Thursday 24th September

Timings

8.30am – Breakfast, Networking and Registration

9.30am – Start of the main conference programme

1.00pm – Networking Lunch Session for speakers & attendees

2.00pm – Conference programme continues

4.15pm –  Conference Close and Sheds UK Drinks Reception on the Oval Cricket Ground terraces

Conference Agenda

8.30pm
Doors open for Registration, Networking & Breakfast

9.30am
Conference begins – Housekeeping & Introduction
Is the UK industrial market now through its most challenging period?
What are the key themes that will define the sector in 2027?
Kevin Mofid, Head of EMEA Industrial and Logistics Research, Savills (Chair)

9.40am
State of the UK Big Sheds Market
What is driving demand at the large end of the market & where does the UK sit in European & Global markets?
How are global supply chain disruptions changing occupier behaviour around inventory and sourcing strategy?
How significant is reshoring and manufacturing demand as a structural shift for the big shed market?
What does the overall outlook for 2027 look like in terms of supply, rents and investment?
Sally Bruer, Head of EMEA Logistics & Retail Research, Cushman & Wakefield

10.00am
Investment & Funding Panel
What is driving deal flow and what does the investment pipeline look like?
How is the changing pension fund landscape reshaping the investor base for logistics?
With prime and secondary assets diverging sharply, how are investors approaching asset selection?
How are investors generating returns in a more modest growth environment?
How are debt costs and the availability of development finance shaping which deals actually get done?
To what extent is overseas capital (North American, Asian, Middle Eastern) versus domestic capital driving the current investor base, and how is that mix changing?
How are investors pricing in structural tailwinds like data centres, reshoring and defence demand — opportunity, or a distraction from core logistics?
Is there enough quality stock to satisfy the weight of capital targeting the sector, and what does that imply for competition and yields?
Victoria Morgan, Head of Asset Management, Catella APAM
Sumedha Goenka, Managing Director, Blackstone
Rory Buck, Managing Director, Clarion Partners
Jonathan Holland, Head of Industrial & Senior Fund Manager, Legal & General
Dan Valenzano, Senior Partner, Greykite
Kevin Mofid, Head of EMEA Industrial and Logistics Research, Savills (Chair)

10.40am
Fireside Chat – Leading Agents
Are we now at a genuine turning point for the occupier market?
Where are the strongest and weakest markets right now?
Is tightening supply now the key driver of rental growth rather than demand?
How is the widening gap between prime and secondary stock playing out on the ground?
How resilient is occupier demand really, once you strip out lease events and renewals from genuine net new requirements?
Which occupier types — 3PLs, e-commerce, manufacturing, retailers — are driving take-up right now, and how has that mix shifted over the past year?
How long are deals taking to complete compared with the peak, and what’s that telling us about occupier confidence?
Are incentives and rent-free periods still rising, and where is genuine rental growth actually being achieved on the ground?
Jack Farmer, Executive Director – Head of UK Industrial & Logistics Capital Markets, CBRE
Phoebe Geake, UK Lead Industrial & Logistics, JLL
Richard Evans, Head of Logistics & Industrial, Cushman & Wakefield
Toby Green, National Head of Industrial & Logistics, Savills
Kevin Mofid, Head of EMEA Industrial and Logistics Research, Savills (Chair)

11.20pm
Coffee Break

11.50am
Urban Logistics, Multi-Let, Last Mile & Future Mixed Use
As cities grow and customer expectations continue to evolve, how are urban logistics networks and multi-let industrial assets adapting to support changing patterns of demand?
With out-of-home delivery growing rapidly, how is the urban logistics network having to adapt?
What role are multi-let industrial estates playing in supporting resilient, flexible urban supply chains?
How are clean air zones and emission regulations reshaping fleet economics, hub location strategy and investment decisions?
What is being delivered in the urban logistics market now, and how do we expect this to evolve over the next decade?
Where are the most significant efficiency gains being found across urban logistics and last mile operations?
How are landlords, occupiers and local authorities balancing industrial demand with mixed-use development and competing land uses?
What is the realistic near-term role of new technology—drones, autonomous vehicles and robotics—in transforming urban delivery?

Introduction 15 minute presentation
Tessa English, Head of Research, Industrial & Logistics, JLL

Followed by a panel discussion with:

Will Outram, Senior Vice President, Valor Real Estate Partners
Peter Day, CEO & Co-Founder, AXEL Logistics
Richard Brewer, Managing Director, Magrock
Tessa English, Head of Research, Industrial & Logistics, JLL
Kevin Mofid, Head of EMEA Industrial and Logistics Research, Savills (Chair)

12.35pm
Key Issues – Planning
How is recent planning legislation changing the landscape for industrial and logistics development?
Are current land allocations anywhere near sufficient to meet future demand from logistics, manufacturing and data infrastructure?
How are local authorities and strategic planners keeping pace with rapidly evolving occupier needs?
Where are the most contested planning battlegrounds between industrial development and competing land uses?
Catriona Fraser, Director, Turley

12.50pm
Key Issues – Defence
How big is the opportunity from increased defence spending?
How is the new defence procurement model creating different and more varied real estate requirements?
Where are the regional opportunities likely to be concentrated as reshoring and domestic supply chain investment accelerates?
How should the sector position itself to capture defence-related demand, and what are the barriers to moving quickly?
Andrew Blennerhassett, Associate Director, Tritax

1.05pm
Questions for Catriona & Andrew

1.15pm
Lunch & Networking Session

2.15pm
Key Issues – Technology, Robotics & Digital Transformation
How are AI, predictive analytics, robotics and digital platforms being applied across the logistics property sector?
How are landlords and developers keeping pace with rising occupier demands around smart building technology and automation-ready specification?
How is automation changing the design of new industrial buildings and the economics of older stock?
What role is technology playing in valuation, investment decision-making and asset management?
Adam Fox, Business Development Manager, Kardex

2.30pm
Key Issues – Power case studies session
How severe is the power constraint on industrial and logistics development, and which markets are most affected?
How are developers responding through on-site generation, storage and alternative energy solutions?
What are the cost and design implications of tightening carbon and energy standards for new development?
Is the power constraint beginning to redirect industrial investment towards different parts of the country?
Brian Moorhead, Grid Solutions Director, eSmart Networks

2.45pm
Questions for Adam and Brian

2.55pm
Developers & Operators Panel
What does the development pipeline look like for the next few years, and is there a risk of undersupply returning?
How are developers balancing the rising cost of sustainability compliance against tenant affordability and investment viability?
Is refurbishment and retrofitting of older industrial assets becoming a more attractive proposition relative to new build?
How are geopolitical risks and trade uncertainty influencing development strategy and occupier demand?
How are funding conditions and the cost of capital shaping development appetite, and where is the equity and debt for new schemes actually coming from?
As prime and secondary assets diverge, how are you adjusting your investment and asset-management strategies to protect and create value across the cycle?
Where do you see the strategic future of your businesses — are you diversifying into data centres, defence, energy/storage or mixed-use, and how core is “pure logistics” to your five-year plan?
How are you partnering with capital — JVs, separate accounts, build-to-core — to fund growth and diversification while managing risk?
How do we solve the power capacity issues and mitigate for it?
James Craddock, Managing Director, Segro
Julian Carey, CEO, Indurent
Kate Howe, Development Director, Tritax Big Box Developments
Nick Cripps, Executive Director, Capital Markets Europe & Head of UK Capital Markets, Panattoni
Kevin Mofid, Head of EMEA Industrial and Logistics Research, Savills (Chair)

3.30pm
Occupier Needs Panel
With occupiers prioritising operational efficiency over network expansion, what does a best-in-class facility look like today?
How is total occupancy cost — energy, ESG performance, staffing and maintenance — reshaping lease negotiations and asset specification?
How are labour availability, digital connectivity and workforce amenities influencing location strategy?
How are the requirements of e-commerce, 3PL, manufacturing and retail occupiers diverging, and which are most active?
Doug Thornton, Senior Property Director, Head of UK Real Estate, GXO
Edmond Leahy, Head of Estates, Evri
Gillian Richards, Head of Commercial Real Estate UKI, DHL
Dwynwen Lewis, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins (Chair)

4.05pm
Closing remarks from the Chair

4.10pm
Conference close

4.15pm
Sheds UK Drinks Reception on Pitchside Terraces at the Oval