Speed Business Meeting & Mixer Summary

On 23rd February, 2015 in the Hotel Andersia another business networking event organized by the British Polish Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the German Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Belgian Chamber of Commerce, Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce, Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Poland and Polish-French Chamber of Commerce  took place.

Speed  Business Meeting is an attractive and proven formula in which each of the participants takes part in the series of direct meetings, during which he or she has an opportunity to present briefly their company, talk about their offer and services , exchange business cards, make new contacts, acquire new customers, suppliers, investors. Each of the participants were assigned to different tables at which he/she met with 9 other people representing potential clients.  Each session of the "tables" lasted about 20 minutes, and after its completion – at the signal - the participant changed the seat to the previously indicated table. Participants came out with over 30 new contacts after one hour. This unique networking formula allows to get many contacts in a short time while having fun and enjoying a get together.

The Meeting was followed by a Business Mixer where during an elegant cocktail guests could continue the more promising business conversations from the earlier meetings. The meeting was a success thanks to the commitment of the organizers and the sponsors.

In co-operation with Gold Sponsors:

and Silver Sponsor:

*information taken from: BPCC website (http://bpcc.org.pl/en/event-coverages/speed-business-meeting-and-mixer)

What’s new @ Trebbi Polska?

The holiday season has been and gone very quickly but with nostalgia in our voices, we would like to summarize the events of 2015 for Trebbi Polska.
Trebbi Polska once more had the pleasure of working with many outstanding and dedicated clients. During 2015 we were able to continue the cooperation with existing partners, but also establish new valuable associates.
However, this year attention should go to Trebbi’s employees and consultants. They are the ones that form the foundation of the company. It is worth emphasizing that we have 300% more employees than last year, which resulted in a substantial blossoming of the business!
Up to the end of 2015 we were able to finish 40 projects across a range of services including investment and project management, project design, bill of quantities, cost management, fit out, claim management, technical audits, due diligence, and construction management. Though, 4 more agreements are waiting on our desk to be signed, present contracts already show us that the revenues brake down by service is in favor of the Investment and Constructions Management. In 2016 we will also add the export component – services will be sold in Germany and Hungary.
Looking back at 2014 and 2015 it's hard to believe that our team was formed just 20 months ago. We are very pleased with our development, and in 2016 we look forward to more challenges and hard work as we remain committed to providing our clients with the knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm that every project requires.

Current sales growth:
2014 – 100%
2015 – 250%
2016 – 400%

The following charts present a general and sectoral breakdown of Trebbi Polska’s services and the company’s revenue structure:

Happy Holidays from Trebbi Polska!

Trebbi Polska joins the project in Łódź

Last week Trebbi Polska had the pleasure to join an outstanding team of companies carrying out a new project in Łódź – Przystanek mBank. As a Project Manager, Trebbi will support Ghelamco in the construction of a prestigious office building located on the corner of Targowa and Kilińskiego Street.

The new building will have 24,000 m2 GLA set on 6 floors and an A+ office building classification. The project combines, in an interesting and harmonious way, the modern construction trends with the architectural heritage of Lodz. AHR Architects also decided to renovate two smaller buildings located in the scheme area: Outbuilding and Little Palace (shown in the visualization) which allowed them to implement an unusual marriage of modernity and tradition. Project completion is scheduled for the third quarter of 2017.

Trebbi Polska is eagerly counting down the days to the symbolic Groundbreaking Ceremony which will mark the traditional beginning of the construction process.

What’s the future for leisure investment in Poland?

Before we ask ourselves about the future for leisure, we need to look to other countries which have developed a comprehensive offer, one that remains successful and profitable and hence can be deemed sustainable over the medium to long term.

Leisure works if it targets an audience and delivers interest and excitement that keeps the dwell-time within the venue to its optimum. To do this it’s clear that your target audience must have disposable income, generally driven by a growing middle class. They are prepared to spend   to enjoy themselves and feel good.

At Trebbi we have worked in a number of European countries developing very specific offer for each  country both from an urban perspective (urban entertainment centres) and edge-of-city experiences (theme parks, aqua parks). It is noticeable when I came to Poland that there was no real integrated family offer in a major city like Warsaw. I was engaged to help Adventure World Warsaw deliver one of the most exciting leisure offers in Central Europe, but when I looked into the existing offer, it revolved around shopping or individual offers like ten-pin bowling. If you did not like shopping or what was on at the movies, what did you do?

Let me take you to two examples of what worked and what did not and lessons learnt.

I am going to take you to Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia – here you would think that they had wonderful leisure past times and yes they did but it was based on shopping or eating in individual venues or restaurants. The Heron Corporation saw the opportunity to create a leisure destination within a semi-urban environment. The sites were in conurbations; they had a name – ‘Heron cities’ and they offered high-quality entertainment (cinema/nightclub/music venue/bowling and health and fitness) some specialist (niche) shopping, good-quality individual restaurants from around the world and a significant public realm or square. The idea was to first attract, then keep your customers by introducing them to interesting concepts, changing moods. Over $1m was spent on light shows with magic fountains that in the summer children could enjoy. On initial opening it was slow but word of mouth is a wonderful thing and after a year it became a go-to place for the family and the dwell time increased from initially up to 2 hrs to 3.5 to 4hrs.

Now I’ll take you to Stockholm, where the same developer as part of the roll-out of his leisure concept chose to create a leisure village in Kungens Kurva, 20 minutes from Stockholm, based on the same criteria as Spain. Of course, the agents were saying that the Swedish enjoy the cinema, they enjoy bowling and eating with the family, just having a good time. The ‘Heron City’ centre was opened; it was enclosed and very stylish, and the components were the same. But the pre-lettings of the space was slow – the key anchor AMC Cinema was under contract, but why were the restaurants and other ancillary entertainment spaces not letting? Research was commissioned and the outcome was that, while people like the idea, they had a cinema in Stockholm and a range of restaurants and they did not want to embrace new restaurant brands, and certainly did not want to drive 20 minutes to see a movie they could see in the city. In a country with strict driving rules – people did not end up wanting to stay and eat – the dwell-time was significantly reduced and therefore tenants did not see the visitors staying for long enough to fill their restaurants and venues.

Changes had to be made to meet local habits. Reports now are that it is a premier shopping and leisure destination, the cinema is now a local brand allowing food to be taken in, thus differentiating from the city centre cinemas. The dwell time has moved closer to the 4hrs that was originally planned. Heron did not listen to its customer and tried to impose a solution to which the customer said “No!”

We now look to Poland: the current offer is fragmented, we have bowling, we have shopping malls with cinemas and food courts, water parks, small themed parks – so what do we need now? My answer is to look to why the Heron City concept has been so successful – it offers a place where the family can go and spend time, enjoying different experiences, doing things that fit within a day out without travelling. In my opinion, major cities do not have the integrated leisure offer for the family that delivers a quality experience, high quality service and a great exciting environment. We all know that the Polish people enjoy a party, if they are offered the chance to have fun at a reasonable price, they take it. Economically, a classic middle class is growing, with the level of disposable income is increasing , a criterion which is a prerequisite of increasing any leisure offer within a country.

From an investment perspective, our clients are looking at a blended yield of 7.5%, which does require key anchors with good covenants to be courted; this currently is the biggest issue and may lead our clients to look to longer-term holding as an investment category working the balance sheet and then selling on a multiple of profits earned. The appetite for Poland is strong, but the deal has to be clear and clean. Given the maturing investment market in Poland and its growing middle class, we can see that the leisure market can be re defined.

 

by Christopher Lowe, CEO, Trebbi Polska

 

Why You Should Invest In European Student Housing Market

When entering the University, many students want to start living separately from their parents. They have a number of options depending on their needs and budget. These options include university campuses or dormitories, private entire or shared flats and private student accommodation. But not every university has its own campus and even if it has, it not always meets the demand. In this case students have to choose between renting a flat or private student accommodation. From my own experience of living in the rented flat, I can definitely say that student accommodation is a much better option because of many reasons. The first and the main reason is price – the same quality of space in a student hall will cost you less and normally include bills. , It is also generally fully equipped, and relieves you of that day-to-day responsibility of running a flat i.e.  plumbing, electricity etc. It is now becoming clear that the majority of students that do not live with their parents or on campus will prefer student apartments and it is this demand that is leading to the increased investment in student housing projects.

The second reason is quite trivial – dramatic undersupply on student housing market, especially in Continental Europe. Even the UK – country with the most developed student housing market – has received the highest level of investments in the student accommodation sector this year. According to Deloitte, there are 3.3 students per one bed in UK student accommodations. Continental Europe has even worse rates, except Sweden. Moreover, the condition of many accommodation does not meet students’ expectations.

However, the lack of student beds across Europe doesn’t mean that every city in every European country needs investments in the sector. Many factors should be considered before making decision to invest in a particular location. Investors have to conduct very comprehensive research about number of students in country’s cities, number of beds available, prices for the accommodation, number of full-time students etc. For example, in Italy, more than a half students prefer to live with their parents and stay in their home city for higher education; and the only city that is really worth investing in is Milan due mainly to being the location of the top universities. France has significant investment potential, however investors have to keep in mind the fact that there are large gaps in student housing provision in different cities (2,6 % in Paris versus 19% in Grenoble). All other European countries have their own specific criteria and gaps in the market, but smart investors can transform these opportunities into long-term income producing investments

In Summary;, Europe is definitely open for investments in the student housing sector and they can bring the investor and the consumer significant benefits if implemented correctly in accordance with best practice..  Overall, the student-housing sector is rapidly becoming a mainstream investment opportunity and at this stage in the investment cycle, it is the perfect time to invest in countries that have high an undersupply of accommodation and low-end competition.

Author: Valerii Ivanets

EXPO REAL 2015

Trebbi Polska is going for Expo Real 2015 in Munich! Join us on 5-7 of October, let’s share our experience and knowledge!

Expo Real is the largest investment and real estate trade fair in Europe. The whole international real estate sector is represented there: design and conception, financing, investment, marketing, realization, operation and use. You can find literally all the necessary information about real estate at Expo Real, as well as the latest news and updates from investment sphere.

The exhibition takes 64000 m², and 1653 exhibitors are represented at Expo Real. More than 36900 participants have already visited a trade fair, and more are coming. You definitely shouldn’t miss this event, and if you come – join us there! Fruitful cooperation, as well as pleasant time are guaranteed. Trebbi Polska is going to be at Expo Real. Are you?

To Invest Or Not To Invest In Ukrainian Real Estate Market

An answer to this question is not as obvious as you think. The vast majority of investors or even ordinary people would definitely say no, but we also have to consider factors that make Ukraine an attractive investment destination. 

Undoubtedly, the main and the strongest argument is growing influence of Europe and US on country’s economy. Ukraine receives billions of dollars credits by agreeing to be partly controlled by them. So, in case of any illegal actions in regard to their companies, they will just stop crediting, which will lead to a collapse of weak Ukrainian economy.  Briefly, it means that international investors are less likely to be affected by corruption schemes comparing to domestic companies. Taking into account the low land price and willingness of the authorities to look “Democratic” and “European” in creditors’ eyes, investors don’t have to be afraid of project’s collapse due to corruption. 

The second point that should attract international capital is low competition on the real estate market. According to nation’s mentality, majority of development companies are likely to take part in high-end and expensive projects. Affordable real estate market is in a terrible condition as companies operating in this segment prefer to use old technologies, which make their projects expensive and irrelevant in terms of common sense. It gives huge opportunities for foreign investors and development companies as they have money, technologies and relevant experience. On the other hand, high-end developers use relevant technologies and create good projects, however the balance between quality and price in some projects is a bit inadequate. According to these facts, all niches of real estate market in Ukraine are open for new companies. 

Some figures also show the attractiveness of a number of spheres in the market. According to Colliers 2013 report, total stock of office space in Kiev is 2.5 times smaller than in Warsaw (Kiev is about two times larger in terms of population and area!). It proves that when Kiev will reach Warsaw’s level of economic development, it will require a few times more office space than now. In other cities situation is even worse.  It draws the conclusion that Ukrainian real estate market is only in its infancy and is ready to accept new players and new investment flows.

However, negative factors like conflict with Russia, unstable political and economic situations, and social tension also exist. These issues have very strong pressure on decisions about investments in Ukraine, not only in real estate market. But we have to remember that massive risks bring massive benefits.

So are you ready to invest in Ukraine?

Author: Valerii Ivanets

Small Issue – Revolving Doors

I have always tried to avoid revolving doors, but after one awkward situation I started to hate this invention. Every time entering the building through RD, I plan my “go through” strategy well in advance, considering the number of people around, the room between panels etc.

And I am not the only person who feels uncomfortable using the abovementioned type of doors. You can find many forum topics where people discuss their plans to destroy this evil technology.

But more and more offices and shopping malls use RD system despite its high price, and it can be the best evidence that it is not so bad. So let’s try to understand why.

The first advantageous point is that, comparing to all other types of doors, RD allow larger quantities of people to enter and leave the building simultaneously together with controlling the density of flow.

The second positive point is that they do not allow air to leave or come into the building saving the right pressure and temperature inside. Therefore, they save massive amounts of energy and consequently money, which could be spent for heating or cooling.

Of course, RD are not perfect. They have very high price and installation costs comparing to other door types.  Moreover, you can’t install them without providing the building with standard hinged doors because of fire security.

In conclusion, it is to say that revolving doors is a very beneficial invention that helps to save environment, keep the building clean and regulate people flow. Therefore, people have to get used to them.

P.S. Just some interesting facts about RD:

- Energy from single 1 door use can power 60 watt light bulb for 23 minutes.

- Keeps snow, dust and dirt out of the building.

- Officially was invented in 1888 by Theophilus Van Kannel. However, some say that it was in use since 1790.

- Manufacturing process does not contain harmful chemicals or wastes.

- Men go first.

- Revolving doors were advertised as safe for health of the people who stay near constantly opening doors.

Author: Valerii Ivanets

British-Polish Chamber of Commerce Membership Certificate

Here's our British-Polish Chamber of Commerce Membership Certificate! Just received it today, as a confirmation of our fruitful and perspective cooperation.

Looks good, isn't it?

Click to enlarge the picture!