Completely Retail Marketplace has announced new features to its 2021 London event, organised in collaboration with Revo, including ‘Ask the Expert’, which will see the organisers team up with SaveTheHighStreet.org to provide free 1-2-1 business growth advice and mentoring for local brands that currently present on the high street.
Support from the ‘Ask the Expert’ team will cover everything from how to increase footfall, securing required funds, keeping customers loyal and more, drawing on Save The High Street’s track record of working with over 200 local businesses and industry experts, local communities, and dozens of partners in both public and private sectors to deliver a range of initiatives to transform and strengthen high streets.
Alex Schlagman, founding partner, SaveTheHighStreet.org, said: ‘’We are pleased to be involved in the event this year. In addition to supporting small and start-up businesses through ‘Ask The Expert’, we will be hosting The Soapbox and chairing a series of different roundtables about the future of the high street. We’re all excited to see so much of the industry come together in person like this for the first time in 2021.”
Additionally, The Completely Group will join forces with 3FOX to bring its public and private sector partnership platform, Sitematch Town Centres, to the event for the first time. Sponsored by Montagu Evans, Willmott Dixon and U&I, Sitematch will gather over 20 of the UK’s most forward-thinking cities, towns and districts in meeting areas, equipped with maps and plans of their opportunity areas, for pre-arranged meetings with the investors, developers, operators, agents and disruptors that can help them revive their high streets and town centres. Attendees are now able to book meetings via the dedicated event CONNECT system.
Toby Fox, managing director at 3Fox, said: “Since 2008, Sitematch has been facilitating local authorities to meet with developers and investors. For this special edition, hosted in partnership with Completely Retail Marketplace, we are providing a forum for discussion on key issues around revitalisation and growth in our high streets and town centres, and for investors, occupiers and developers to meet with cabinet members and senior officers – the ultimate champions of place. We will be curating over 20 of England’s most innovative and forward-thinking local councils, all looking to meet new partners who can help them realise growth ambitions and to build the town centres of tomorrow.”
This year’s event will also launch a new Tech Hub in partnership, enabling retail and proptech companies to showcase their latest innovative solutions to help retailers and retail property people work smarter, in addition to Completely Retail’s trademark Soapbox pitching sessions for retail and leisure brands.
Dominic Millar, CEO, The Completely Group said: “We have experienced faster uptake of exhibition space than any previous year since we started running Completely Retail Marketplace London in 2012. With the main space now fully booked, we are creating new meeting areas to cope with pent up demand. Retail property is alive and well and it is clear people can’t wait to get back together in person.”
The one-day event will feature a half-day conference programme by Revo, including a keynote from entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star, Theo Paphitis. He will be joined by Richard Morris, UK Chief Executive of IWG, who will discuss the return to the office, and the role of flexible workspace alongside retail in dynamic town and city centres.
Additional sessions will invite the views of industry experts on key topics shaping the future of the Retail Property sector, including Howard Ebison, Operations Director at Hammerson, on how successful retail places are embracing inclusivity and diversity.
The programme will also feature a newly announced session led by Revo Hub, featuring Grigor Grigorov from Make, the global architecture practice, and Poppy Wilcox, from the sustainability team at Grosvenor UK, on the five year vision for the UK high street.
