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The property world and winter sports are two disciplines you wouldn’t think mix, except for one week a year, when the great and the good of the real estate world converge in the French Alps.
Property Week joined 650 snow enthusiasts in French ski resort Val Thorens for the annual PropSki conference. Known as the ‘Mipim of the Mountains’, the week-long event is designed to help the industry mix work and a passion for Alpine sports. Whether the organisers deliberately chose ‘blue Monday’ to launch the event is unknown, but hurtling down a hill from 3,000m is a unique way to overcome the January blues.
This year’s event was jam-packed with networking opportunities, from Orbis Protect and Eden Sustainable Power’s Meet and Ski, which gave delegates the chance to ski for the day in groups, to Russell-Cooke’s alpine banquet. The latter saw 650 delegates raise more than £36,500 for charity partners The Elifar Foundation and Protect Our Winters UK.
“There is a lot of planning and diligence for an event of this scale, but that is simply the framework; it is the real estate community that turns up with such enthusiasm that makes it successful,” says Will Chambers, co-founder and director of PropSki and acquisitions director at Perseus Land & Developments.
“They arrive with a shared love of the great outdoors, holding a sense of adventure, and leave with stronger industry relationships, new ideas, business and insights. The mountains and sport generally are a bit of a leveller; egos get left at the foot of the mountain and there is a really supportive, can-do and collaborative environment across all our events, whether skiing, shooting, golf, sailing or karting.”
The sport is a bit of a leveller; egos get left at the foot of the mountain
Will Chambers, PropSki
PropSki’s premise is that meaningful industry conversations happen more naturally outside the normal office environment, but those conversations are still very much business-led. The week-long programme is designed so delegates spend time with those most relevant to their sector, specialism and seniority, allowing for more targeted engagement than many traditional conference settings. Delegates can also stay for four, rather than seven, days.
“PropSki is by far my favourite and the most productive networking event in my diary,” says Sara Dutfield, director, head of planning East and South East at Turley. “I’ve never come away without an opportunity for work or without having met new people or discussed with my existing network the ways we can assist each other’s business aspirations.”
Entering the skiing and snowboarding world can feel daunting, especially for those who’ve never tried winter sports. But those who were tempted to skid down the snow on glorified planks found solace in learning alongside others who had come to PropSki for the first time.
“The snowboarders are the scariest,” says Devon Sherlock-Taylor, chartered surveyor and valuer in Colliers’ business space lease advisory team, as we tuck into a well-deserved fondue. She adds: “Everyone was so encouraging and by the end I was happily joining my team on the blue slopes, which felt like a huge win and something I never thought I’d be saying at the start of the week.
“It was really nice staying in the same place as lots of other PropSki people – seeing familiar faces at breakfast and in the boot room made it feel really social… and meant there was always someone around to laugh with while wrestling ski boots on in the morning.”
For some it is a time to learn, while for others it is a chance to catch up with old acquaintances and discover that finding common ground both in skiing ability and, for example, navigating the Building Safety Act can work.
“PropEvents delivered a brilliantly curated event with real industry value,” says Beverley Walker, head of Crofton Interiors’ strategic partnerships. “The quality of conversations, connections and organisation made it an outstanding experience. We came away with meaningful opportunities and fresh momentum.”
Lisa Hendricks, business development manager at Clarke Banks Group and Xact, says: “My sixth PropSki highlighted its reputation as fun, relaxed and a highly effective way to build meaningful relationships on and off the slopes.”
PropSki also works as an unofficial management training programme, taking in a ‘curriculum’ of leadership, communications skills and navigation. For some, it is a steep learning curve. “I was leading a group of 12 but lost them all,” one delegate admits one evening, slightly embarrassed about his skiing adventures. “I asked on WhatsApp if anyone was coming home from Méribel and found an entire new group.”
With pistes tracked, emails exchanged and promises of reunions on the cards, the week of frolics came to its inevitable end. “As a Mipim lover I didn’t think any conference could top it,” says Eleanor Sands, development consultant at Consult LDN, as she awaits her transfer home. “But the past few days have been amazing. Roll on next year.”
