Delegates were welcomed by ULI Greece & Cyprus chairman George Kaburopulos and Pavlos Geroulanos, the Minister for Tourism. Keynote speaker Brian Field, Urban Planning and Development Adviser for the European Investment Bank, provided practical examples of how lending has worked to finance urban development across Europe. Christos Kontogeorgos, his colleague at the EIB responsible for the JESSICA Task Force, explained how the urban development funds work and the roles available to private sector developers and investors.

Greg Clark, Senior Fellow ULI Europe, moderated a fascinating discussion about PPPs and how they can work in Greece, which featured senior executives from the Ministry of Finance, Competitiveness and Shipping, Law Partners, CBRE/ATRIA, Eurobank Property Services and Piraeus Estate.

Following a networking lunch, the afternoon session focused on Urban Regeneration. George Kaminis, Mayor of Athens, and George Patoulis, Mayor of Marousi, provided rich insights and advice on how to regenerate and renew. Their keynotes provided the platform for detailed analysis of two examples of best practice: Hellinikon Airport and Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Delegates were fortunate to hear from of those intimately involved in both projects.