Making an Impact

Sustainability topped the agenda at this year's BCSC conference, where record numbers of retailers, developers and suppliers wreaked havoc across Newcastle and Gateshead in support of the retail property industry's deal-making event of the year.

THE 3,300 delegates who flocked to the event from 5 to 7 November at the magnificent Sage Gateshead centre on the banks of the River Tyne, made the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) Conference and Showcase 2007, the biggest commercial conference Newcastle- Gateshead has ever staged.

In honour of the impressive host city, Alan Shearer, former England and Newcastle football star and Sir John Hall, property developer in the North East and former chairman of Newcastle United Football Club, formally opened the event by cutting the ribbon to the entrance of the showcase exhibition. John Hall said, “There is a true partnership at work between all of the centres in this region. This conference will build people’s confidence in Gateshead. All I can ask after this is, ‘please, please come back and visit us again.’”

The 5,500m2 freestanding temporary exhibition space was purpose built on the Mill Street Car Park adjacent to the Sage and was the largest one in the city's history. It housed exhibitors including retailers, developers, consultancies and major industry suppliers – all of whom had stepped up a gear since 2006 in their use of colourful cocktails to attract the enthusiastic passers by. A combination of the alcoholic concoctions and live music from the Incredibly Strange Film Band took the infamous opening night schmoozing to a new level.

A few sore heads were amongst the audience for BCSC president John Bullough’s opening speech, where he outlined the theme of the Impact! conference – the positive impact that the industry can have on communities and the positive changes that can underpin sustainable environments for shopping, working and living. He emphasised the importance of good practice in sustainability and social engagement when he said, “Our customers are becoming ever more discerning and aware of the issues. Doing things the right way will increasingly impact on our performance and will differentiate successful projects.

"It is entrusted to us to strike the right balance between the drive for commercial dominance and the individual long-term needs of the community."

The eagerly anticipated speech by Patrick Hanly, commercial director of Harvey Nichols was something of a let down. A canned half hour summary of the company’s controversial adverts was rescued in his five-minute summary of the firm’s recycling promises. Hanly said, “There are many views on the subject of green with lots of scare tactics being employed – and at a cost. At Harvey Nichols, we believe that green taxes should be used to solve green problems. We have looked at our utilities at the Knightsbridge store, giving saving to costs and environment. Turning off escalators for example, and introducing timed lighting and increasing recycling is what customers want.”

Hanly called on delegates to recycle and stated that every month, 16 tonnes of paper, 60 tonnes of glass, eight tonnes of wood and two tonnes of aluminium, are recycled at Harvey Nichols stores.

Sir Bob Geldof used his closing conference spot to ask property developers to take a broader view and bigger responsibility of their impact on sustainability and the rest of the world. He focused on the growth going on in Africa and its likely impact. Geldof said, "Urbanisation is rarely a factor that people look at there. It's a problem - it's a major problem there. Around 65% of Africa is still rural. But that will reverse itself in 25 years. But the cities cannot sustain themselves any more. As Africa rushes for jobs, wealth and improvement, what's clear is poverty is a denial of human potential.”

“If Europe is to sustain its own place in the global market it must reach for the high end and it must engage. Poverty creates great instabilities. Africa will change in ways you cannot imagine but you need to be part of it for their sustainable future, and for ours."

The spectacular venue and organisation of the Gateshead event added to the North’s good reputation for playing host to the BCSC. Success in Manchester in 2006 and Gateshead in 2007 no doubt influenced the decision to take the conference to Liverpool in 2008. To be held in the Arena and Convention Centre, from 10 to 12 November 2008, Manchester’s closest rival has a lot to live up to.