2016 CEEQA Gala knocks ’em dead
Summary and Results
- Shooting star Griffin Real Estate lands double of Investor of the Year title and overall Company of the Year titles at 2016 CEEQA Gala, Skanska and JLL also score double wins
- Aviatica office building in Prague shines brightest in Building Awards categories with Office Development of the Year and Building of the Year CEE awards, Mega Mall Bucharest and Forum Lviv also successful as no building awards go to Poland for the first time.
- P3 CEO Ian Worboys lifts Industry Professional of the Year award, guests pay tribute to Jan Kulczyk 1950-2015
- Music legend Bonnie Tyler leads entertainment pyrogenics with incomparable live show
- Skanska and Arcadis continue to lead green building innovation in the region, Hines also weighs in
Full List of 2016 Winners
Financial Times special report tie-in
WBJ Observer special report tie-in
The thirteenth annual CEEQA Gala raised the bar once more with its unique blend of serious business and serious entertainment thrilling a crowd of more than 700 sector leaders from more than 50 countries at SOHO Factory in Warsaw on Tuesday night including a memorable live concert by music legend Bonnie Tyler.
Warsaw based real estate investor and developer Griffin Real Estate continued their extraordinary rise up the New Europe real estate charts with the awards for Investor of the Year and, for the second year running, overall Company of the Year in the 2016 edition of the CEEQA Awards, while Skanska continued their run of CEEQA successes with another two awards in the Developer of the Year and overall Green Leadership categories, adding to their earlier successes in the RealGreen Developer and RealGreen Building of the Year categories announced at the CEEQA@Mipim reception in March, the fourth time the Swedish company has won four awards or more in the past five years.
Leading the way
Global advisor JLL was also a multiple winner in the Agent of the Year Office Agency and Capital Markets categories and remain the only company to have won a CEEQA award every year for the past thirteen years since its inception, as were New Europe Property Investments (NEPI) in picking up the Building of the Year SEE award for their Mega Mall Bucharest project as well as the Rising Star award.
Penta Investments’ Aviatica project in Prague was named Office Building of the Year as well as overall Building of the Year CEE. Also in the buildings section Multi Corporation were successful in the Retail Development category with their Forum Lviv shopping centre in Lviv, western Ukraine, and the Hotel, Leisure and Residential Development of the Year award went to the new Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel in Mlini, Croatia.
Industry respect
The awards are the sector’s most respected industry recognition, organised each year in association with the Financial Times to reward excellence and to showcase the achievements and opportunities of the New Europe real estate sector to the international investment arena.The awards are free to enter and are judged by a jury panel of senior industry representatives of market leading companies across Central & Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe with the voting closely supervised by globally trusted consultants Deloitte. The 2016 CEEQA Gala was hosted for the eighth time by celebrated Polish broadcaster Monika Zamachowska and CEEQA founder and CEO, Richard Hallward.
Also successful in the Agent of the Year categories were Cushman & Wakefield with the award for Retail & Leisure Agency and Colliers International with the award for Industrial Agency for the fifth time running, while CBRE picked up the award for Property Management Company of the Year.
Dentons stamped its extraordinary domination of the Legal & Financial Services category once again, as did Panattoni Europe in the Industrial Developer category and Arcadis in the Development Services category, as Helaba lifted the Lender of the Year award for the second time running and the third time in five years. Strabag were named Construction Company of the Year.
However one of the highlights of the night was the crowning of Ian Worboys, CEO of P3 Logistic Parks, as 2016 CEEQA Industry Professional of the Year. Having built the regional company into a marketing leading logistics developer to rival the international power houses active in the region, he has shown impressive leadership in the past year as his company has firmly established itself as a top 3 player in the segment.
The 750 strong crowd also paid tribute to the life and achievements of Jan Kulczyk, Poland’s most successful businessman of the modern era, who passed away in 2015, with one minute of applause.
Serious business, serious hospitality & entertainment
In addition to the live show by Bonnie Tyler, gala guests were treated to an opera singing performance by rising international star Adriana Ferfecka, lounge sessions by Milan based musician and DJ/Producer Gioli Lipari and late night sessions by DJ Trent, among a stellar array of entertainment and adventure playground fare including a casino, juice station, cheesy disco, sponsored bars and cafes, late night street food. The Dziubek Band brass orchestra from Wroclaw kept the awards ceremony swinging with a tribute to the late, great David Bowie with a selection of his best tunes through the awards ceremony, mime troupe Mimello and local magician Kacper kept guests entertained throughout the evening with circus antics, clowning and magic. Gala guests raised a total of 22,000 euros for a local children’s charity Fundacja Dziecieca Fantazja.
Information about next year’s awards itinerary and 2017 CEEQA Gala will be released in November 2016. In the mean time we thank all partners, guests and contributors to CEEQA 2016 and wish all market participants another successful year.
2016 RealGreen Awards announced and ‘future office’ examined at 2016 CEEQA@Mipim
- RICS Futures keynote Maarten Vermeulen and 2016 CEEQA@MIpim panelists examine how Gen-Y workplace models could substantially alter office leasing and investment landscape in New Europe markets and internationally in the coming decade
- Skanska doubles up as green building kings again as Hines step up with first CEEQA win and Arcadis continue to lead the way in sustainability innovation in New Europe
- COCK ROBIN rekindles memories of promises made in one-off reunion live concert
The annual CEEQA@Mipim Insight Summit brought together a group of the most experienced operators in the New Europe property markets to discuss potentially the next big wave of change in market mechanics, the changing function and design of the work place driven by the changing life and work dynamics of a generation brought up on gaming consoles and the internet.
A RICS Futures keynote by RICS Managing Director for Europe, Russia & CIS Maarten Vermeulen, targeted the issue as one of 6 major focus areas for the industry, but one that the industry could be strategically undervaluing as the millennial generation moves society values from the work-life balance ethic of Generation X to the work-life blend ethic of Generation Y.
Hadley Dean concurred strongly, arguing that in heading up the EMEA roll out of the Compass Office brand as both a tenant and a serviced office provider he was unconvinced that many developers were moving forward on this issue. This was against a general consensus among panelists also including Daniel Harris of Tristan Capital Partners, HB Reavis’ CEO & Head of Strategy Pavel Trenka, JLL’s Tomasz Trzoslo and CBRE’s Sean Doyle, all seasoned experts in investment and development in the New Europe region, that tenant demand for technical innovations, space design as well as community and environmental ethic considerations – all key elements in the future office mix – is being, and would increasingly be, driven by the tenant just as the green building trend had been over the past decade, with those developers and asset owners moving quickest to meet the demand getting an advantage.
Benchmarking against progress elsewhere, Colliers International’s EMEA head of cross border investment Richard Divall said the same was true in other markets where hi-tech tenants like Google and Compaq and buildings like The Edge in Amsterdam are leading the charge and while some developers and asset owners were reacting it is still more ad hoc than strategic, despite the added push of urbanisation. From a financing standpoint, Helaba’s head of international real estate finance for continental Europe, Martin Erbe, felt that banks were a long way off from making calls on the trend but it was clear that, as with the green revolution, buildings that lead the way will find debt finance more accessible as the assets would be more attractive in the long run.
The conversation then turned to the Warsaw office market as a prime example where demand-supply imbalances and the changing landscape of the office could intersect sooner rather than later, where the past few years have seen a charge on investment into a strong output of new projects amid relatively static tenant demand and falling rents. However Tomasz Trzoslo in particular argued that Warsaw had a record net absorption in 2015 at 280,000 sqm, the sixth biggest net absorption in Europe after Moscow, London, Madrid, Stockholm and Berlin, while stock in Warsaw is still relatively low in comparison to other capital cities with a density of 2.7 m2 per person against much higher levels in Western European cities.
The presentation and panel was followed by announcement of the 2016 CEEQA RealGreen awards for leadership and innovation in green building given out annually at CEEQA@Mipim in Cannes. Skanska once again dominated with awards for RealGreen Developer of the Year for the fifth time running as well as for RealGreen Building of the Year for Corso Court in Prague, while Hines weighed in with the award for RealGreen Investor of the Year and Arcadis once again took the title of RealGreen Service Provider of the Year for the fourth time in five years.
Also announced at the event was this year’s short list for the main CEEQA Awards which will be presented at the 2016 CEEQA Gala on 12th April in Warsaw, the sector’s flagship annual gathering attended by more than 700 regional and international business leaders active in the CEE and SEE property markets. The winners of this year’s RealGreen Awards in four categories automatically go through to selection by the CEEQA jury for the overall CEEQA Green Leadership also to be announced at the CEEQA Gala, which this year will host a live concert by global music legend and multi Grammy winner Bonnie Tyler.
The awards are the sector’s most respected industry recognition, organised each year in association with the Financial Times to reward excellence and to showcase the achievements and opportunities of the New Europe real estate sector to the international investment arena. They are free to enter and are judged by a jury panel of senior industry representatives of market leading companies across Central & Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe with the voting closely supervised by globally trusted consultants Deloitte.
More than 200 guests were treated to a unique one-off reunion concert by celebrate COCK ROBIN duo Peter Kingsbery and Anna LaCazio as well as a lounge session by Milan based musician and DJ/producer Gioli Lipari. The event was hosted by well known Polish broadcaster Monika Zamachowska.
The event was free access to Mipim registered delegates. The location of the event is in front of the main foyer of the Grand Auditorium on the second floor of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
Maarten is responsible for RICS operations in Europe, Russia & CIS. He leads a diverse and dynamic team across Europe, Russia & CIS, where he is responsible for bringing ethical and professional standards to the European property market and offering access to the most sought after professional status. He is looking to develop the profile and standing of RICS across continental Europe, Russia and CIS, strengthen member services and reach out for new members. Maarten has many years of experience in real estate. Before taking this role he was Europe Director at Composition Capital Partners where he was responsible for a significant portfolio of equity investments across Europe. Prior to that, he worked with Protego Real Estate Investors, Lasalle Investment Management and Bouwfonds Asset Management. Daniel Harris joined Tristan after successfully working with the EPISO Fund investment team at AEW Europe since 2010. Previously he spent five years with MGPA where he was Head of CEE. His responsibilities included acquisitions in the region, which amounted to over €1.5 billion over the five-year period, and the management of the Warsaw office which he established in 2008. Additionally he undertook pan-European transactions and established a logistics joint venture in France. Prior to working at MGPA, he spent three years at Heitman working on both Central European and Western European transactions. Daniel was awarded Professional of the Year at the CEE Retail Awards in February 2010. Hadley has been successfully operating in Poland for over 20 years where he is recognised for growing businesses and consistently outperforming the market place. Before establishing MDC² he used to hold the role of the founding CEO of EPP – the largest owner of shopping centres in Poland (EUR 2.6bn of GAV). Prior to EPP he was a Managing Partner for Eastern Europe for Colliers International where he built the best logistics and industrial space agency business in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2021 Hadley was the recipient of the prestigious CEEQA Lifetime Achievement in Real Estate award. Pavel is Member of the Board, CEO and Head of Strategy at Slovakia-based real estate development company HB Reavis, joining the company in 2007. He was previously Associate Principal at McKinsey and Company (2000 – 2007) and an Associate at Bank Austria Investment Bank. He is a graduate of The University of Rochester – William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. As Head of Cross Border Capital Markets for EMEA, Richard works with international clients who are interested in investing in the region and connects their capital to local partners and best local Colliers International experts. Conversely, he also works with core investors based in EMEA to help them expand their portfolios in other regions around the world. Through his extensive connectivity in the global real estate market, he connects capital with opportunities, regardless of location. Richard works with a broad spectrum of clients including Sovereign Wealth Funds, global institutions, global private equity investors and family offices. Clients choose to work with him based on the full range of advisory services including buy and sell side investment sales for all major asset classes including office, industrial, retail, residential and hotels as well knowledge on alternative sectors including student housing, PRS and leisure sectors. He has over 19 years capital markets experience and has been involved in transactions valued at over £7billion in the UK and Europe and has advised many clients on complex investment strategies: Richard is an entrepreneur, producer, writer and musician. He is founder and chairman of CEEQA and owner of its operating company Imagine Live Media, the leading market insight platform and main industry awards for commercial real estate investment in Central & Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe established in 2003. He is also Co-founder of Poland’s leading fashion and luxury brand media production and PR agency, Warsaw Creatives. An experienced organiser of shows and productions, Richard has worked with the likes of Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats, Macy Gray, Morcheeba, Kim Wilde, Gloria Gaynor, Bonnie Tyler, Sister Sledge, Bananarama and Hot Chocolate. He has created and led numerous high profile transformative projects and enterprises across arts, culture, entertainment, government and business, among them best-selling poetry anthologies Beyond Bedlam (Anvil Press Poetry) and Fire Readings (co-publisher with Franks Books) alongside Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Andrew Motion and Carol Ann Duffy. He is also founder and organiser of the Madnicity Pavilion for the 2022 Venice Biennale and founder of the Zabinski Foundation, among other noted projects. Sean is the Head of Capital Markets for Central & Eastern Europe covering office, retail, industrial, residential, hotels and alternative sectors having been based primarily in Poland for 16 years. Sean started his career in San Francisco working for a developer before moving to London and eventually Poland and has led CBRE to their current number one position on the Polish market in recent years transacting over EUR 14 Billion. Recently Sean has led some of the most important office transactions within the CEE region including the sales of the Iconic Warsaw Spire, the Warsaw Hub, Rondo 1, Plac Unii, Q22, Generation Park, Metropolitan, Warsaw Trade Tower, Malachowski Square, Ethos, Eurocentrum, Browary Warszawskie and the Equator just to name a few. While on the buyside he has brokered the sales of Zlote Tarasy (Skylight & Lumen), Spektrum, Warsaw Financial Centre, IBC, Focus, Sezam, Mokotow Nova and Oxford Tower. Sean has overseen the sales of the largest Logistics Portfolios in the history of the Polish market with the sales of 5 subsequent Hillwood portfolios, the largest sale and leaseback transactions on behalf of Amazon, separate record breaking Amazon sales for Macquarie and Invesco as well as Zalando. He has also been involved in the acquisition of EUR 1 Billion M1 Retail Portfolio, the EUR 300 Million acquisition of Wars Sawa Junior – Poland’s iconic high street asset. In 2019 Sean oversaw the sale of the EUR 600 Million Rocky portfolio. While hotel sales have included the sale of the Puro Hotel portfolio and Sheraton Kraków. Tomasz is now Managing Director for JLL in the CEE, having taken over the role in the CEE at the end of 2018. He oversees JLL activities in the region (offices in Bucharest, Budapest, Bratislava and Prague, and JLL activities across all countries in the CEE/SEE region). He also continues as the Managing Director of JLL Poland. Tomasz has over 20 years of experience in the Central European real estate markets. He has run Polish capital markets team since 2005, and the wider CEE capital markets from 2008 to 2013. He has participated in numerous transactions across the CEE, including investment, structured equity, fund raising and debt deals. One of his recent accomplishments in his MD role at JLL is the acquisition of REAS, a residential consultancy based in Warsaw, thus allowing JLL to cover all sectors of real estate in Poland, with the plan to roll out the residential advisory services across the region.Maarten Vermeulen, Managing Director Europe, Russia & CIS, RICS
Daniel Harris, Managing Director Central & Eastern Europe, Tristan Capital Partners
Hadley Dean, Founder, MDC²
Pavel Trenka, Group CEO, HB Reavis
Richard Divall, Head of Cross Border Capital Markets EMEA, Colliers International
Richard Hallward, Founder & Chairman, Imagine Live Media
Sean Doyle, Head of Capital Markets Central & Eastern Europe, CBRE
Tomasz Trzoslo, Managing Director Central & Eastern Europe, JLL