Poland Back to the Future Conference

This premier event will bring together leaders in real estate and urban development from Poland, the CEE and Baltic regions, and beyond, fostering open dialogue and thought leadership backed by ULI's global network of over 48,000 members.

The ULI Poland Conference 2025 will explore the transformative forces shaping the modern world and the future of the built environment. Attendees, including ULI members and a professional community of developers, investors, urban planners, designers, public officials, and other influential figures, will engage in discussions aimed at driving transformative community impact worldwide.

Key topics to be addressed at the conference include:
- Europe's Growth Champion – Poland's path to prosperity and the road ahead
- The Sign of Investment Times – market outlook and emerging opportunities
- The Power of Net Zero – strategies for a sustainable future
- In the Quest for Green Power – navigating the energy transition and new asset classes
- The Future is Proximate – how AI is redefining workplaces
- Reshaping the Urban Footprint – the evolution of our cities
- The Power of Conversion – unlocking value in aging buildings
- Leading Teams through Adversity and Change – insights on leadership in extreme conditions

This year's conference is more than just an event – it’s a platform for shaping the future of our cities and the built environment. We’ve curated a program that addresses the most pressing issues facing our industry. From Poland’s economic outlook and investment strategies to achieving net-zero and the impact of AI on the workplace, we will explore the forces transforming the real estate sector. We are honored to host exceptional speakers, including Brendan Hall, Prof. Marcin Piatkowski, Signe Kongebro, Andrei Martin, and Łukasz Platkowski, among many other experts. Join us for this premier event to engage in thought-provoking discussions and gain a competitive edge in this dynamic industry.
Marcin Juszczyk, chair of ULI Poland

The Opening Conference Dinner, open to all registrants, will take place on the evening of April 9 th and will feature a special keynote by Brendan Hall, leadership author, keynote speaker, and winning skipper of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. One of only 12 people globally to have led a winning team in this 40,000-mile, 11-month challenge, Brendan overcame his youth and inexperience by fostering a high-ownership culture built on vision, values, and continuous improvement. In his keynote, “Leading Teams through Adversity and Change”, he will share insights on leadership in extreme conditions, navigating uncertainty, harnessing team intelligence, and building trust for resilience and performance.

Day Two (April 10 th, 2025) will be dedicated to conference sessions, including keynote presentations, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions with industry experts.

Highlighted Presentations:

Reshaping the Urban Footprint – The Evolution of Our Cities – Signe Kongebro, Global Director for Future Resilient Design at Ramboll, will discuss sustainable urban development. Drawing from her experience at Henning Larsen, she will highlight the Urban Decarb tool, which integrates carbon knowledge into early design stages, and her work leading cross-disciplinary teams to create resilient cities.

The Future is Proximate – Why AI Needs a New Kind of Workplace – Andrei Martin, Partner at PLP Architecture, will explore how AI is reshaping workplace design. He will present PLP’s WLA AI Lab, the first of its kind, demonstrating how AI-driven workplaces foster innovation, deep learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration while integrating data, computation, and human expertise.

Europe's Growth Champion - Poland's Path to Prosperity and the Way Forward – Prof. Marcin Piątkowski from Kozminski University and the World Bank will analyze Poland’s economic growth over the past 35 years. He will discuss global trends, Poland’s future growth prospects, and strategies for sustaining its economic success.

The Power of Conversion – How to Unlock Value in Aging Buildings – Łukasz Platkowski, Managing Director at Gensler Germany, will address the potential of adaptive reuse in aging buildings. He will present research findings, innovative assessment tools, case studies of successful conversions, and the economic and environmental benefits of revitalizing underutilized assets.

Throughout the day, attendees can engage in sessions featuring presentations followed by discussions or Q&A, and panel discussions with industry experts. Topics range from investment outlooks and net-zero strategies to the energy transition, the impact of AI on workplaces, the evolution of cities, and unlocking value in aging buildings. These diverse sessions offer a mix of expert insights and interactive formats, fostering a rich learning and networking environment.

Confirmed speakers and moderators include: Marcin Juszczyk (Chair of ULI Poland), Soren Rodian Olsen (Managing Director of Logicenters Poland at NREP, Conference Moderator), Grzegorz Sielewicz (Head of Economic & Market Insights for CEE, Colliers), Emil Holmström (Chief Investment Officer, Eastnine), Dorota Wysokinska-Kuzdra (Senior Partner, Colliers), Sophie Chick (Vice President of ESG Programmes, ULI Europe), Bradford H. Dockser (CEO & Co-Founder, Green Generation), Piotr Beaupré (CEO, Neo Energy Group), Tomasz Mrowczyk (Co-Managing Partner, Griffin Capital Partners), Tomoho Umeda (Founder, Hynfra and Hynfra Energy Storage), Zuzanna Paciorkiewicz (Partner, Co-Head of Asset Services CEE, Cushman & Wakefield), Whitney Austin Gray (Senior Vice President of Research, International WELL Building Institute), Sebastian Kieć (CEO, AFI Europe Poland), Marta Sękulska-Wrońska (CEO, WXCA) and others.

For a complete list of conference speakers, the detailed agenda, and to register for the conference, please visit the conference website.

ULI Poland extends its sincere gratitude to all the sponsors and partners whose generous support makes this conference possible: Nrep, Vandervorm, dwf, GT Greenberg Traurig, Skanska, Colliers, Capital Park, Bank Pekao, Dentons, Fortress, Globalworth, Kajima, MDDP, AFI Europe Poland, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Miasto Gdynia, Echo Investment, Hines, Vastint. Industry Partners: International Well Building Institute, PINK, PZFD, RICS. Media Partners: Eurobuild, Property Insider, Poland Observer, Property Forum, Real Asset Media.