Attracting more than 500 shopping centre and asset managers from across the UK and Ireland, the three-day event held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre from February 26 to 28 saw a series of inspiring speakers commenting on the big issues affecting the sector; various workshops covering a number of topics relevant to today's business environment and an exhibition, which was bigger than ever before.

Maintaining the driving theme, the conference was kicked off by Robert Moss, dealer marketing manager at Honda UK, who spoke about driving your business forward with a brand; and ended with Formula 1 executive Richard West, who spoke about how planning, strategy and communication make up the formula for any successful team - be it on a racetrack or working in a shopping centre.

In between, conference attendees listened to the benefit of the new Service Charge Code, the growth in Total Facilities Support and on the importance of experience over function in shopping centres.

Chris Edwards, managing director of Commercial Property Advisors and chairman of the pan-industry steering group on the new Code for Service Charges, said the Code is helping to reduce disagreements between tenants and landlords.

Edwards said the new Code aimed "to remove the service charge as an area of conflict" by making it "a budgeted, forecastable part of the occupier's overhead" and also by making it cash neutral to the owner's income stream.

"In essence the Code sets out best practice and has pan-industry and government endorsement," he says. "The Service Charge Code will continue to evolve. there are now groups working on issues covering sinking, reserve and depreciation funds, mezzanines, commercialisation, PM/FM contracts and accounts handover following the sale of a shopping centre."

Total Facilities Support (TFS) - a programme first established in the USA - is now on the uptake in the UK, becoming a major method of enhancing service delivery, controlling service charges and creating new revenue streams. This became the focal point for speakers Marty Plocica of major US-based shopping centre owners Simon Property Group, which utilises this programme across its whole 180-centre portfolio; Donaldsons partner Graeme Clark, who uses TFS in over 50 centres; and Hamish Millar, general manager at The Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, who reported that service charge was two per cent under budget in the first year of using TFS.

Clark explains: "TFS provides economies of scale and a single service from a single provider. It will provide the day-to-day management elements such as maintenance, security and cleaning and where there is capacity, sell those services to tenants or nearby businesses.

Ralph Ardill, founder and chief executive of the Brand Experience Consultancy, was the penultimate speaker of the conference. Having undertaken The Future of Brands research for BCSC as part of the organisation's Future of Retail Property research programme, Ardill told the audience that 'the build it and they will come' approach should be relegated to history as brands and retailers moved to connect and build relationships with the consumer and offer authentic shopping experiences that capture the imagination.

His research examines how brands are changing and explores how this will impact on the future branding and development of shopping places. It has identified 10 brand forces which it is believed will play a major role in shaping consumers' perceptions, expectations and relationships with brands over the next 10 years.

Next year Donaldson's Eileen Connolly will take over from Karen Saunders as joint conference chair alongside David Mills, manager of the Quedam shopping centre in Yeovil.

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