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Urban Living News, focuses on the future of urban development and the increasing convergence of asse

02/10/2025

🎬 That’s a wrap on 2025 — the AFTERMOVIE is live! 🔥
From PBSA & coliving to build-to-rent, serviced apartments, and branded residences, the energy on stage (and in the aisles) was unreal.

Watch the video to relive:
• Packed sessions and panels
• Candid hallway conversations & new connections
• Product demos & expo buzz
• Vibes from first coffee to last clink 🥂

Spot yourself? Tag your crew and drop your highlight below 👇

26/09/2025

90 seconds of pure ULF vibes!
Hear why some of your favourite speakers, sponsors, and attendees love the Urban Living Festival. Smiles, soundbites, and shoutouts from the people who were there.

17/09/2025

Urban Living Festival is nearly here ⏳✨ and the shortlist for the 2nd Urban Living Impact Awards is LIVE! 🏆

Huge thanks to everyone who entered and to our judges — the calibre this year is outstanding.

Categories 📌
🌿 Best Sustainability Initiative Project
🏛️ Best Adaptive Reuse Project
⚡ Disruptor of the Year
🌟 Visionary of the Year
(See the visual for the full shortlist.)

📅 Winners announced: 23 Sept 2025 • Main Stage • 12:30–13:00 at Urban Living Festival.

What to expect: site visits, conference sessions, panels, networking, and the awards ceremony — plus the chance to meet the teams shaping coliving, BTR, PBSA, hotels & more.

🎟️ Tickets: link in story

10/09/2025

🚨 WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

📅 Friday 12th September 2025
🕚 11:00 – 12:00 BST
💻 Online | Free to attend

Dynamic Pricing in Build to Rent (BTR)

As the BTR and SFR markets mature, dynamic pricing is emerging as a powerful tool — but it comes with challenges around fairness, reputation, and resident trust.

Join George Sell, Editor – ULN, and a panel of experts for a must-attend discussion on:

👉 Tailoring dynamic pricing strategies for BTR & SFR
👉 Integrating pricing with PMS & CRM systems
👉 Ethical considerations: affordability & discrimination
👉 Reputation risks & avoiding unfairness
👉 The future of AI & data-driven pricing

🎤 Speakers:

David Woodward, CEO – Global Apartment Advisors

Richard Smith, Managing Director – Moda Life Management

Greg Einfeld, Director – Price Wizard

This session is designed for BTR operators, asset managers, investors, developers, PropTech providers, and revenue management specialists.

🔗 Register free via the link in our story!

09/09/2025

Team meetings at IHM are always one of the highlights of the month 🙌✨

It’s our chance to step away from the day-to-day, come together as a group, and really focus on how we can keep evolving — whether that’s finding better ways to work, refining how we talk about what we do, or exploring new tools that help us grow 🚀💡

We always leave feeling inspired, motivated, and a little bit closer as a team 🤝 And of course… no meeting is complete without a group selfie 📸💙

👉 Want to see more behind-the-scenes and learn what we’re all about? Follow along here or our other Instagram Page .media

03/09/2025

🚨 One-time only. Not recorded.
 On 22 September at 09:30 AM (Main Stage), hear from Andy Young, Partner at BIG, in his exclusive keynote:

“The Future Is Now: Exploring the Outer Edges of Possibility in the Built Environment” 🌍

With over 25 years of experience, Andy has shaped some of the world’s most iconic projects — including Google’s new King’s Cross HQ, CityLife Milan, East Side Tower Berlin, and the Leadenhall Building in London. 🏙️

🔎 What you’ll discover: ✨ Game-changing design innovations ✨ New materials + building techniques ✨ Concepts pushing the limits of what’s possible ✨ Inspiring projects from around the world… and beyond 🚀

📍 Urban Living Festival 2025 📅 22–23 Sept | Mary Ward House, London
This is your ONLY chance to hear Andy’s vision live — don’t miss it!

👉Register now: [link in story]

01/09/2025

✨ Meet Tessa, International Hospitality Media’s new Marketing and Events Executive! ✨

Tessa recently completed her Master’s in Strategic Marketing at Imperial College London, following her degree in Economics from McGill University in Canada. With experience spanning marketing campaigns, content creation, and event management across both multinational organisations and niche firms, she brings a strong mix of creativity, strategy, and practical know-how to the team.

At IHM, Tessa will be supporting our brands by developing innovative campaigns and delivering industry-leading events.

Having lived, studied, and worked internationally, and fluent in multiple languages, Tessa brings a global perspective and adaptability that will be a huge asset to IHM. We’re so excited to have her on board – welcome, Tessa!

30/07/2025

🔁 H1 2025 Webinar Recap | Part 3 – Coliving’s Image Problem

Topic: Coliving’s image problem and how to overcome it

Host: George Sell, Editor, Urban Living News

Supporting Partners: The Association for Rental Living (ARL) and Coliving Ventures BV

As coliving grows, so too do the myths holding it back – from planning misconceptions to outdated stereotypes. In our April ULN webinar, industry leaders tackled how the sector can reshape its narrative and boost trust among stakeholders, policymakers, investors, and the public.

🔑 Key Takeaways
• There’s growing understanding of coliving at policy level, but outdated perceptions persist—especially around transience, room size, and long-term quality of operations.
• GLA guidance is becoming the unofficial blueprint for institutional-grade shared living across the UK.
• Co-working, flexibility, and affordability are driving uptake—co-living offers something many housing options don’t: dignity of living alone with community on demand.
• Design matters: “spaciousness” > space. Most residents want privacy, good light, and choice—not just square meters.
• New investor interest is shifting toward well-branded, institutional-grade “shared living” with 21–25 sqm units and quality amenities that are used, not just listed.

📈 This discussion highlighted one clear message: coliving must get better at telling its own story—through evidence, data, and design that reflects real resident needs.

With thanks to:

- Jermaine Browne (Jamal) Browne, co-founder, re:shape Living
- Brent Stojanovic, managing director, Lomond Investment Management
- Oliver Heywood, partner, operational living capital markets, Bidwells
- Dr Penny Clark, Co-founder & Director, Conscious Coliving

▶️ Watch the full session: https://lnkd.in/eW3vhsMP

24/07/2025

H1 2025 Webinar Recap | Part 2 – The Rise of Single-Family Rental

Topic: The future of the single-family rental (SFR) sector
Date: 7 March 2025
Host: George Sell, Editor, ULN

As demand outpaces supply and new planning reforms loom, SFR is emerging as one of the UK’s most dynamic and investable housing models.
In our March ULN webinar, industry leaders explored what’s next for the sector from policy shifts and investor appetite to marketing, operations and community building.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• SFR demand is rising fast, but clarity is needed around periodic tenancies, Section 21 changes, and rent challenge windows.

• Viability pressures (e.g. debt costs, Gateway 2 delays) make SFR’s leaner operating model more appealing vs multifamily.

• Local planning authorities should embed SFR in delivery plans as a route to hitting national housing targets.

• Resident engagement is digital-first: branded apps and hyperlocal forums are key; most SFR tenants want low-touch experiences.

• Marketing shifts: lead sources are moving from portals to organic search and direct traffic—powered by brand recognition.

• Housebuilder partnerships are maturing, with early-stage collaboration, standardised specs, and shared risk models.

• The future is flexible: hybrid mid-density formats, modular builds, and zero-bill ESG units are on the horizon.

👥 Panel

• Vicky Fryer – Marketing Director, Sigma Capital Group Limited
• Graham Sibley – Operations & Marketing Director, The Association for Rental Living
• Katherine Rose – Managing Director, VervLife

🔗 Watch the full session: https://lnkd.in/e4XGEw4J

Stay tuned, our next ULN recap (Part 3) will spotlight the 11 April session on coliving’s image problem.

21/07/2025

H1 2025 Webinar Recap | Part 1 – Urban Living Unlocked

Topic: The living sector’s role in addressing the UK housing crisis
Date: 7 February 2025
Host: George Sell, Editor, ULN

Britain’s housing shortage is now a “permacrisis.” Our first ULN webinar of the year tackled how every slice of the living sector — BTR, PBSA, later-living, coliving, single-family rental and affordable — can pull together instead of apart.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Mandatory targets alone won’t build homes; flexible, multi-tenure zoning can.
• Intermediate rent and “workforce housing” need equal priority, not scraps of 106 obligations.
• Tech-enabled HMO/coliving portfolios could professionalise the gap left by small landlords exiting the market.
• Senior-friendly rental models unlock under-occupied family stock but only if financing and planning rules recognise them.
• Planning tweaks help, but viability, grant funding and modern operating models decide what actually gets delivered.

👥 Panel

• Hannah Chappatte – Founder & CEO, Hybr
• James Pargeter – Senior Advisor, GAA
• Geeta Nanda OBE – NED, Lloyds Living / Barratt Redrow / Crisis
• Lisa Tye – Partner, Shoosmiths

🔗 Watch the full session: https://lnkd.in/gKv6ttZE

Stay tuned — our next ULN recap (Part 2) will cover the 7 March deep-dive on Single-Family Rental.

17/07/2025

The Urban Living Festival isn’t just where industry leaders gather to grow, connect and shape the future, it’s also where we recognise the next generation of changemakers.

We’re spotlighting the Rising Star Award, which recognises emerging talent in the urban living sector, those who are already making an impact and turning heads early in their careers. Their fresh ideas and drive are helping to shape the future of how we live, work, and connect in our cities.

This award is voted for by readers of Urban Living News, and celebrates individuals who:

• Bring fresh perspectives and bold ideas
• Demonstrate outstanding early-career impact
• Show clear potential to become future leaders in the sector

Whether they’re driving innovation in coliving, proptech, real estate investment, hospitality, or beyond, we want to hear about them.

To enter or nominate a colleague:
Send a PDF to [email protected] including supporting images, videos, and links if available.

Check out the criteria’s for other awards here> https://lnkd.in/eM82nSgk

Entry deadline: 1 August 2025, 23:59 BST
💷 No cost to enter
🙌 Multiple entries welcome
Nominate the visionaries of tomorrow, today.

15/07/2025

Proud to Partner with DreamDesk – Festival Partner at Urban Living Festival 2025!

We’re excited to welcome DreamDesk as a Festival Partner at this year’s Urban Living Festival, taking place 22–23 September 2025 at Mary Ward House, London.

💡 DreamDesk is redefining hospitality operations with an AI-powered receptionist that handles calls, messages, bookings, and guest inquiries — 24/7, in any language. Built specifically for hotels and serviced accommodation, DreamDesk seamlessly integrates with PMS and CRM systems to deliver next-level guest communication, upselling, and automation
🔗 Learn more about DreamDesk: https://dreamdeskai.com/

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Why The Urban Living Festival

International Hospitality Media launches The Urban Living Festival (ULF) – a festival-inspired style business event, focused on breaking away from the traditional mould of B2B conferences and designed with a clear purpose; to connect the global community of contemporary hospitality and real estate “urbanites” to collectively define the evolution of how we stay, live and work.

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