Events of this kind are always an enjoyable experience: great venue, food, hospitality and of course a day out of the office! No matter what the occasion, every effort is made to ensure the NovaLoca.com stand is on show, and this event was no exception.
Last year saw a team of two NovaLoca cars heading to the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport for two nights (and of course two days!) of Offices 08. It was not such a long road trip for us this time but still, the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London is hardly lacking in grandeur – and the setting meant it was easy for us to attend the event and return home the same day.
Miranda had headed to the Lancaster the previous day to set things up as NovaLoca took up its position on Stand D1. Offices 09 had arrived with the slogan: “Two Events, One Day: Occupiers Equal Value”.
As you can imagine, two events in one day meant a bumper conference programme. With registration opening at 8am and the Office Development Awards 2009 commencing 12 hours later, delegates had a busy day in prospect. A wealth of speakers and a selection of break-out sessions kept attendees entertained, and as a result the exhibition hall was relatively quiet until the refreshment breaks.
I joined Miranda mid-morning, with the day well under way. The morning refreshments had just ended so the hall remained quiet until mouthwatering smells began to emerge from the kitchens just before 1pm. Sure enough the hall began to fill up, and an excellent lunch was enjoyed by all in a relaxed atmosphere. There then followed a short networking break before the afternoon sessions began at 2pm.
The afternoon remained relatively quiet in the exhibition hall, but the Chairman’s closing remarks at 5:30pm signalled the end of the conference programme and gave way to the final and main networking of the day, with many stands in the exhibition hall offering drinks and nibbles.
Having offered an interesting mix of M&Ms and Skittles throughout the day, Stand D1 now moved onto a more refined offering of canapés, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and music to match. The reception was quieter than hoped overall, but the Property Week guys did their best to help out! Before long an announcement indicated the start of the awards upstairs in the Nine Kings Suite. This marked the end of my day and the beginning of Miranda’s evening.
Having taken the stand down, I headed for home while Miranda went on to enjoy the drinks reception, award ceremony and evening entertainment, which carried on into the early hours.
NovaLoca is designed very much with the occupier in mind, so if you missed us at Offices 09 remember you need look no further than NovaLoca for all your office space requirements. Look out for the NovaLoca stand at the next commercial property event!
If you have any commercial property to let or for sale, just visit NovaLoca.com or call one of the team on 01767 316 577 to find out how NovaLoca can work for you.
Chris Tembey
Everton Mint Turns Sour
Approximately 10 cities will be chosen as host venues, and each will reap the rewards as visitors from across the globe head for their temporarily adopted home city, for a couple of weeks at least.
So what happens when the plans for a new stadium are quashed? Look no further than Everton Football Club, which had proposed a move from its current home, Goodison Park, but recently saw its plans rejected by the government. This is big news of course for sport in general, especially football, and in particular for Everton FC and the people of Kirby (where the proposed new stadium was due to be built) – but also for the commercial sector, as recently reported on the Property Week website.
The impact of the 2012 Olympics on east London is perhaps best left for another blog, but the situation is the same: a newly built arena and surrounding amenities will have a direct impact on the local community and a massive impact on the commercial sector in the area. The creation of leisure, office and retail space will bring an influx of money, jobs and people to the locality.
Of course the disappointment of the Everton rejection is not only felt by the football club and its supporters, but also by the residents of Kirby, who would no doubt have benefited from the impact of a new stadium and surrounding amenities. Plans had included a Tesco Extra, increased housing and a brand new retail venture. The retail plan, which included proposals for an additional 40 shops, would not only have added to the current available retail opportunities in Liverpool but would also have created many new jobs, as would the proposed new leisure facilities. Alongside this were plans to create new office space opportunities. Altogether the proposals would have created a brand new community and would have been a major boost to Kirby and the economy of Liverpool.
Liverpool as a city will no doubt be disappointed, but the blow will fall hardest on the deprived area of Kirby. The debate about alternatives has now begun, and promises have been made by Borough Councillors that the people of Kirby will not be forgotten.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will subsequently fail to convince the judging panel of its worth as a 2018 Host City following this disappointment. Portsmouth recently had to retract its own bid after the City Council there refused to provide the necessary financial guarantees for development. Hull, on the other hand, according to Hull City FC chairman Adam Pearson, would see a winning vote as being the final part of the regeneration of the city.
The race is on and the competing cities and their supporters will have to wait for the results on December 16th, as will the commercial property sector. From that date all roads will lead to 2018 and the planning will begin in earnest.
An ironic note to consider is that Goodison Park was not only the first major stadium to be built in England, but it also hosted one of the semi-finals of the 1966 World Cup. One suspects this will never happen again.
As a Carlisle United supporter, you can imagine my joy at our appearance in the FA Cup third round, for the first time since 2001. The luck of the draw has pitched Carlisle against Premiership club Everton FC and brings a financially beneficial trip to Goodison Park. I wonder if this could perhaps be the last chance I ever get to visit Goodison? Time will tell, but I suspect there are many people who would like to think it is.
Chris Tembey