Investor Day: how was held RAU Investment Forum- 2019 (photo-report)

On June 18, the first in Ukraine specialized international forum for investors in retail and commercial real estate – RAU Investment Forum – was held in the capital cultural center “Mustetskiy Arsenal”.

The event was attended by about 250 people: Owners and Top-managers of Companies in the retail trade, development, investors and Government delegates. There are among the guests delegates of Companies such as Dragon Capital, K.Hartwall Invest, STRIX Property Investment Boutique, SEC Ocean Plaza, Colliers International, SEC and BC Retroville, Zlata Plaza, TSUM, Cushman & Wakefield, RDA, UTG, Zolotoy Vek, Commercial Construction, SEC Victoria Gardens, DYB, Intergal-Bud, Concorde Capital, UFuture, Red Head Family Corporation, Watsons, Foxtrot, Grinvil, CBRE, SEC Dream Town, Multiplex, Intertop and others.

The VOVK clothing studios’ chain has become the event title partner. The Investment Company Dragon Capital was a strategic partner.  The development company A Development and the multipurpose complex White Lines was the general partner. ADER HABER has become general legal partner.

Volodymyr Tymochko (Managing Director for Dragon Capital’ Direct Investments) and Vasyl Khmelnitsky (Founder of UFuture) are discussing the investment climate in Ukraine

Oksana Prikhodko (CEO of the Ukrainian Retail Association) and Galina Gerega (Co-founder of the Epicenter K companies’ groups) during the event

The event was opened by Lvov Mayor Andrey Sadovoy, who spoke about the importance of compliance with laws to stimulate investment in the city’s infrastructure. He urged the investors gathered in the hall to think not only about today, but also about future generations, and to build objects that will become  the 21st century’ monuments.

Andrey Sadovoy (Lvov Mayor) during the speech at the RAU Investment Forum-2019

The first session started, which was held in the panel discussion’ format on the state and dynamics of the retail real estate market in Ukraine, after the opening speech from the Lvov mayor. Andrey Kozin, Managing partner of Focus Estate Fund, Lev Partskhaladze, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing of Ukraine, Vladimir Timochko, Managing director for Dragon Capital direct investments, and Yuriy Petrenko, Managing partner of Ader Haber acted as experts. They discussed what will happen to the economy and the commercial real estate market in the coming years, which commercial real estate sectors will be interesting for investment and much more. Sergey Sergienko, CBRE Managing Partner, who presented analytics to the commercial real estate market in Ukraine, was the session moderator.

Session № 1 “The retail property market analytic and the dynamic”

Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Lev Partskhaladze during the speech at the RAU Investment Forum

The moderator of the first session, Sergey Sergienko (CBRE Managing partner), is sharing his expert opinion on investment in commercial real estate

Yuriy Petrenko (Managing Partner of Ader Haber) is sharing legal subtleties during the speech at the RAU Investment Forum

Experts of the first session are discussing current issues of the Ukrainian real estate market. From left to right: Sergey Sergienko (CBRE), Yuriy Petrenko (Ader Haber), Lev Partsakhaladze (Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine), Vladimir Timochko (Dragon Capital), Andrey Kozin (Focus Estate Fund)

The first session also included a public interview with the CEO of Dragon Capital investment Company Tomash Fiala on the market prospects and company Dragon Capital plans. The interviewer was Irina Skorokhodova, Founder and CEO of STRIX Property Investment Boutique Company.

Founder and CEO of STRIX Property Investment Boutique Company, Irina Skorokhodova, during the first session, interviews the CEO of Dragon Capital investment Company Tomash Fiala

General Director of Dragon Capital Investment Company Tomash Fiala is talking about the market prospects and Dragon Capital plans

Session №2 of the RAU Investment Forum was entirely devoted to new retail properties in Ukraine. The partner of Retail & Development Advisor, the Co-founder of the Ukrainian Retail Association, Alexander Fialka was the moderator.

The panel discussion was attended by Renata Jakubcheniene, General Director of the SEC and BC RETROVILLE, Maxim Gavryushin, Operations Director of Budhouse Group, Head of ICSC Ukraine, and Mikhail Merkulov, General Director of Arricano Real Estate plc. Speakers discussed prospects of the megamalls being prepared for opening in Ukraine, consumer expectations from modern SEC, the food-component’ importance for a quality shopping center, etc.

The second session’ moderator Alexander Fialka (Partner of the Retail & Development Advisor, Co-founder of the Ukrainian Retail Association) is talking about new retail real estate in Ukraine

Mikhail Merkulov (CEO of Arricano Real Estate plc) during the discussion of the prospects for megamalls preparing for the opening in Ukraine

Experts of the second session, from left to right: Maxim Gavryushin (Budhouse Group), Renata Jakubcheniene (SEC and BC RETROVILLE), Mikhail Merkulov (Arricano Real Estate plc)

Experts of the third session, which were the Owners of large Ukrainian retail companies, discussed investment in retail. Andrew Zhuk, Co-founder and Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Retail Association acted as moderator. Andrey Logvin, Co-founder and CEO of Kasta, Ruslan Shostak, Co-owner and CEO of RUSH (TM EVA) and Omega (Varus TM) Companies, as well as Vitaliy Semenchenko, VOVK Co-founder and Co-owner, participated in the panel discussion. They discussed competition with international players’ nuances, business development strategies in a crisis, factors constraining investment growth in the country. They voiced their messages to the new President and the future composition of the Ukrainian Parliament.

The third session moderator Andrey Zhuk (Co-founder and Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Retail Association) during the speech

Vitaliy Semenchenko (Co-founder and Co-owner of VOVK) during the discussion of competition with international players’ nuances

Ruslan Shostak (Co-owner and CEO of RUSH (TM EVA) and Omega (TM Varus) Company) are talking about business development strategies during the crisis

Andrey Logvin (Co-founder and CEO of Kasta) is sharing professional experience with colleagues

The final session, held under the magazine Novoe Vremya auspices, was devoted to the business investment topic. The session was moderated by Alexander Paskhover, columnist for the magazine Novoe Vremya. Galina Gerega, Co-founder of the Epicenter K companies’ groups, Vasiliy Khmelnitsky, Founder of the UFuture, Garik Korogodsky, Co-owner of the SEC Dream City, and Igor Mazepa, Founder and CEO of Concorde Capital acted as the session’ experts. They told about innovative approaches to the issue of business and city interaction, the post-electoral future and the economy’ key sectors that will be interesting for investment in the coming years.

Galina Gerega (Co-founder of the Epicenter K companies’ groups) was one of RAU Investment Forum’ experts

Garik Korogodsky (Co-owner of the SEC Dream Town) and Galina Gerega (Co-founder of the Epicenter K companies’ groups) during the final session

The final session, held under the magazine Novoe Vremya auspices, was devoted to the business investment topic

Vasiliy Khmelnitsky (Founder of UFuture) during the discussion of innovative approaches to the issue of business and city interaction

Igor Mazepa (Founder and CEO of Concorde Capital) during the session “Investments in business”

The RAU Investment Forum ended after four intensive sessions with an informal lounge-party, where guests of the event could communicate with investors and speakers, and relax in an unforced atmosphere.

The organizer of the event – the Ukrainian Retail Association – thanks all speakers, guests and partners of the event, without whom the forum would not be possible. There are special thanks to the forum partners:

• Title partner – VOVK clothing studio chain
• Strategic partner – Investment Company Dragon Capital
• General Partner – A Development Development Company and White Lines Multifunctional Complex
• General Legal Partner – ADER HABER
• Session Partner – Novoe Vremya
• Partner – Budhouse Group Development Company, and Linden luxury residential complex
• Partner – Philips Company
• Automotive partner – Mercedes-Benz Ukraine
• Partner on gastronomic impressions – impeccable catering of your significant events Figaro-Catering

Volodymyr Timochko (Managing Director for Dragon Capital Direct Investments), Oksana Prikhodko (CEO of the Ukrainian Retail Association) and Andrey Sadovoy (Lvov Mayor) are discussing current issues of investment in Ukraine during the break between sessions

Maxim Gavryushin (Operational Director of the Budhouse group, Head of ICSC Ukraine) and Konstantin Slyusarenko (Head of the Intertop Development Sector) are considering the elite residential complex Linden project

Volodymyr Tymochko (Managing Director for Dragon Capital Direct Investments) is telling Lev Partsakhaladze (Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine) how much Dragon Capital expects to conclude transactions in 2019

Oksana Prikhodko (CEO of the Ukrainian Retail Association) tells Tomash Fiala (CEO of Dragon Capital) about new RAU projects

Oleksander Fialka (Partner of Retail & Development Advisor, Co-founder of the Ukrainian Retail Association) is giving an interview to Channel 24

Dmitry Burda (Team Leader Real Estate Red Head Family Corporation) and Vladimir Misak (Head of Capital Markets Department Cushman & Wakefield) are discussing investment in retail