2017 was a big year for retail development and the project award winners reflected the changing dynamics of the region’s retail development markets. Prolific retail developer Unbail-Rodamco won three prizes for its regional development success in 2017. Wroclavia in Wroclaw, Poland won Retail Project in the large category and, in an encouraging sign for sectors improving retail offer, Warsaw’s largest shopping centre Arkadia won best F&B Concept for its Grand Kitchen, and Mayland’s Serenada in Krakow, Poland won Retail Project of the Year in the medium category.
Many of this year’s project nominees formed extensions and refurbishments. Unibail-Rodamco won the highly contested category Extended/Refurbished Project of the Year for their successful extension of Centrum Chodov in the Czech Republic. IKEA’s highly appreciated Franowo Centrum in Poznan, won in the Best Convenience Store Category.
Other major accolades were given to CBRE Global Investors, which won Investor and Asset Management Firm of the Year, with the jury recognising the firms’ successful investment business in 2017. Highlights included sizeable portfolio deals as well as one of the largest and most complicated transactions of 2017, with the divestment of a portfolio to the CPI Property Group.
International consultants CBRE picked up the Agency of the Year award. Additional company awards were presented to K|P|R|F Law Office, one of Poland's best retail real estate law firms, which received the Law Firm of the Year award. TPA Horwath won Tax and Financial Adviser of the Year and Professional Service Provider of the Year went to MK Illumination.
BSC Real Estate Advisors topped a successful year of changes and growth by being recognised as the Project Management Firm of the Year. Chapman Taylor once again picked up Architectural Firm of the Year, and recognised for its continued confidence and support to the market pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank was voted Bank of the Year. Other company awards went to CFE Poland for Construction Firm of the Year, and Apsys Polska picked up the Property Management Firm of the Year award.
The awards, held at the five-star Intercontinental Hotel Warsaw, brought together some 450 top real estate professionals from the major retail market sectors in the CEE region, and were selected by an international academy of jurors, comprised of senior industry professionals, who presided and deliberated over the eventual winners, representing some of the best commercial retail real estate companies operating in the CEE region for 2017.