It has been a busy year for Develop Croydon – reflecting the similarities the borough has seen despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual Develop Croydon Conference went online for the first time – holding a virtual conference on 19 November. With a focus on ‘building future foundation’, the half-day conference featured speakers including Shirley Rodrigues, London’s Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, newly-elected leader of Croydon Council Councillor Hamida Ali, Willmott Dixon’s Head of Legacy Richard Pickett, Croydon College CEO and Principal Caireen Mitchell, LSE London Director Professor Tony Travers, Schroders Fund Manager Jessica Berney and Prologis Director Oliver Bycroft.
Write ups from all of the conference sessions can be found on the Develop Croydon news page.
A new-look website has also been built to digitally welcome visitors to the borough. The website will share partners’ latest news and updates, promote upcoming events and give visitors the opportunity to see what Croydon has to offer for themselves – by taking a virtual tour.
The virtual tour element of the website is a new addition – and allows people to see what the borough has to offer from their own home or office, and pinpoint particular areas of interest to them.
And while the organisation hasn’t been able to host its investor tours in person, Zoom was used to host two virtual editions to showcase the town’s investment opportunities and ongoing projects. More than 100 delegates joined each session live, with similar numbers watching recordings of the sessions back on YouTube.
As with the in-person tours, delegates ‘met’ at BoxPark for an overview of the town centre before being taken round the town centre, out to the Purley Way and on a ‘walking tour’ of North End and the High street. Speakers at the virtual investor tours included Ronan Farrell (Tide Construction), Stuart Cade (MICA Architects), Jess Berney (Schroders), Tim Howells (R&F Properties), Alex Gale (SHW), Tom Stoneham (HUB) and Vanessa Clark (Sinclair Clark).
And some of the key players in the borough’s regeneration have also been interviewed for a new project – Croydon Conversations.
The thought leadership-style interviews discuss major schemes and occupiers, as well as the borough’s bright future.
They look how far Croydon has come since Develop Croydon was formed, with insight from those behind the borough’s growth so far plus hopes for the future.
Develop Croydon has so far been in conversation with Matt Sims, chief executive of Croydon BID, Rommel Faytaren, director of commercial services at Optivo, Richard Plant, Develop Croydon chair and head of SHW’s South London, Surrey and Kent region, Vanessa Clark, owner of Sinclair Clark, and Ben Craig from Network Rail. More can be found on YouTube.
Develop Croydon has also played a key role in the Real Estate Live UK platform, hosting three sessions – two in June and one in October. Develop Croydon will also be hosting a session when the popular platform, designed at keeping the property and regeneration sectors talking, returns between 22 and 26 February.
For more information on Develop Croydon, its new-look website and ongoing projects, plus partner information, visit www.developcroydon.com. For more information on Develop Croydon and to discuss becoming a partner, email us.
