Curation of cities provides focus for Derby Property Summit 2023

How we can collectively curate our city centres going forward is set to provide the focus for Marketing Derby’s forthcoming Derby Property Summit 2023.

The Queen’s Award-winning investment promotion agency is set to hold this year’s annual event on Wednesday 12 July, at Reach Events, on Pride Park.

Entitled ‘From Customer to Citizen – The Collective Curation of Cities’, the event will look at how we can shape the future of our cities by working together – creating coalitions that repurpose place.

Featuring keynote speakers and panel debates, this year’s event 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.

Now, they will help provide the focus for the Derby Property Summit – to which more than 200 delegates so far have signed up to attend.

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

The session, a transcript of which will be published in full in the autumn edition of Innovate magazine, 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.

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, 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 and to book your place visit https://www.marketingderby.co.uk/events/ . The event will include a hot breakfast, courtesy of Butlers Pantry.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for this year’s event. To discuss contact Adam Rodgers at adam.rodgers@marketingderby.co.uk.