Rode 2009 property events to tackle difficult market

In light of the numerous challenges that have faced the property industry over the past few years, the 2009 Rode & Associates annual conference and breakfast events are designed to tackle current market conditions head-on, putting the pleasure back into property with dialogue to stimulate lateral thinking and environments to facilitate networking.

Sponsored by FNB Commercial Property Finance, the events will once again take place countrywide, with the day-long conferences in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Breakfast events will be held in Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Durban and - for the first time - this year also in Nelspruit, Bloemfontein and East London.

The one-day Johannesburg conference will take place on August 3 at the Southern Sun Grayston in Sandton, Gauteng, followed on August 6 by the Cape Town conference at the Spier wine estate near Stellenbosch.

Confirmed speakers for both events include Anthony Miller (MD of Lightstone) who will address the topic "How distressed is SA's residential property market really?" and Prof Andre Roux (director of the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch University) who will look at "South Africa: a long-term view".

Prof LJ Grobler (director of Energy Cybernetics) will talk on "The financial viability of becoming 'greener' and how to benefit from tax incentives for improving energy efficiency in buildings", and Joop Demes (CE of Pam Golding Hospitality) will talk on "The move to, and prospects for, budget hotels".

Delegates to the Sandton conference will also hear Dawie Klopper (investment economist at PSG Konsult) on "Prospects for the JSE by sector", and Stellenbosch delegates will hear Tony Bales (CE of Bales Investprop) on "The non-residential property market from a broker's point of view".

The topic of "The economy: is it safe to stop panicking?" will be tackled in Johannesburg by Sizwe Nxedlana (economist at FNB Commercial Bank) and in Cape Town by Rudolf Gouws (economist at Rand Merchant Bank).

Both conferences will benefit from Erwin Rode's popular annual analysis of the market under this year's theme, "Prospects for property after the storm", and will be steered by master of ceremonies Prof Dirk Meerkotter (Rode & Associates).

Bookings close on July 29 for the Johannesburg event and August 3 for the Cape Town event.

The annual property breakfasts will be held as follows:

Pretoria: August 4 at Forever Resorts Centurion Hotel, Lyttelton. This breakfast will be conducted in Afrikaans.

Port Elizabeth: August 12 at Protea Hotel Marine.

East London: August 14 at Premier Hotel Regent, Beach Front.

Durban: August 18 at 1 on 1 Conference Centre, Gateway.

Bloemfontein: August 21, at Ilanga Estate.

Nelspruit: August 25 at Orion Promenade Hotel.

Call Elizma Hawksley at 021 946 2480, e-mail elizma-AT-rode.co-DOT-za or visit www.rode.co.za/events

Saturday Argus

Posted at 09:20AM Jul 13, 2009 by Editor in Industry  |