Cover The 10th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) was held at the Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Bangkok on 12 December 2024
The 10th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) was held at the Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Bangkok on 12 December 2024
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Anchoring PropertyGuru Week, the 10th edition of the landmark event explored how technology, design, business development and economics will shape the cities of tomorrow
If one could design a city fit for the future, what would it be like? Some of the industry’s brightest minds convened at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Bangkok on 12 December 2024 for the 10th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) to discuss the key issues impacting the future of real estate and the built environment.
Themed “Shaping the Aspirations of Future Cities”, ARES 2024 attracted more than 300 delegates and 30 speakers from around the world for a series of talks, keynotes and panel discussions. Part of PropertyGuru Week, the 2024 summit was thematically segmented into Building Future Communities; Powering Innovative Businesses; and Embracing Shared Prosperity.
Above Welcome Keynote: Shaping the Aspirations of Future Cities by Hari V Krishnan, CEO & managing director, PropertyGuru Group
Welcome Keynote: Shaping the Aspirations of Future Cities by Hari V Krishnan, CEO & managing director, PropertyGuru Group
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The summit featured invaluable know-how on topics such as urban living, economic trends and the life-changing potential of real estate from industry experts. Hari V Krishnan, CEO and managing director of PropertyGuru Group, welcomed attendees by emphasising the importance of real estate development in sync with the aspirations of urban dwellers.
“We power communities to live, work, and thrive in tomorrow’s cities,” said Krishnan. “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.”
Above The Economist Keynote: Asia’s Economic Landscape in 2025 by Sumana Rajarethnam, director, South-East Asia, The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network
The Economist Keynote: Asia’s Economic Landscape in 2025 by Sumana Rajarethnam, director, South-East Asia, The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network
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The keynote addresses delved deep into pertinent topics. Sumana Rajarethnam, director for South-east Asia at The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, provided a data-driven keynote on the Asian economy, contextualising the region’s growth opportunities and challenges into the next year.
Above Future Aspirations: Living the Dream by Golf Pichaya Nitipaisalkul, Thai pop superstar, actor and creator
Future Aspirations: Living the Dream by Golf Pichaya Nitipaisalkul, Thai pop superstar, actor and creator
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Pop superstar, actor and creator Golf Pichaya Nitipaisalkul delivered an address that resonated with the universal aspirations of city dwellers, sharing his journey to finding his dream home. Also offering his take on the global outlook for the Asia Pacific region was Stephen Oehme, value management specialist, sustainability advocate and managing director of Quantum, as well as chairperson of the summit.
Above 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
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
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Complementing the keynote addresses were the panel discussions, offering diverse perspectives on pivotal topics. Various experts joined Dr Nai Jia Lee, head of real estate intelligence at PropertyGuru Group in a panel discussion defining future homes; they included Anton Wormann, content creator, 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).
Above 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
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
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Besides homes of the future, the summit also explored the branded residences sector. Bill Barnett, founder and managing director of C9 Hotelworks moderated a panel comprising 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.
The influence of culture, communities and built spaces also took centre stage with a panel discussion among Wendy McEwan, vice-president for transformation and chief of staff at the Office of the CEO, PropertyGuru Group; digital creator Alex Bentley; Chelsea Perino, managing director of global communications of The Executive Centre; Kristin Thorsteins, founder and co-managing partner of Portman Investment; and Michael Jones, 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, vice-president and head of design, innovation, and strategy at SMDC; Patrick Keane, founder of Enter Projects Asia; and Huang Shao-wei, 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 Saudi Arabia; and managing director of Quantum Thailand Stephen Oehme.
The summit also featured 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.
Above Asia Real Estate Summit 2024 - Power Women Awardees, from left to right: Hari V. Krishnan, CEO & managing director, PropertyGuru Group; Jessica Bianca Sy, vice president, head of design, innovation & strategy, SM Development Corporation; Ixora Ang, managing director, marketing & sales and business development, Tropicana Corporation Berhad, Dora Chng, residential director, GuocoLand Limited; Vivin Harsanto, senior director, head of advisory, JLL Indonesia; Dr Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director, Sena D
Asia Real Estate Summit 2024 - Power Women Awardees, from left to right: Hari V. Krishnan, CEO & managing director, PropertyGuru Group; Jessica Bianca Sy, vice president, head of design, innovation & strategy, SM Development Corporation; Ixora Ang, managing director, marketing & sales and business development, Tropicana Corporation Berhad, Dora Chng, residential director, GuocoLand Limited; Vivin Harsanto, senior director, head of advisory, JLL Indonesia; Dr Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director, Sena D
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The summit was followed by the ARES VIP cocktail party, celebrating five “Power Women” who are exemplars of diversity, equity and inclusion in real estate and related fields. Through initiatives like the celebration of Power Women, ARES 2024 renewed its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Summit delegates received gifts crafted by women and families supported by the social enterprise Dao Ethical Gifts.
Jules Kay, general manager of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, summed up: “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. Through these discussions and critical conversations, we learned how residents and businesses will create and inhabit built spaces moving forward. The collective ideas and collaboration we witnessed during PropertyGuru Week once again made it a truly meaningful milestone for our industry in Asia.”
The 10th PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit 2024 was 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, Tatler Homes, Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Star, Detik.com, Kompas.com, Luxury Society Asia and Prop2morrow; and supporting association REHDA Institute. The ARES VIP cocktail party was sponsored by PropertyGuru For Business.
For more information, email ares@propertyguru.com or visit the official website at AsiaRealEstateSummit.com
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