The ultimate guide to the ARL Annual BTR Conference & Awards 2024
Each year, just one UK conference is designed specifically to support and grow the Build to Rent (BTR) sector: the ARL Annual Build to Rent Conference & Awards. Delegates have the opportunity to help elevate the rental living sector as part of the BTR event of the year, accessing unparalleled insights, expertise and networking opportunities.
With the conference just a few weeks away, Association for Rental Living (ARL) CEO Brendan Geraghty reveals why the 2024 event will be the most exciting yet.
When and where will the 2024 ARL BTR Annual Conference take place?
The 2024 ARL BTR Conference will take place on 7th November 2024. The conference and ARL People Awards ceremony will be held between 10 am and 6 pm, followed by a networking drinks reception until 8 pm.
The conference, which is open to both ARL members and non-members, is known for providing the best BTR content and networking experience of the year. The 2024 event will take place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London.
What is the key theme?
The conference will have the theme of elevating rental living at its core, considering it in terms of central government, policymakers, local authorities, consumers and the wider BTR sector.
Under the umbrella of ARL’s position as the voice of the BTR sector, the event will look at key strands within the rental living experience. These centre around the four key pillars of Build to Rent: investment and growth; the accelerated delivery of homes; affordability and security; and placemaking and community – all underpinned by the ARL-led initiative, the BTR Code of Practice.
Action, not just words, is always at the heart of ARL events and the 2024 conference will be no exception. We will identify key action points during each session on the day, ensuring that collective insights are captured and taken forward as we all work together to elevate rental living.
What can delegates expect at the event?
We will start the day with an invitation-only breakfast session at 8:30 am, looking at the evolution of BTR and the emerging role of short-term. Together with the US multifamily market, the Bill is driving innovation in multiple ways, including through the emerging threat of shorter tenancies. The breakfast session will examine how to turn this threat into an opportunity, prior to the main conference welcome session which starts at 10:30 am.
What do the keynote presentations entail?
Simon Century, Managing Director, Housing, Private Markets at Legal & General, will set the scene for the day with the first keynote presentation, focusing on evolution in the residential rented sector, including what good looks like and what the future holds under the new government.
A second keynote session, delivered by Yolande Barnes, Professor of Real Estate at UCL, will look at investment in the 21st century, questioning whether there has been a paradigm shift in what the rental living sector needs to supply and how we supply it, along with how to counter obsolescence.
The third keynote will examine the BTR consumer journey, including how we can better communicate the BTR product to UK consumers. Rightmove Director Tim Bannister and HomeViews Founder Hannah Marsh will draw on unpublished Rightmove and HomeViews data to explore the route from research to resident, as well as revealing factors crucial to the efficient expansion of the sector.
Will there be breakout sessions?
In addition to three insightful and inspirational keynote presentations, seven breakout sessions will look at the BTR from all angles, led by expert moderators from across the sector.
These sessions will really get under the bonnet of issues that are impacting the sector today and in the future. No other BTR Conference goes into this level of learning and understanding. For example:
- Getting your asset ready for sale: what’s in your data room?
- BTR assets as data engines – operational efficiency drivers
- The evolution of operational management
- Housing delivery at a price
- Employee wellbeing
A highlight will be a design charette where delegates have the chance to address a specific challenge for BTR design.
Delegates can pre-register for these sessions once they have booked their tickets.
When will the ARL People Award winners be announced?
Throughout the conference, after each keynote, the ARL People Awards will be bestowed upon 2024’s winners. The awards recognise significant contributions to the BTR sector and outstanding customer experience. Individuals will be recognised in three categories, with a central theme of promoting excellence, quality and best practice in the BTR sector.
Are there any sponsorship and exhibition opportunities remaining for the 2024 conference?
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities at the ARL conference are always popular, as they provide such an excellent chance to raise brand awareness and make key connections. We do have a last few opportunities remaining, but this close to the event we would advise anyone interested to move fast!
How can people obtain tickets to the event?
The ARL Annual BTR Conference 2024 will welcome ARL members and non-members. Full details are available on the ARL website – including a link for booking tickets to the conference.