s market?
- With a leaner portfolio of courses and an increasing volume of online lectures, what does the future of selling degree courses look like, and what will the impact on student mobility and future tenancy be?
- Are we seeing a rise in public-private partnerships and dependence on the private sector?
- Is there a radically different trend in student numbers based on ranking?
Moderator: Paddy Jackman, Director of University Partnerships, Campus Living Villages UK
Please select from the concurrent sessions/streams:
• Understanding the cost of implementation and what it takes to fulfil this ambition.
• End results: Insights into what success looks like and whether we have the skills required to deliver and achieve results.
• How can investors, developers and operators continue to bring together their unique values to achieve net zero carbon buildings for universities?
• Insights from behavioural science and field data – what factors impact behaviour and encourage the new wave of Gen Z tenants to prioritise sustainability without greenwashing?
• Technology: Maximising results by capturing data needed to help residents understand their energy patterns and how it compares with others
Moderator: Sarah Canning, Co-Founder, The Property Marketing Strategists
- An overview of current challenges, what’s working and what’s missing?
- Understanding fair use and settings for greater control - can you guarantee energy budgets in PBSA?
- What is the catalyst for change?
- Is too much data dangerous?
- Inspiring a generation through education
- The path to better business health
• How are operators managing the current cost of living climate with rapidly changing costs in line with set fees charged to students?
• What is the cost-of-living impact on the operator model for student accommodation?
Moderator: Georgie Drewery, Senior Executive, Yardi
• An overview of the student market - HMOs vs PBSA
• How are demographics changing and where is growth strongest?
• What do these changes mean for product fit and affordability?
• What is the long-term impact on the sector
Host: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
- The latest insights into Chinese, Indian and wider emerging international markets: Factors including the economy, geo-politics, price points and stock required
- Insights into the evolving data of where international students herald from and their duration of stay
- Is the UK still reliant on certain markets or are other regions and domestic growth filling the gap?
- Which regions have high student potential, ripe for investment?
Host: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
- Developments in university strategies aimed at recruiting international students and the progress in strengthening global partnerships
- What do differing international student cohorts want from their accommodation - how much are they willing to spend, what stock is desirable and preference of accommodation typologies
- Marketing to international students and turning anxiety into excitement: What channels, cultural support and experiences helps drive conversion, retention and satisfaction?
- What are the enduring challenges in the conversion and retention
Moderator: Jenny Shaw, Higher Education External Engagement Director, UNITE
In this session, we will discuss current challenges facing operators and investors, including:
- How do we effectively service the accelerating demand for visibility and transparency from investors?
- Increasing returns vs. balancing risk through digitisation
- Effective monitoring and measurement of data to add value to tenants, operators and owners
- Intelligent decision making: Understanding the need for high quality data to validate and monitor your assets and investments
- The UK versus pan-European outlook: What is the appetite from overseas investors and where is money coming from as the yield compresses?
- How does student housing compare against other real estate sectors?
- Where are the best cities and regions to invest and where is there guaranteed demand?
- What does the future hold for smaller UK cities with lower grade universities?
- Commercial property as an asset-class has matured – everyone is doing it, but who has reaped the greatest reward and what steps led to their success?
- Myth busting HMOs and private rental – what are the most attractive opportunities and is professionalising the private rental sector one of them?
Moderator: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
- PBSA digital transformation roadmap
- Future of technology across PBSA: Building digital into existing stock and embedding into new builds
- Tech integration benefits for blended learning – how can we cultivate the right environments?
- What does the future connected building look like and what value can it bring to students?
- Practical adaptation of tech with Wi-Fi 6 and beyond
- Incorporating digital across accommodation to fit the needs of gen Z students and beyond
Hosted by: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
• Understanding the student choice in PBSA, HMOs and private rental, and what they’re willing to pay for
• Spending the same money differently: Is there a different product that would make PBSA more attractive to students beyond the 1st year?
• Aspirational versus affordable: Case studies explore the choices being made to future-proof stock and deliver experiences that matter
• Will we start to see the demise of a 42-week occupancy? What new models will bloom? And how will the maturing short-stay, flexible-living market impact the sector?
• Unlocking the potential and maintaining occupancy of existing stock – what needs to happen and does the short-term and longer-term vison differ?
Moderator: Fred Lerche-Lerchenborg, CEO - Lavanda
We’ve all done a pub quiz, but have you taken the PBSA quiz? Hosted by StudentCrowd, they’ll bring to life unparalleled sector data and test your knowledge!
What’s happening in the sector right now? What trends should we all be keeping an eye on? What do the next generation of students want? Utilising more than 130,000 verified student reviews, discover which building features are most important, which locations within cities are in demand, which services are valued, in short, what makes a student hit the book button and then become one of your most important brand champions!
With a lively combination of quiz questions, networking and panel discussion, join in, test your knowledge and have a bit of fun.
Session Moderators: Paul Humphreys, CEO, Student Crowd; Louise Bena, Chief Marketing Officer, Student Crowd and Sarah Gowers-Cromie, Chief Community Officer, Student Crowd
Our afternoon keynote reflects on what is happening now across the student accommodation market. Sharing expert insight based on the latest data, this session gives you the full 360 view of the latest movements across the sector.
- Metrics and macro-level overview: What are we seeing now?
- Is the student accommodation sector still top of the class?
- Are we seeing polarisation of student demand and investment rationale across top tariff versus lower tariff Universities?
- The picture ahead for international mobility – can we see this improving?
- Long term trends coming through
Host: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
Reflections and insights from an expert panel, combining general discussion, expert opinion and student views on the conference content.
Moderator: Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
Conference Closing Remarks
Mark Easton, Home Editor, BBC
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An evening of celebration, recognising new standards of excellence in the PBSA sector, widely considered the industry social event of the year. Join us to enjoy a fun filled networking reception, silver-service dinner and awards ceremony with celebrity host.
Dress code: Optional black tie, or lounge suits and business attire.
*Awards ticket holders only.
With thanks to our Event Partners, Sponsors and Supporters
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