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2019 CEEQA Gala

SAVE THE DATE for the CEEQA 2022 Gala: 29 June, Warsaw

The 2019 edition of the CEEQA Gala raised the bar on all fronts – and the roof – from the elegant Who’s-Who champagne reception to the legendary no-limits CEEQA after party, and not such a bad gala dinner and awards ceremony in between.

There’s only one Gala

Greeted by a multitude of silver Mimello humanoid robots, guests would be taken on a sensory ride from the entrance of Minska 65 into the fray via the Panattoni “Wear House” coat check-garderobe and red carpet media wall, the Weles Retreat sponsored by law firm CMS – a recreation of one of Warsaw’s best speakeasy bars – and a champagne fountain at the Panattoni Champagne BarDJ Trent at the decks by the BNP Paribas Real Estate lounge.

Deeper in is Dentons Wine & Prosecco bar with scheduled “Tastes of CEE” delicacies, on the far side of the room the Helaba Molecular Bar, and between them the Skanska Stage where no less than The Boomtown Rats led by frontman and icon Bob Geldof will tear up the party in a few hours (and they did), Electric Girls will take over and keep the party bouncing… and dominating the centre of the huge post-industrial room, the CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield’s Elite Partners Bar leading to the dining tables and Awards Stage, flanked by the Savills Lounge. And much later DJ duo Hypno & Fresh will take the party deep, deep into the night and somewhere across town (or just a few doors down Minska street) the afterparties will rumble on long past dawn.

Scene set for the 16th edition of the best business event in the world! No exaggeration, no compromise. This is what happened next:

The sector’s main industry awards and flagship annual gathering is renowned for walking the tightrope between the boardroom and the circus like no other business event with its unique blend of elite business, unparalleled hospitality and world class entertainment. And 900 of the market’s most influential business leaders and decision makers from more than 50 countries working the room, gathering to celebrate the successes and success stories of the industry year.

Awards 

And the small matter of the industry gongs, for the full list of this year’s winners and nominees go here >>

Our congratulations to all award winners and shortlisted nominees for the the 2019 edition of CEEQA and we thank all participants. Here are the headlines:

Leading Polish broadcaster Monika Zamachowska anchoring proceedings, it was a night of few surprises in the awards for a sector that has enjoyed another record year in investment transactions, as well as output of increasingly high quality product. The atmosphere of the gathering was appreciably buoyant amid the usual stunning entertainment and hospitality highlights.

Market Leaders – Panattoni, Skanska, JLL and CBRE

Industrial developer Panattoni Europe were crowned overall company of the year as well as Industrial developer of the year. This is the first time an industrial developer has been crowned overall Company of the Year, an enormous accolade for the company’s sustained run of business success and market leadership.

Skanska dominated once again with four awards as developer and construction company of the year, as well as continuing their stranglehold in all areas of green building leadership with both awards on offer for the second successive year, and advisors JLL also shone in four categories with the property management, retail agency and industrial agency awards as well as the prestigious industry professional of the year going for regional managing director Tomasz Trzoslo, the other two agent of the year awards for capital markets and office agency went to CBRE.

“Towering force” Pawel Debowski honoured, Dentons march on

At the forefront of the headlines was the extraordinary and continuing story of Dentons and its real estate practice leader, Pawel Debowski. Having once again been named best legal firm, it is now 14 wins in the 16 year history of CEEQA that a team containing or led by Debowski has occupied the legal award.

This story of consistent leadership of the legal segment as well as industry leadership is on a scale not even closely matched by any other company, and Debowski was described in the ceremony laudations as “without doubt the single most influential figure in the history of the sector” since its emergence into the international capital markets since 1989.

Read more here >> 

CEDET and Forum Gdansk signal Polish dominance of buildings, hotels flavour of the year as Raffles Europejski Warsaw and The Chedi Lustica Bay in Montenegro win big

The outstanding buildings were Raffles Europejski Warsaw Hotel by H.E.S.A. (best hotel, and overall building of the year), Immobel’s CEDET also in Warsaw was named best office development and Multi’s nominee Forum Gdansk the best retail project. The overall building of the year for southeast Europe was The Chedi Lustica Bay hotel in Tivat, Montenegro by Orascom Development.

In other company recognitions, fund manager Globalworth picked up their first ever CEEQA statuette as the sector’s best investor, while pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank were again named lender of the year and Arcadis returned to the winner’s rostrum after a two year break with the development services company award. This year’s rising star was industrial developer 7r.

Integrity, quality, “New Europe” real estate in full colour

CEEQA continues its path of strong growth in delivering a universally trusted industry awards and world-class gala event showcasing the sector to the international institutional arena.

Deloitte continues its role as Lead Partner working alongside the CEEQA team to push the boundaries of integrity and fairness.

The decisions are made by the CEEQA Jury, a panel of experienced and senior representatives of leading companies active in the market place, with all aspects of judge selection and voting closely monitored by Deloitte.

New to the commercial partners roster this year were Echo Investment, Savills, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Generali Real Estate and Wilsons law firm, joining a roster which already includes regional and global market leaders Skanska, Helaba, Dentons, Panattoni Europe, CMS, TriGranit, White & Case, pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank, EPP, Erste Group Bank, Arcadis, Strabag and Sentient. Industry and delivery partners included RICS, GRI, Warsaw Business Journal, Property Forum, AMI, Belvedere Catering, Raffles Europejski Warsaw Hotel, Mielzynski Wines & Spirits Specialties and Lacrosse Translation Services.

Maciej Krason, Real Estate & Construction Industry Leader for Deloitte Central Europe, lead partner of CEEQA, said:

“Over the 16 years of its presence on the market CEEQA has established unique trust credentials in the real estate sector. As Deloitte we recognize CEEQA’s mission to project opportunities and successes for market participants as values which Deloitte identifies with as well. As Leading Partner of CEEQA, we would like to congratulate all the award winners and wish them further successful and challenging projects in this very dynamic market.“

Richard Hallward, founder and director of CEEQA said:

“Our congratulations to all this year’s winners and short listed candidates on another outstanding year for the sector, and our thanks to all participants, collaborators, jurors and partners for helping to make this the most successful edition of CEEQA to date.”

We take this opportunity to congratulate and thank all participants, sponsors, partners and collaborators on another successful CEEQA.

The Zookeeper’s Villa

Among the biggest highlights of the evening was an on-stage interview with family members and friends of Jan and Antonina Zabinski on what actually happened in events captured in the 2017 movie “The Zookeeper’s Wife”, and plans to establish a charitable foundation to develop the villa in the middle of Warsaw Zoo, where the events unfolded,  into a fitting monument to their bravery and heroism.

At enormous personal risk to the entire family every day, the Zabinski’s used the villa and the zoo grounds as a refuge to protect and save the lives of more than 300 people, mostly Jews smuggled from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, hiding them “in plain sight” while arranging false papers and identities and safe houses for them to escape to.

The new “Jan & Antonina Zabinski Foundation” will seek to build a capital base and management team to protect and project the Zabinski’s, and the villa’s, important legacy and message for future generations. Further information about the formation of the foundation will be released shortly, for more information go here >>

The dinner, the winners

The party, the people

 
 

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