ARES 2024 ANCHORS PROPERTYGURU WEEK, FEATURING DEBUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST AWARDS AND OTHER MILESTONES
BANGKOK, Thailand — The 10th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES), the thought leadership platform of PropertyGuru Group (NYSE: PGRU), gathered experts and thought leaders to discuss the intersecting issues moving and shaking the real estate industry, including technology, design, business development, economics, and more.
Themed “Shaping the Aspirations of Future Cities,” ARES 2024 attracted more than 300 delegates to The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Bangkok, on Thursday, 12 December 2024, for a series of insightful discourses, with around 30 speakers from around the world participating in talks, keynotes, and panel discussions. The 2024 Summit is thematically segmented into Building Future Communities, Powering Innovative Businesses, and Embracing Shared Prosperity.
Jules Kay, general manager of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, said: “Cities are a canvas for the real estate industry, and the 10th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit provided valuable insights into the aspirations of urban living. These discussions and critical conversations taught us how residents and businesses will create and inhabit built spaces moving forward. The collective ideas and collaboration we’ve witnessed during PropertyGuru Week once again made it a truly meaningful milestone for our industry in Asia.”
Jules Kay, General Manager, PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards & Events
The Summit showcased keynote addresses from leading personages who provided invaluable insights into urban living, economic trends, and the life-changing potential of real estate, among others. Hari V Krishnan, CEO and managing director of PropertyGuru Group, welcomed attendees by emphasising the importance of developing real estate development in sync with the aspirations of urban dwellers.
Hari V Krishnan said: “We power communities to live, work, and thrive in tomorrow’s cities. This year’s summit convened leading experts and stakeholders from across Asia and beyond to address the challenges and opportunities impacting our urban environments. This exchange of ideas reaffirmed that thoughtfully planned, environmentally conscious spaces are crucial to sustaining cities as they accommodate the next generations of property seekers and enterprises. We all leave the event inspired for the future.”
Welcome Keynote: Shaping the Aspirations of Future Cities by Hari V. Krishnan, CEO & Managing Director, PropertyGuru Group
Sumana Rajarethnam, director for South-East Asia at The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, returned this year and provided an in-depth, data-driven keynote on the Asian economy, contextualising the region’s growth opportunities and challenges into the next year.
The Economist Keynote: Asia’s Economic Landscape in 2025 by Sumana Rajarethnam, Director, South-East Asia, The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network
Pop superstar, actor, and creator Golf Pichaya Nitipaisalkul humanised the summit with a keynote that resonated with the universal aspirations of city dwellers and shared his journey to find his dream home.
Future Aspirations: Living the Dream by Golf Pichaya Nitipaisalkul, Thai Pop Superstar, Actor, Creator
Stephen Oehme, chairperson of the Summit, value management specialist, sustainability advocate, and managing director of Quantum, delivered a message on the global outlook for Asia Pacific.
Complementing the keynote addresses, the Summit’s panel discussions offered diverse perspectives on pivotal topics. Experts joined Dr Nai Jia Lee, head of real estate intelligence at PropertyGuru Group, in a panel discussion defining future homes: Anton Wormann, creator of Anton in Japan, entrepreneur, and real estate advisor; David Chong, chief operating officer of REHDA Institute (Malaysia); and Muhammad Adhiguna Sosiawan, CMO and director of architecture at Mas Group (Indonesia).
Panel Discussion: Defining Future Homes, from left to right: Muhammad Adhiguna Sosiawan, CMO & Director of Architecture, Mas Group (Indonesia); David Chong, Chief Operating Officer, REHDA Institute (Malaysia); Anton Love Wormann, Creator, Anton in Japan / Entrepreneur / Real Estate Advisor; and Moderator Dr Nai Jia Lee, Head of Real Estate Intelligence, PropertyGuru Group
In addition to future homes, the Summit analysed the branded residences sector. Bill Barnett, founder and managing director of C9 Hotelworks, moderated a panel that included hospitality stalwarts Gianfranco Bianchi, general manager for Asia Pacific at The One Atelier; Leanne Reddie, chief development officer of GHM Hotels; Penny Trinh, vice-president for mixed-use development at Marriott International; and Saowarin Chanprakaisi, vice-president for business development at The Ascott Limited.
Panel Discussion: Branded Residences: Redefining Luxury Living, from left to right: Gianfranco Bianchi, General Manager, Asia Pacific, The One Atelier; Leanne Reddie, Chief Development Officer, GHM Hotels; Penny Trinh, Vice President, Mixed-Use Development, Marriott International; Saowarin Chanprakaisi, Vice President, Business Development, The Ascott Limited; and Moderator Bill Barnett, Founder & MD, C9 Hotelworks
The influence of culture, communities, and built spaces also took centre stage with a panel discussion among Wendy McEwan, VP for transformation and chief of staff at the Office of the CEO, PropertyGuru Group; Alex Bentley, digital creator; Chelsea Perino, managing director of global communications of The Executive Centre; Kristin Thorsteins, founder and co-managing partner of Portman Investments; and Michael Jones, certified ergonomist and wellness coach at Pain-Free Me Studio.
Leading thinkers in architecture and design also shared their insights in a panel discussion on designing for impact. Moderated by Stephen Pimbley, founder partner and director of SPARK Architects, the panel featured Colin Chee, creator and creative director of Never Too Small; Jessica Bianca Sy, VP and head of design, innovation, and strategy at SMDC; Patrick Keane, founder of Enter Projects Asia; and Shao-Wei Huang, associate director of Zaha Hadid Architects.
The final panel discussion tackled the convergence of culture and innovation in giga-cities within the Middle East, with David Johnson, CEO of Delivering Asia, moderating. Panellists included James A. Kaplan, CEO of Destination Capital; Khalid Otain, managing partner of HLB Middle East; and Stephen Oehme.
Emceed by international events and podcast host Tina Ryan, ARES 2024 was one of the anchor events of PropertyGuru Week. The Summit was followed by the ARES VIP Cocktail Party, celebrating five Power Women who have become exemplars of diversity, equity, and inclusion in real estate and related fields.
The Summit also paved the way for the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards International Luncheon, which presented the inaugural awards for the Middle East alongside the latest awards for Cambodia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, India, Japan, and Sri Lanka. PropertyGuru Week concluded with a series of insightful presentations by Anton Love at Cinema Oasis Bangkok.
The 10th PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit 2024 is sponsored by Sub-Zero Wolf, Delivering Asia, and PropertyGuru for Business and supported by official portal partner PropertyGuru; official magazine Property Report by PropertyGuru; media partners Bridges, BusinessWorld, Detik.com, Kompas.com, Luxury Society Asia, Manila Bulletin, Prop2morrow, Tatler Asia Homes, and The Philippine Star; and supporting association REHDA Institute.
The ARES VIP Cocktail Party is supported by PropertyGuru For Business and Dao Ethical Gifts (Women Empowerment Project).
Marketing: Marco Bagna-Dulyachinda, Product Lifecycle Marketing Manager
M: +66 94 954 4154
E: marco@propertyguru.com
ABOUT PROPERTYGURU ASIA REAL ESTATE SUMMIT: PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) is the premier gathering of the industry’s finest minds, top-level business leaders and decision-makers. Designed to ‘educate, innovate and inspire,’ ARES focuses on advancements in property technology, green building, sustainability, diversity, inclusivity, and innovation. More than 500 registered in-person and virtual delegates, comprising real estate and proptech experts, climate heroes, sustainability champions, trendsetters, and tech startup executives from around the region and beyond participate to refresh thinking, exchange ideas and connect with peers at ARES, which features global keynotes, case studies, panel discussions, partner booths and networking lunch.
ARES is part of the exciting ‘PropertyGuru Week’ in December 2024, coinciding with the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final gala and presentation ceremony, which is joined by the region’s finest real estate developers and leaders, and watched by investors, agents, and consumers via livestream.
ABOUT PROPERTYGURU GROUP: PropertyGuru is Southeast Asia’s leading1 PropTech company, and the preferred destination for over 28 million property seekers2 to connect with almost 46,000 agents3 monthly to find their dream home. PropertyGuru empowers property seekers with more than 2.1 million real estate listings4, in-depth insights, and solutions that enable them to make confident property decisions across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
PropertyGuru.com.sg was launched in Singapore in 2007 and since then, PropertyGuru Group has made the property journey a transparent one for property seekers in Southeast Asia. In the last 16 years, PropertyGuru has grown into a high-growth PropTech company with a robust portfolio including leading property marketplaces and award-winning mobile apps across its core markets; mortgage marketplace, PropertyGuru Finance; home services platform, Sendhelper; a host of proprietary enterprise solutions under PropertyGuru For Business including DataSense, ValueNet, Awards, events and publications across Asia.
1Based on SimilarWeb data between October 2023 and March 2024. 2Based on Google Analytics data between October 2023 and March 2024. 3Based on data between January 2024 and March 2024. 4Based on data between October 2023 and March 2024.
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