The past year was rich in events — from traditional business breakfasts to forums and conferences in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan that gathered dozens of participants. In addition, we launched a series of podcasts with real estate market players, went on a Property tour to Riyadh, and started preparing a book compiling the most useful information about Real Estate! Find out how 2023 went in our overview.
FEBRUARY
The key theme of the first CREW business breakfast in 2023 was “Development and Management of Commercial and Residential Real Estate — Trends and Formats of 2023.” The event took place in early February in Almaty and brought together representatives of development and management companies, warehouse, hotel, office, and retail real estate, retailers, consultants and brokers, consulting companies, and service providers.
MARCH
On March 2nd and 3rd, we held the first international conference FIABCI Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan. Led by experts, we discussed construction and development market trends, analyzed cases of commercial real estate, and talked about investments. As a result of the meeting, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between FIABCI and the business association JIA. The conference demonstrated the significant potential of the Bishkek real estate market and highlighted key aspects and issues of the current market situation.
APRIL
On April 27th, the II Central Asian CREW Warehouse 2023 conference concluded in Almaty, where developers discussed the construction of warehouse real estate in Central Asia, investment prospects, and presented real cases on logistics optimization. The largest investment holding in Kazakhstan, Mercury Properties, was the official partner of the event. The warehouse theme was announced for the second time at the CREW platform. “This is a very useful platform. After such meetings, it is essential to take some steps so that we can prepare constructive proposals for government bodies that regulate these issues. Perhaps, create working groups to protect our interests and bring them to the supervisory government bodies. After all, this is a part of our country’s economy,” shared Aynur Shanenova, the CEO of Mercury Properties.
MAY
On May 26th, a regional conference of FIABCI Central Asia on the design, construction, and management of real estate objects took place in Tashkent. Speakers discussed trends and strategies for what and how to build, as well as shared real cases of project management and technologies in the commercial and residential real estate field. The development company NRG was the official partner of the event. 71% of the conference participants registered represented companies from Uzbekistan based in Tashkent, 19% from Kazakhstan (Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Taraz, Turkestan), and 10% from Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg). Over 10% of participants were founders and co-founders of development companies, 15% were managing partners and directors of organizations, and over 20% were top management representatives.
JUNE
On June 22nd, a business breakfast of the CREW Club dedicated to warehouses, retail, and logistics took place in Astana. The event gathered 20 participants, including specialists in warehouse real estate, developers, owners and tenants of warehouses, representatives of logistics companies, retail operators, as well as representatives of the state and quasi-governmental sector. The business breakfast began with a discussion of the results of the CREW Warehouse 2023 conference held in April of this year. An analysis of the warehouse real estate market in Kazakhstan was also conducted. In particular, issues were raised about the transformations taking place in the warehouse real estate market, the current situation, and ways to solve problems. The meeting featured presentations of promising projects in the warehouse real estate, retail, and logistics sectors expected by the end of the year.
AUGUST
On August 24th and 25th, a practical online seminar on “Management of Lease Relations in Office and Retail Real Estate” took place in Astana and Almaty, organized by the Real Estate Business School. Over two days, participants delved into current issues and practices of lease relationship management, all under the guidance of industry-leading experts. Recent events have taught real estate market leaders to optimize processes without losing resources and without compromising the quality of products and services. To preserve, enhance, and multiply — these were the plans outlined by participants in the traditional meeting of commercial and residential real estate market professionals at the CREW Breakfast business format, which took place on August 23rd in Almaty.
OCTOBER
A company anniversary is a time to sum up the results, assess the path taken, and determine plans for the future. In the scale of a historical process, 10 years may seem insignificant, but in terms of business development, it symbolizes a certain maturity, signifies a transition to a new level, and simultaneously concludes a stage of formation. On October 18th, The Ritz-Carlton Almaty hosted the CREW Central Asia 2023 forum, bringing together management and construction companies, experienced experts, developers, consulting and brokerage specialists, and service providers. Dedicated to the company’s 10th anniversary, the forum concluded with the awards ceremony of the annual Central Asia Property Awards CREW 2023, awarded for achievements in the commercial and residential real estate sphere in Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries with the support of the international FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Award. The competition winners will represent the region at the International FIABCI Prix d’Excellence competition during the World Real Estate Congress in Singapore from May 27th to May 31st, 2024.
DECEMBER
The month began with a Property tour to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), where the delegation of Central Asia and Kazakhstan participated in the 42nd World Leadership Summit FIABCI in the capital of Saudi Arabia – Riyadh. The event brought together real estate professionals from around the world. FIABCI Central Asia conducted a Property and Networking tour within the summit. Participants explored unique cultural heritage projects of the Kingdom and exchanged experiences in real estate market development. The final meeting of FIABCI Central Asia this year took place in Tashkent. Participants discussed and assessed the dynamics in each segment of the commercial real estate market, highlighted key trends of the year, and identified important points in development to anticipate changes in trends for the coming year. Experts from various Central Asian companies presented at the event, providing each participant with quality networking opportunities and new connections.