The first event of its kind to honour investors for performance, transparency and innovation within the real estate sector, the annual IP Real Estate Investor Forum & Awards combine a one-day highly topical conference and the showcase IP Real Estate Awards, which take place over a gala dinner the same evening. 

Now in its 8th year, this year's event will be held on Wednesday 23rd May 2012 at the Lancaster London Hotel, London, UK.

HOW THE IP REAL ESTATE AWARDS WORK
Contested on three different levels: Silver, Gold and Platinum, and presented during a gala dinner, the IP Real Estate Investor Awards form the culmination of the IP Real Estate Investor Forum. They are split into categories with mandatory regional categories complemented by optional specialist themed awards that enable entrants to highlight specialist areas of activity that have brought them success during the review period.

The review period is typically a 15-month period which this year covers January 2011 until March 2012. But we are very flexible and this is intended only as a guide. So, if you have embarked on an activity that requires a longer time-frame or if your year-end falls outside this parameter, that is equally acceptable. 

SILVER AWARDS
The regional and themed categories constitute the Silver level of the IP Real Estate Awards and you enter these categories directly. You must enter the regional category that corresponds to the country you operate in and you may enter as many themed awards as you like. You may use the same draft for each but you will need to prepare a separate entry using our sophisticated online multiple entry mapping process for each theme you wish to contest. 

GOLD AWARDS

All entries at Silver level automatically qualify for a Gold Award for: 
• Best Large Investor (€750m+ invested in Real Estate)
• Best Medium Investor (€250m - €750m invested in Real Estate)
• Best Small Investor (up to €250m invested in Real Estate)

There is also the opportunity to enter separately for the Gold Award for:
• Best Newcomer to Real Estate Investment.

This high level award was introduced last year to acknowledge the increasing importance and popularity of the institutional real estate investment sector. 

Gold Award by Nomination
• Real Estate Investment Consultancy of the Year

PLATINUM AWARDS
The three winners of the European Gold Awards for Best Large, Best Medium and Best Small investor are now judged against each other to determine the Platinum Award for:
• Best European Pension Fund 2012

Each year, we also seek nominations for the Platinum Award to determine:
• Outstanding Industry Contribution 
Nominees can come from any part of the real estate investment industry and may be an individual, a team, a company or a dedicated project.

Who judges the IP Real Estate Awards? 
IP Real Estate invites leading industry professionals from across the industry to assess the entries, to which they have access after the closing date. Once they have evaluated the entries in their categories, they submit their scores to IP Real Estate independently.

IP Real Estate then takes an aggregate of the scores to determine the winners of each award. The judges' decisions are final and IP Real Estate does not enter into any correspondence regarding any aspect of the judging process.

Who can attend and who qualifies for a subsidised place?

IPE guarantees free accommodation to two senior executives from all pension funds and similar institutional real estate investors that submit an entry for the IP Real Estate Awards and attend the IP Real Estate Awards Dinner on May 23. Pension funds and similar institutional real estate investors that do not enter but attend the IP Real Estate Investor Forum & Awards on May 23 will also be eligible for free accommodation and travelling expenses but places are limited so please register early.

Institutional real estate investors other than pension funds include insurance companies, charities, foundations and sovereign wealth funds. They must be based in Europe to qualify. Subsidised places provide free accommodation at a four-star hotel booked by IPE plus up to €350 towards travel expenses. IPE reserves the right to charge any sponsored place attendee who registers but does not attend the IP Real Estate Awards dinner the full hotel accommodation charge and may not reimburse travel expenses.

Please note that guests from pension funds and similar institutions who accept this offer but find they are unable to attend must inform IPE before the event. Failure to do so may result in IPE invoicing you for your hotel room and travel expenses will not be reimbursed. 

Please also note the following guidelines when booking your travel:

- Only direct return tickets from your point of origin to the Awards city will be reimbursed. If you wish to travel to the Awards from one city and return to another city you must contact yvonne.cooke@ipe.com to make special arrangements otherwise these tickets will not be reimbursed.

- First/Business/Premier class travel will not be covered

- If you wish to travel by car, IPE will reimburse fuel charges, tolls paid and any parking expenses. Please keep all receipts for these charges as they will be needed to verify your claims.

- Attendance at the IP Real Estate Awards Dinner on May 23 is mandatory

Can investment consultants attend? 
Yes. They may attend free of charge but do not qualify for subsidised places.

The IPE Awards is an industry event and as such registration is restricted to the following delegates: pension fund executives and trustees, pension fund consultants, sponsors and sponsor's guests.

If you do not fit one of these categories you might still be eligible to attend. Please contact Yvonne Cooke for more details at: yvonne.cooke@ipe.com

Asset managers and other service providers can only attend the event if they are a sponsor. To receive more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Yvonne Cooke at: yvonne.cooke@ipe.com

Where is the 2012 event being held? 
This year, the IP Real Estate Investor Forum and Awards take place at the Lancaster London Hotel in London, UK, on May 23. Please select the relevant button in the left hand navigation pane at the top of this page to secure your place and being an entry. 

How confidential are the entries? 
IP Real Estate does not disclose in advance any information about winning entries. Nor do we publish the names or any part of any entry of those who enter but do not win.

However, if an entry wins an Award, the investor automatically gives IP Real Estate the right to publish all or part of their entry, to disclose their name at the IP Real Estate Awards Gala Dinner and to feature it as part of the IP RE Awards supplement which will be available to guests after the IP RE Awards Gala Dinner and distributed with the subsequent issue of IP Real Estate.