GP Talks Debuts in Colombia
Publication date: July 2024.
On July 11, 2024, at 5:00 PM, the first edition of GP Talks took place at the ABC&D facilities in Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia. The inaugural session brought together prominent Latin American panelists who shared their experiences and insights in the fields of architecture and urbanism.
The event featured Valentina Luque, Senior Manager Developer for Hilton LATAM and the Caribbean; Lucas Gómez Cuartas, General Manager and Founder of the developer Trazos Urbanos; Ricardo Boada, Director of Strategic Investments at Yellowstone Capital Partners; Ricardo Fernandez, Regional Business Development Manager at Gómez Platero Architecture and Urbanism; and Julián Dos Santos, Head of Business Development for Colombia, who moderated the panel.
This gathering marked the beginning of a series of talks with distinguished speakers, aimed at sharing experiences, projects, and insights in a space designed for exchange, inspiration, and innovation. The theme of the meeting focused on the future of mixed-use hospitality and its application in designing hotel experiences, emphasizing the relevance of this programmatic approach in current real estate development, with a special focus on the benefits and challenges of integrating it with hotel programs.
The participants analyzed the hotel segment within the Colombian market, highlighting the opportunities that mixed-use developments present as business enhancers. They also explored trends related to the contribution of mixed-use developments to public spaces, product mix, and project financing by various types of investment funds.
Lucas Gómez Cuartas pointed out that in Colombia, one of the main challenges for Real Estate developers is access to land, although there are strategic points that enable emerging hyper-mixed-use areas by integrating commercial, work, and study zones within a few blocks. Valentina Luque highlighted the potential of the branded residences model, emphasizing the benefits it brings to developers and the growth opportunities this niche finds in major Colombian metropolises.
Ricardo Fernandez elaborated on the role of strategic amenities and common spaces as generators of experiential platforms in mixed-use projects. He also emphasized the transformative potential of the hyper-mixed-use concept as a possible solution to the lack of urban planning. Ricardo Boada delved into the challenges that large-scale projects present for investment funds, stressing the need to balance short- and long-term investments to optimize benefits and mitigate risks.
Future editions of GP Talks will address sector-related topics, gathering emerging trends and sharing valuable insights, establishing themselves as an essential space for the exchange of ideas and innovation in architecture and urbanism in LATAM.
Explore the event highlights here:
