Sheffield, via the Sheffield Property Association (S-PA), is the first major UK city to go live with some alternative plans for the property professionals in mid-March.
The second week of March is ringfenced in diaries of virtually all property professionals and key built-environment influencers across the globe as a time for local, regional, national and international networking.
With concerns around COVID-19 increasing by the hour, and some major sporting events already being called into question or even cancelled, organisations and individuals are being left to make some difficult judgement calls.
If the typical routes for networking and working together are unavailable this Spring, it could undeniably have a detrimental effect on growth to major cities and key programmes over the next 12 months.
Leading from the front and keen to ensure that the rare opportunity of this week – where the industry networks, shares ideas, and crucially, makes deals happen – is not wasted, the S-PA has announced a week of pop-up events in Sheffield, running 9-12 March.
The pop-up events will not only be for members of the S-PA, but also allow them to invite their contacts. It will provide them with a platform to get in front of the organisations and individuals they need to, to ensure that 2020 is a successful year and that current events do not impact of the city’s development. The events will be open to attend in person or via video conferencing – allowing for national and international contacts to get involved.
A spokesman from the Sheffield Property Association said: “Sheffield is probably still an overlooked gem, so we want to explore ways the property and investment community can share insights and build relationships without the complications of global travel. Sheffield is a city that thinks differently, so for those who don’t want to travel for personal, health, environmental or social reasons, we will be organising a week of pop up events for our members in Sheffield that we will be broadcasting around the world for those people interested and curious about a city that breaks the rules and thinks differently about regeneration and growth.
“This is a virtual invitation to what will be a thought-provoking series of events, debates and showcases that you can enjoy from wherever you like – be it in person or remotely.”