Whether you’re sporty, clubby, a dedicated fundraiser or fancy something a bit different, there’s a networking platform for you
The sporting events
1 Property Triathlon
More than 3,500 competitors from across the property industry gather in one place for one day in various states of Lycra. An enthusiastic crowd swells that number still further. There is no better place to network – even REIT chief executives are thick on the ground these days (doing a leg of a relay, usually). The post-race high means pressing that flesh is even easier. So successful that one competing chief executive said after this month’s event: “The industry shuts down for the day.” Sign up early.
2 LandAid run/Towerathlon
Charity events are a great way to help your career through helping others. Hundreds of colleagues and potential contacts take part in the industry’s numerous organised sporting events, such as the LandAid 10K and its unique Towerathlon – a run up a tower, abseil down it and static bike challenge.
3 Cycle to MIPIM
A six-day cycle from London to property’s biggest conference, MIPIM, in Cannes. Riders get to spend up to 13 hours a day mixing with more than 100 of their colleagues, ranging from chief executives to new entrants to the property world. Once you’ve had a conversation with someone about chamois cream application, you know you can pick up the phone to them. Whenever.
www.clubpeloton.org/index.php/mipim
4 Cycle to MAPIC
The cycling network event for anyone working in retail. Four days from Girona to Cannes for the annual MAPIC conference. An entry-level ride for Cycle to MIPIM for many.
www.clubpeloton.org/index.php/mapic
5 PedElle
Networking groups for women in the built environment are ten a penny, but PedElle is something a little bit different. The event not only brings women from across the industry together to build relationships, the ride also works as an excellent confidence builder. With so many male-dominated sporting networking events, this women-only ride helps participants realise they can ride just as well (usually better) than many of property’s MAMILs.
www.clubpeloton.org/index.php/pedelle
6 Allsop Festival of Cycling
Cyclists from across the industry gather to take on the challenge at the iconic Formula One circuit at Brands Hatch. A variety of events throughout the day – including the Boris/Brompton bike relay – and networking over lunch.
7 Willow Foundation Shoot Day
If you are a little less Lycra and a little more wax jacket, the Willow Foundation Shoot Day, organised by Frogmore, might be your networking event of choice. While there are fewer participants, the calibre of attendee is often slightly higher up the career ladder. A good place to be seen.
8 Property Gun and Punt Club
Shooting with select groups is one of the most exclusive days out on offer and advocates say it forms strong bonds. The annual Property Gun and Punt Club is an annual event that takes place at The Shooting Grounds in Middlesex and raises money for RICS charity Lionheart.
www.hollandandholland.com/2015/06/property-gun-punt-club
9 Property Industry Golf Society
Golf is the old cycling, or something like that. While two wheels and a lot of carbon may have taken over from caddies and iron, there still remains a large golfing fraternity in the property industry. And if you want to rub shoulders with them over 18 holes, the Golf Society is the club to join. Several rounds a year and a Ploughman’s lunch, what could be better?
www.jamesflynn.co.uk/golfsociety.php
10 The Estates Golfing Society
The top golfing dogs of the industry are members of the Estates Golfing Society. A key rule is that you have to attend three events a year – two golf days and the annual dinner. Failure to adhere can cost you your membership. Even online access is for the privileged few. Its website warns: “All entries to the website will be recorded. This website is only available to members of the society.”
11 National Surveyors Rugby 7s
The place where past careers meet current careers for many in the property industry. Founded in 1970, the event draws dozens of teams and around 6,000 spectators a year.
www.surveyorsrugbysevens.co.uk
12 Lord’s
The Lord’s Test, and the first day in particular, is the number one date in the cricketing diary. A plethora of big corporate sponsors have tickets and compete for the grandest hospitality packages. Get an invite or a ticket and work the hospitality suites.
13 Propski
Established in 2012 to offer a fresh perspective on building relationships within the property industry, Propski is a decidedly informal affair. Through races and glühwein, it combines three of property’s favourite things: a relaxed environment, a drink or two and an opportunity to forge personal and business relationships. Oh and don’t worry, it’s youthful rather than young.
14 Property Race Day
Now celebrating 10 years, having raised approximately £1.5m for children’s charities, the Property Race Day is a key date in the property calendar. It takes place at Ascot and offers a perfect platform for networking. The journey itself is networking central – the free Property Race Day Train takes guests direct from Waterloo. Now there’s an Irish edition too.
15 Buccleuch Challenge
This September’s Buccleuch Property Challenge is the tenth. With 200 participants it’s a great way to broaden your contacts book and have some fun along the way. You don’t need to be military-fit either; organisers say “a reasonable degree of fitness will only increase the enjoyment of the day”.
www.buccleuchproperty.com/wp-buccleuch/the-buccleuch-property-challenge
16 Bidwells Punting Challenge
A sporting event with a difference, in Cambridge of course. Get involved and get wet.
17 Property Prokart
The 19th Property Prokart takes place in September – now with a night-before networking dinner. One for the petrolheads, of which there are many in this industry.
18 Newton Perkins squash tournament
A tournament for London-based property and surveying businesses – and for property departments of legal practices and financial institutions – and one of the few events for those who prefer their sport with a racket
in hand. Make it to the final and you usually get to play at the RAC Club on Pall Mall.
Nice.
www.newtonperkins.com/Content/Squash-Tournament.html
19 MIPIM Tennis
MIPIM is awash with networking opportunities but here’s one with a difference. Last year’s LandAid MIPIM Tennis Classic in association with BNP Paribas Real Estate raised a record £16,710. It will be back next year and is sure to be bigger than ever.
The parties
20 Oktoberfest
An invite to the world’s biggest and most famous beer festival in Munich is the ultimate way to build relationships. Invites are most commonly for the night before Expo Real but it is far from unheard of for clients and teams to be sent out especially.
21 The PROPS
Every year the PROPS lunch at the London Hilton on Park Lane helps purchase powered wheelchairs for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK. A thoroughly worthwhile cause and a room full of the industry’s great and good too.
www.variety.org.uk/events/the-props-lunch-2016
22 The Estates Gazette Awards
Now back at The Grosvenor House hotel on London’s Park Lane, the EG Awards take place in September. These are the industry’s most coveted gongs and there will be more than 1,000 of the leading lights of property in attendance. It’s great fun too.
The membership bodies and conferences
23 Mothers’ Bunch
For almost 45 years, a group of leading investment agents have been meeting in private to take the temperature of the market. Efforts to deal with double-dipping have originated at these invite-only meetings, for instance. To be included would be a sure sign you have made it; but by that point you would have known that already. And the name? Well the group first met in the Mothers’ Bunch wine bar.
24 EPRA
The EPRA conference brings together the biggest names from the listed sector and is generally home to only listed chief executives and chief financial officers as well as a smattering of advisors and analysts.
www.epra.com/event/epra-annual-conference1
25 Worshipful Company of Surveyors
The Livery Company of the City of London was established in 1977 for property professionals. For those who like tradition.
26 CoreNet
The UK branch of the global body has one of the largest membership chapters – more than 500 – and there’s no better place to get to know occupiers.
www.unitedkingdom.corenetglobal.org
27 Cambridge Land Society
A 50-year old society with more than 1,000 members, most of whom studied land economy at Cambridge. A breathtakingly influential membership list.
28 LREF
Occupying a prime piece of real estate in London’s Berkeley Square, LREF draws a top-notch crowd.
29 London Business School Real Estate Club
With more than 300 members, the club pulls in impressive speakers for its events. Its students may be the stars of tomorrow. Its alumni often already are.
http://clubs.london.edu/realestate
30 Expo
More ordered than MIPIM but important for those looking to tap European finance. Just make sure you arrange meetings in advance.
31 MIPIM
Well, you have to be there, don’t you?
32 MIPIM UK
The only event that brings together the entire UK property sector – whatever your sector, wherever you are in the country.
33 Investment Property Forum
An individual members organisation for those operating in the UK property investment market. The bar on the first night at the November conference in Brighton is the place to build investment contacts.
34 LandAid
The property industry charity now focused on ending youth homelessness. Many of the events on these pages support the charity and if you are not involved you should be. Organisations can join, individuals can support and with a new-ish Ambassador network, there is a role for everyone.
35 British Property Federation
Perhaps the most influential of the UK trade bodies. It really is the industry’s top table.
36 ULI
Not quite the juggernaut in the UK that it is in the US. Nevertheless what is probably the most respected and diverse organisation in the field of development, land use, and urban planning in the world has more than 900 members here in the UK.
37 Membership bodies
From the British Council for Offices to the Industrial Agents Society, the British Council of Shopping Centres to the Association of Real Estate Funds and the European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicle (INREV), there is a membership body for everyone.
38 City Property Association / Westminster Property Association
Both do what they say on the tin. Both host events that attract all the key players on their patches – from the public and private sectors, politicians and chief executives alike. And the best of the bunch? Well, November’s WPA annual lunch is hard to beat.
www.westminsterpropertyassociation.com
www.citypropertyassociation.com
The regional ones
39 Residential Agents Club
An informal monthly networking get together of Midlands-based residential agents and developers.
40 Business Professional Services Birmingham/BPS Birmingham
Representative body for established leaders and senior partners in established firms.
41 Bristol Property Agents Association
The BPAA is celebrating its 70th year as part-lobbying group, part-networking group and part-charity fundraiser. Anyone who is anyone in Bristol’s property market attends the annual dinner held in February and there is often a waiting list for a table.
The unusual one
42 Ruperts in Property
If you’re in property and you’re called Rupert, this group’s for you. Members include Nurton development’s Rupert Young and Mucklows’s Rupert Mucklow.
The clubby ones
43 Soho House/Club at the Ivy
Founded in 1995 at 40 Greek Street, as a sanctuary for creative types, Soho House Group has grown spectacularly. It now has clubs across Europe and North America, as well as restaurants, cinemas, workspaces, spas and bedrooms. The Club at The Ivy is a more common calling card in this industry, but not quite as cool.
44 The Clubhouse
Trader-turned-property developer Adam Blaskey opened the first The Clubhouse on Grafton Street, W1, four years ago and the third venue is slated for June 2016. Intended as a space for business rather than pleasure, The Clubhouse brand offers hot desks, hot coffee, meeting rooms, lounge and events space.
The next-generation ones
45 YEPS
“Think it. Say it. YEP it.” Fourteen years old with more than 2000 members, Young Entrepreneurs in Property is a forum for fellow rising stars of the industry to network, learn and share ideas. And, based on events at this year’s summer party, pedalo.
46 Sociable Surveyors
An internship programme for graduates but these days much more. Its events draw the likes of British Land’s Chris Grigg and BNP Paribas Real Estate’s John Slade.
The diverse ones
47 Rewire
A cross-industry women’s club founded by Estates Gazette head of content Samantha McClary and communications guru Sue Brown. REWIRE stands for Recognising and Empowering Women In Real Estate. It hosts events that aim to offer practical advice and inspiration on how to succeed in business. REWIRE events include workshops and panel debates and encourage active participation from its membership. Free to join and women-only.
samantha.mcclary@estatesgazette.com
48 Urbanistas
A women-led network amplifying the voices of women to make cities better for everyone. The network encourages all involved to pitch ideas and to gather support through connections and knowledge from around the room.
www.urbanistasuk.wordpress.com
49 Freehold
Freehold is the networking forum for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender real estate professionals working within real estate. Since launch in 2011, the group has grown to more than 800 members and continues to expand. So far has it come that chief executives now clamber to host events on Freehold’s behalf.
www.united-kingdom.taylorwessing.com/en/services/services/level3/freehold
The extrovert one
50 Construction Rocks
“Due to overwhelming demand we are pleased to announce that Construction Rocks 2016 will now be held over two days, in what promises to be mammoth fundraising spectacular gala event.” If you’re in a band, that’s all you need to know.
