Lee Elliott
Corporate Research
Jones Lang LaSalle EMEA Research

So the CoreNet Summit rolls into the majestic Olympic City once more.  There will be energy.  There will be debate.  There will be … let’s just say the bars will be well stocked in anticipation of arrivals.  And, to be fair, the challenges facing CRE professionals right now are enough to turn anyone to drink. 

Persistent uncertainty in the operating environment has placed an even stronger set of demands on CRE teams.  The need for survival strategies may have receded to an extent, but greater engagement between the C-suite and the CRE function has meant that demands have had to be met with speedier and stronger responses.

But while the pressure is clearly mounting, opportunity is growing too. If previous summits are anything to go by, a key theme this week will be how to elevate the status and impact of CRE within organisations.  I’m sure there will be many suggestions. What is transparent though is that, in order to rise to a higher level, CRE teams will need to be more than just smart and speedy operators within the real estate markets.  They will also need to grapple with the bigger issues that will really shape the future resilience and productivity of their businesses.  In short, they will need to tackle the workplace – but it is an issue that needs to be addressed from a much different starting point than most of current practice.

Our white paper, being launching at the Summit, will provide some strong pointers to the behavioural traits required to have heightened impact.  More on that from me and others soon; but for now, I’m off to the bar!