Curation of cities provides focus for Derby Property Summit 2023

A top line-up of keynote speakers and panellists are being assembled for this year’s Derby Property Summit.

Organised by Marketing Derby, the Queen’s Award-winning investment promotion agency, this year’s event – backed by main event sponsor Bowmer + Kirkland, will take place on Wednesday 12 July, at Reach Events, on Pride Park.

Entitled ‘From Customer to Citizen – The Collective Curation of Cities’, more than 250 are expected to attend the event, which will look at how we can shape the future of our cities by working together.

Featuring keynote speakers and panel debates, the Derby Property Summit will once again be chaired by business journalist Declan Curry.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “Cities are key drivers of economic growth, yet many require radical transformation following the digital revolution and Covid pandemic.

“This year’s Derby Property Summit will look at how we can shape the future of our cities by working collaboratively.”

As in previous years, the event will also give an insight into Derby’s investment pipeline and key schemes.

These include plans to transform the old Assembly Rooms site into a new learning theatre called Assemble, the University of Derby’s  masterplan for a city hub and Derbion’s plans to redevelop two key city centre sites to create more residential, commercial and public space.

These projects were promoted by Marketing Derby’s investment team to an international audience at MIPIM, in Cannes, earlier this year.

Most recently, they were showcased to a national audience at UKREiiF, in Leeds.

At UKREiiF, the curation of cities was the topic of a bespoke roundtable event with a group of experts from the property and investment sectors.

The session looked specifically at how to shape the living, working and visiting experience of Derby.

Among the panellists was Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, who is due to be one of the keynote speakers at the Derby Property Summit.

She told the panel: “I came into the property industry eight years ago. I’ve seen a real shift over time in terms of putting people at the heart of what you’re going to do – and that very quickly takes you to place.

“It takes you to a whole different engagement level with the public sector, with local authorities and in thinking about how you’re going to deliver.”

Speaking on the topic of the ‘greening and ‘blueing’ of the city, Paul Simpson, chief executive of Derby City Council, who will be on the panel at the Derby Property Summit, said: “In Derby, we first began talking about nature-led regeneration two years ago.

“I think we’re the only city in the country that’s got the support of Sir Tim Smit, from the Eden Project.

“We were the first city to have a forest of the future in the heart of the city centre – and the first city in the country to talk about urban rewilding. We do punch above our weight.”

For more information about the Derby Property Summit visit Events – Marketing Derby.