The winners take it all

The third Eurobuild Awards gala confirmed that it is now an established and significant event for the market - it has become a permanent fixture in the diaries of all the key people in real estate. This year the hosts of the gala were Ewa Andrzejewska, the editor-in-chief of ?Eurobuild CEE' magazine, and TV celebrity Hubert Urbański, while the music was provided by the excellent ?Flower Power' band.

The numbers for this year's gala were impressive. Almost 700 people were present in the hall, the winners were selected by 187 jury members, 228 companies, projects and people were nominated, 34 statuettes were presented and more than PLN 26,000 was raised for charity. "The Eurobuild Awards deserves to be called the most important event on the real estate market. Frankly speaking, I cannot think of another such well-organised gala that took place this year," was the reaction of Małgorzata Dankowska, a senior tax manager and real estate team member at TPA Horwath. Małgorzata Dankowska was not the only one who felt this way. This year everyone complimented the organisation and significance of the event. "It is one of the most prestigious events held in Poland," said Krzysztof Witkowski, the president of the board of Virako. "Such an event brings the market together, to exchange our experiences and look to the future," added Radosław Wawrzyniak, the director of the property sales department of Polish State Railways (PKP).
Indeed. Judging by the mood of the guests it was possible to forget about the grey reality for a moment. There was no talking about the crisis, no complaining about the banks, no doom and gloom. The happy-but-serious atmosphere of the gala was perfect for lifting everyone's mood. "Everyone is having a great time, celebrating their successes this year. It represents a superb celebration of the real estate market," said Tadeusz Jachowicz, the director of Gleeds Polska.

This year's hero, and a conspicuously absent one too, was Michał Sołowow - the founder and driving force behind Echo Investment, one of the most important Polish development companies. He was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Real Estate title. Unfortunately, due to illness, he was unable to receive the statuette himself, so Piotr Gromniak, the president of Echo Investment, accepted it on his behalf from Wiesław Rozłucki, the co-founder of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

The excitement could be felt to be building throughout the entire section dedicated to the presentation of the awards, and reached its peak with the popular vote. This year, once again the public was able to vote for some of the winners. The awards for Architectural Design of the Year (Poland), Outstanding Business Achievement of the Year (CEE), and Outstanding Non-Business Achievement of the Year (CEE), were all decided by the guests at the gala. And so: the best architectural project was the National Stadium in Warsaw. Skanska Property Poland was recognised for its business achievement of pre-leasing 95 pct of the Green Towers (Wrocław) and Green Corner (Warsaw) office buildings. The audience also decided that the Outstanding Non-Business Achievement of the Year was to raise more than PLN 100,000 at the third Real Estate Beach Volleyball Tournament, organised by Jones Lang LaSalle.

Famous actor and comedian Cezary Pazura gave us a chance to catch our breath with his brand of humour. But then the most sensational part of the event took place, when Robert Mielżyński, the well-known Warsaw restaurateur and the owner of a popular wine bar, took to the stage to donate a bottle of fine wine for the charity auction. The money raised is to go towards the ?I Have a Dream' [Mam Marzenie] foundation for terminally ill children. The bidding started tentatively at a few hundred złoty, but soon became much more dramatic. The price of the bottle quickly skyrocketed to several thousand złoty. Then the bidding became a head-to-head duel between the Colliers International team and Jan Mroczka, the president of Rank Progress, pushing the price even further up to dizzying heights. Finally, Jan Mroczka got his hands on the bottle by offering PLN 20,000 to the charity. We should all raise a glass of wine to him for his stupendous generosity.

After the official part it was time for the celebrations. The real estate market turned out to be in great form, as most of its luminaries stayed until the crack of dawn. "The event has become more and more of a sensation," declared Marcin Materny of Echo Investment. Which is precisely why it is worth taking part. So we hereby invite you to next year's gala, the fourth Eurobuild Awards. It is sure to prove to be just as unmissable an event as it was in 2012. See you all in December 2013! RG