Speakers for 2026 Include

Matt Abney is the Senior Director of Real Estate at EIT, leading the strategic planning, acquisition, and management of the company’s real estate portfolio. With 20 years of experience in corporate real estate, Matt specializes in identifying and developing lab and research spaces, fostering environments that enable discovery. His expertise spans site selection, lease negotiations, development, and portfolio management, ensuring that real estate investments align with EIT’s long-term goals. Before joining EIT, Matt was the Corporate Managing Director of Project Management at Savills and played a key role in the design and construction of the Ellison Medical Institute’s Los Angeles facility. He joined Savills from the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission where he focused on growth & development opportunities for underserved communities.

Gavin has played a pivotal role in shaping the future Heyford Park, one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in the country. Gavin was instrumental in conceiving and delivering the pioneering masterplan for the site, which includes 9,000 new homes, innovative sustainability proposals, extensive community facilities, and inspiring biodiversity measures designed to create a lasting, thriving place for future generations. Gavin has not only overseen the transformation of Heyford Park but also played a key role in setting the wider business strategy as a member of the Dorchester Regeneration Board.
His leadership has helped guide the company’s approach to placemaking, long-term community investment, and sustainable development. Beyond Heyford Park, he continues to influence Dorchester’s future pipeline of projects, including the emerging Bayswater Brook development in Oxford. His work reflects a commitment not only to delivering high-quality developments but also to ensuring they foster long-term social, environmental, and economic value.

Rob is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has worked specifically in the planning and property area of communications for nearly 30 years. He has provided strategic advice on proposals across all sectors of property including large urban extensions, retail, sports stadia and large scale distribution.

Matthew is the Founder and Managing Director of UK Property Forums. Established in 2004, UKPF enables conferences, events and networking opportunities across the Greater Thames Valley region including Oxford, Reading and Aylesbury. As part of the range of events which UKPF have created, he leads UK Prop Social, a networking club for 150+ members and also the Thames Valley offer at MIPIM UK and MIPIM Cannes, France. Having lived and studied in the Thames Valley, he is very informed about the region and passionate about the development of a group for all those involved in the Thames Valley property markets.

Hugh enjoyed a highly successful career as a commercial property lawyer, leading one of the major real estate firms in the country. Having graduated from University College Oxford and trained in the City, Hugh returned to Oxford in 1986 where he now works as a consultant to the property community. He believes that whilst there is much to admire in recent developments, the plans which are being forged to harness and accommodate the activity in the region will make the next few years the most exciting in the region for decades.

Tom is a chartered town planner who has worked across the public, private and social enterprise sectors. He joined Oxford City Council is April 2019 as the Executive Director of Development, where he has responsibility for planning, property, housing supply, regeneration, economic development & city centre management. In February 2025 he became Deputy Chief Executive – Place, which includes additional responsibilities including environment & sustainability, and regulatory services. He is also a director of Oxford West End Developments (OXWED), which is the Council’s joint venture with Nuffield College, currently bringing forward the Oxpens redevelopment, and Barton LLP, the council’s JV with Grosvenor now in the final stages of the city’s Barton urban extension. Tom is also the council’s client for OX Place, its wholly owned housing company.  Prior to joining Oxford City Council, Tom was the Assistant Director for Area Regeneration at Lambeth Council, where he delivered a range of mixed use, public realm and meanwhile projects. He joined Lambeth from AECOM, where he led numerous masterplanning, regeneration and infrastructure planning projects.

Charles Butters is the Founding Director of Sulgrave Advisors Limited, a consultancy business that advises property owners, investors, developers and operators with a focus on creating assets and places that are resilient and successful.  Prior to Sulgrave Advisors, Charles was Head of Investment at British Land.  Charles studied at Oxford University and has lived close to Oxford for over 15 years.  He has been active in the Oxford property market for a number of years and since April 2024 he has been Strategic Property Advisor to Oxfordshire County Council.

Philip joined MEPC in 2006 with nearly 30 years’ experience in commercial real estate. Philip works alongside the asset management team, developing relationships with potential clients and looking after large offices and laboratories at Milton Park. He is passionate about helping companies with their evolving accommodation needs and enjoys demystifying complex real estate issues to make office moving easier. Philip is an active figure within the local community and can often be seen jogging round Milton Park at lunchtimes.

Laura is a commercial real estate lawyer with an ESG focus. She has substantial experience of a diverse range of commercial property and construction matters, acting for investment funds, landowners and occupiers, developers and charities. Laura advises science park owners and occupiers on lab space development and letting, with substantial experience across Oxford, Cambridge and London. She also advises universities and colleges in the management and development of their estates.  With a keen interest in ESG and responsible real estate, Laura leads the Mills & Reeve Real Estate ESG Group, drafting and maintaining a suite of contractual ESG provisions and advising clients on their inclusion and implementation. She regularly presents to clients and publishes articles on ESG and sustainability matters.

As Head of Zero Bills at Octopus Energy, Hannah leads the company’s game-changing approach to deliver new homes with no home energy bills, through Octopus’ world-first Zero Bills tariff and low-carbon technology. With years of experience in the house building industry, Hannah brings a deep understanding of how technology and infrastructure can drive sustainable living. Her role focuses on bringing together developers, housing providers, installers, and policymakers to make sustainable, affordable living more accessible to everyone, across all housing tenures.

Paul Silver is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dorchester Group, focusing on mixed-use regeneration of large-scale brownfield sites. Since acquiring Heyford Park in 2009, Paul has led the transformation of the former RAF base near Bicester into a thriving new community. Over 1,200 homes, major community infrastructure and a growing commercial hub have already been delivered. He was also the first UK developer authorised to establish and operate a free school, opening Heyford Park Free School in 2013.
His long-term masterplan will deliver 9,000 homes, new health, education and sports facilities, and employment space for over 5,000 jobs, with the ambition of creating the UK’s first renewable energy surplus town and providing high-quality, affordable housing. Paul appreciates the need for providing accessible housing, as such Paul has established a registered housing association, offering high quality, affordable homes.
Paul is driven by a passion for creating communities built for people, understanding that making a place is about far more than building houses – it’s about fostering belonging, connections, and lasting value.

Emily is an experienced project manager having worked in the built environment for over 20 years’. She has a considerable track record in complex development projects, including large residential projects, higher education, major office refurbishment and new-build, as well as being a specialist in the science and technology sector.  Emily manages the growing Oxford Project Management team for Savills and has led on significant science and technology schemes, including British Land’s Botley Road development, 1000 Discovery Drive at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Begbroke Science Park’s two new lab buildings and Harwell’s Co-labs. As well as office schemes such as Fetter Yard and 100 Union Street and residential schemes, including Rathbone Place for Great Portland Estates, Xchange Point and numerous prime residential schemes in London’s prestigious districts.  Emily’s broad experience, diligence, strategic mind and creativity is a real asset to the evolution and delivery of successful development projects and her passion and collaborative nature facilitates motivated and cohesive project teams.

Rachel Wood is a chartered planning and development surveyor and managing director of Sladen Estates, a national developer working across Build to Rent, Student, industrial and logistics, offices and retail sectors with a development portfolio of £1bn. In Oxfordshire, Bicester Arc is a 45 acre prestige office and tech site adjacent to Bicester Village. Prior to being at Sladen Estates Rachel worked at AMEC, now Muse, on delivering major regeneration projects before setting up her own industrial development company. She thinks it important to give back so lectures third year students at Oxford Brookes University.