Voices shaping where we stay, live and work

Yolande Barnes is an emeritus professor and real estate consultant, strategist and advisor with over 40 years' experience in the property industry. She was Head of World Research at Savills before joining UCL as Chair of the Bartlett Real Estate Institute from 2018 to 2025. She takes a global, cross-sector view of long-run trends and future influences affecting the entire real estate industry and markets. She believes that a new, more accurate understanding of all elements of real estate is essential for the effective application of AI and machine learning and an integral component of a successful, future-proofed built environment. Her work looks at the combination and interaction of disruptive trends in demographics, finance, technology, society, the environment and government in changing global real estate. She believes that real estate - land and everything attached to it - is at the heart of sustainability, and that understanding real estate value in all its forms is essential to solving the wicked problems and grand challenges of the 21st century. Yolande is an Emeritus Professor at UCL, President of the Society of Property Researchers, Honorary Fellow of RIBA, Academician at the Academy of Urbanism, Design Council Ambassador and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Hector Fernandez is SVP of Development at UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle. Further speaker biography details will be added when available.

Pawel Gawor is CEO of City Pop. Further speaker biography details will be added when available.

Eloise Hanson is Editor of Boutique Hotel News, covering trends, openings and investment activity across the boutique and lifestyle hotel sector. She regularly chairs panels and leads editorial content across the IHM portfolio of events and publications.

Priya Khaira is Editor of Short Term Rentalz and host of the STRz Summit. She has established herself as a leading editorial voice in the short-term rental industry, facilitating discussions on regulation, technology, investment and the future of alternative accommodation.

Grace Morgan is an experienced Director in Operational Real Estate specialising in optimising Net Operating Income (NOI) for institutional real estate investors across a range of alternative residential asset classes, including Build-to-Rent, Purpose-Built Student Accommodation, Co-Living, Single-Family Housing and Senior Living. Grace joined AREA as a Director in 2025 to lead the Strategic Procurement and Asset Mobilisation Services Line within the Operational Real Estate part of the business headed up by Matthew Neal. Before joining AREA, Grace served as Director of Operations at Compass Rock International, overseeing the UK and Ireland BTR portfolios, and as Director at Global Apartment Advisors (GAA), where she contributed to planning strategy and design review for a variety of asset classes. Earlier in her career, Grace held senior roles at Fjeld Consulting, JLL Integral UK Ltd, Greystar and iQ Student Accommodation, where she led complex procurement programmes, mobilised large-scale residential assets and implemented scalable operational frameworks. Grace is also a Committee Member of the ARL Ops Director Group at the Association for Rental Living, contributing to sector-wide best practices and innovation. With a strategic focus on operational excellence, procurement, compliance and facilities management, Grace delivers enhanced portfolio performance through data-driven decision-making and rigorous cost control. Her expertise lies in aligning operational frameworks with investor objectives, ensuring long-term value creation and sustainable income growth.

Bart is a creative strategist and experienced real estate entrepreneur on a mission to build future-proof and sustainable business solutions, with more than 10 years' track record in the shared living scene. His expertise lies in creating new and revitalising existing spaces, envisioning their potential beyond ordinary functionalities. As Founder and CEO of Spatial Experience, he has brought key developments into the student housing / PBSA and coliving / PBSL scene. Through Spatial Experience, a founding partner of Coliving Ventures, he co-founded Coliving Ventures, the venture behind Coliving Insights, Coliving Conference and Coliving Awards.

George Sell is Editor in Chief of International Hospitality Media, overseeing editorial across Boutique Hotel News, Serviced Apartment News, Urban Living News and Short Term Rentalz. He brings deep expertise in hospitality, real estate and urban living sectors and has moderated industry panels and conferences for more than a decade.