A series of forums throughout Asia Pacific will highlight the effect and integration of technological innovation into shopping centers and retailers

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Asia Pacific and global think tank FGRT (Fung Global Retail & Technology) are collaborating on a series of educational conferences and panels in the region, culminating with ULI’s Asia Pacific Summit in June 2018. The partnership is part of a wide-ranging initiative to showcase the future of retail real estate, encourage greater integration of technology in shopping centers and provide a platform where industry professionals can learn and share about retail and technology.

The initiative will arrange open forums in Hong Kong, and with the same topics repeated with different panelists in other cities in the region between August 2017 and June 2018, focusing on “Retail Innovation and Its Applications to Real Estate.” The intention is for industry leaders to exchange ideas and best practices in shaping the future of retail, and after each event, a summary of top take-aways will be published on both institute’s platforms.

The first forum will be held on Wednesday, August 30, and will focus on “The Connected Mall of the Future” – a showcase of customer-facing tech solutions available to the mall and retail owners that can revolutionize the communication and engagement with the customers. Click here for more details about the event. Other events may focus on “The Tenant of the Future,” and possible case studies on e-commerce and logistics.

“Retail and the mall are very much alive, and developers in the Asia Pacific region in particular have been on the cutting edge of integrating the latest technology into their properties,” said Deborah Weinswig, FGRT Managing Director. “With these events, we will showcase the best practices achieved thus far so that other companies, in Asia Pacific and across the world, can learn and discover what might work from them.”

“Everyone in retail real estate is dealing with the disruptions posed by technology,” said John Fitzgerald, CEO of ULI Asia Pacific. “FGRT is at the forefront of thought leadership on the integration of retail, technology and fashion worldwide. We believe that this collaboration will be a case where 1 plus 1 equals 3, with our members and all of the industry to benefit.”

With offices in New York, London and Hong Kong, FGRT helps brands, investors, retailers and associated businesses define the future with its research, analysis, thought leadership and advisory services. As the think tank and knowledge bank for the Fung Group, its international team of analysts produces industry-leading research and insights, from daily updates on industry trends and events to data-rich analytical reports on disruptors. Recent reports issued by FGRT include: “Deep Dive: The US Retail Revolution Solution”; the “Retail X Factor” series and the “Deep Dive: The Mall is Not Dead” series. FGRT’s reports and analyses can be found at http://www.FungGlobalRetailTech.com and http://www.deborahweinswig.com.