2nd Annual Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit

Investment, development, construction and design strategies for Australia’s childcare real estate sector

7th - 8th May 2025 | Doltone House Darling Island, Sydney

CONFERENCE | EXHIBITION | NETWORKING

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ABOUT THE EVENT

With more parents entering the workforce and an increasing emphasis on early childhood development, demand for childcare services has surged. This growth of this asset has created a robust market, driving investment interest from individuals, institutions, and real estate developers alike.

Sales have surged with more than $1 billion in early education transactions over the past three years. There’s also been strong rental growth over this period with rents growing 87 per cent over the past decade and 27 per cent since 2020 alone. Furthermore, the essential nature of childcare services ensures consistent demand, even during economic downturns, making early education properties resilient to market volatility.

Back for its 2^nd year the Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit will bring together 250+ industry leaders – operators, developers, investors and suppliers – to discuss ideas, build relationships, develop new ways of thinking and receive loads of meaningful content.

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Summit

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Thank you for the opportunity to be on the panel for the recent Childcare & Early Learning Summit. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and found it informative and insightful. Particular great to see our sector – developers, funders and management groups come together and put children and their families at the forefront of our thinking, design and expansion.  Quality education in our Early Learning Centres is critical given the vast majority of learning for children happens at ages 0-5, as is our expansion to ensure we meet the needs of our growing population.  The need for our collective thinking is more critical than ever.

Carolyn Morris

CEO, Y Victoria

I was very pleased to be asked to Chair the Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit last week. With over 200 people in attendance, and with nothing short of 'best in class' speakers, a thoroughly informative and enjoyable day. Congratulations to all involved.

Nick Anagnostou

Managing Director, Navigator IC

It was my pleasure to be a panel member at the recent Child care forum.  To receive commentary from all facets of the industry was indeed fascinating and educational.  We have all issues in turbulent times, but what is apparent is the desire to all achieve success.  The Forum confirmed this and helps plot a way forward

Mark Delaney

Childcare Portfolio Fund Manager, Social Infrastructure - Real Estate Investment, Australian Unity

Probably the most valuable education and networking event that I have attended for sometime, with all of the key stakeholders for Childcare development and centre operation represented in a single forum.

Derek Miller

Director, Hampton Property Group

The Program

Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit will bring together senior leaders to discuss the following topics:

Progress report – The current state of play for the childcare and early learning market in Australia
Emerging trends, regulations, and market dynamics in the APAC childcare sector
Future-proofing childcare assets: Leveraging government initiatives
Unleashing the latent value of land: Strategic approaches to maximise future development opportunities
Construction opportunities, innovation, and development trends
Unlocking investment potential: Key considerations for investing in childcare real estate
Designing tomorrow's learning havens: Innovations in architectural vision for childcare facilities
Redefining operator and children’s needs in modern and innovative childcare assets
Leveraging technology to streamline operations, reduce energy costs, deliver better safety and improve customer experience

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Past Speakers

Carolyn Morris

Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Victoria

Tom Hardwick

Former CEO, Guardian Childcare

Max Bergh

Chief Executive Officer, Amiga Montessori

Chris Fischer

Chief Executive Officer, Paisley Park Early Learning Centres

Sharyn Williams

Chief Financial Officer, G8 Education

Richard Barresi

Executive Director, MA Financial Group

Cameron Bell

Senior Analyst – Equity Research, Canaccord Genuity

Travis Butcher

Fund Manager Social Infrastructure, Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT

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Wednesday | 12 June 2024

Conference Schedule

Wednesday | 12 June 2024

08:00

Conference registration & morning coffee

09:00

Opening remarks

09:05

Chairman’s welcome

Where is the Childcare Real Estate headed and what can we expect in the years ahead as Australia goes through unprecedented population growth and opportunities within the sector.

Nick Anagnostou, Managing Director, Navigator IC

THE BIG PICTURE OUTLOOK

09:25

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Learning from the lessons of the past to chart a compelling future

Join Matthew Edwards, the Founder of THINK Childcare and the driving force behind NIDO Education. Drawing on his past successes, Matthew will share his insights into the future direction and opportunities across the Australian childcare real estate sector. With over a decade of experience shaping nurturing environments, this session promises a thought-provoking exploration on how to capitalise on emerging trends and develop key strategies in childcare.

What makes childcare real estate attractive to tenants?
Evaluating the asset class’s appeal for capital investment and for generating returns to investors
Exploring the unique relationship between design, developers and operators of childcare assets
Looking back at what made THINK Childcare so successful and what lessons can be applied to NIDO and other childcare facilities?

Mathew Edwards, Founder and Managing Director, NIDO Childcare

09:50

Opportunities and challenges in childcare real estate development

Join us for a power-packed interactive conversation as we delve into the future of childcare real estate development. Our panel will unpack the full spectrum of opportunities and address the dynamic relationship between design, build and operate from the perspective of Australia’s leading childcare developers.

Future-proofing childcare assets: Leveraging government initiatives to bolster market stability amidst economic shifts

Capturing growth: Analysing market opportunities in childcare real estate amidst demand drivers and economic impact
Unleashing the latent value of land: Strategic approaches to maximise future development opportunities
The investment landscape: Capitalising on the lucrative opportunities in greenfield, brownfield, new construction, and retrofit childcare developments

Facilitator

Danny Azar, Chief Executive Officer, RockBuild Group

Mathew Edwards, Founder and Managing Director, NIDO Childcare

Sharyn Williams, Chief Financial Officer, G8 Education

Carolyn Morris, Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Victoria

Chris Fischer, Chief Executive Officer, Paisley Park Early Learning Centres

Bradley Air, National Project and Building Manager, Affinity Education Group

10:30

Construction opportunities, innovation, and development trends in early childhood

Danny will be discussing the current construction market in the childcare space and the feasibility of buying and building. He will be discussing how you can strategically amend designs to bring down construction costs whilst offering sustainable solutions to drive down maintenance costs on new centres, alleviating the pressures of budgets in big companies. Also, how you can place your refurbishment and maintenance portfolios to achieve value for money, where to spend your money and how to spend it in order to keep costs down.

Danny Azar, Chief Executive Officer, RockBuild Group

10:50

Morning coffee & networking break

CHILDCARE REIMAGINED – ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

11:30

Interactive roundtable discussions:

In this session we bring landlords, developers, investors, operators, architects, fit-out companies, and tech firms together in small focus groups to discuss challenges and opportunities. This will be followed by a 2-minute wrap by table facilitators.

Round Table 1: Unlocking investment potential: Key considerations for investing in childcare real estate

Moderated by: Mark Delaney, Fund Manager – Social Infrastructure, Australian Unity Wealth

Round Table 2: Designing tomorrow’s learning havens: Innovations in architectural vision for childcare facilities

Moderated by: Carmine Santomartino, Associate Director, Point Architects

Round Table 3: Fire Protection made simple: Smoke Alarm Systems vs Detection Systems: Understanding Australian Standards

Moderated by: Cathy Brand, Chief Executive Officer, Brooks Australia | Chris Orr, Standards and Code Specialist, Brooks Australia | Jason Lohf, Fire Systems Solutions Manager, Brooks Australia

Round Table 4: How and why pedagogically aligned environments deliver superior outcomes in 2024

Moderated by: Prue Gardner, Early Learning Specialist, Step4

Round Table 5: Investing in Play: Building a playground that pays off

Moderated by: Lukas Ritson, Founder and Play Expert, Wearthy

Round Table 6: Contaminated Land – issues during planning, what to consider, how to avoid delays in development, what is involved in remediation, what can be learnt from other developments

Moderated by: Rod Gray, Senior Associate & Branch Manager, Douglas Partners

Mark Delaney, Fund Manager – Social Infrastructure, Australian Unity Wealth

Carmine Santomartino, Associate Director, Point Architects

Lukas Ritson, Founder and Play Expert, Wearthy

Cathy Brand, Chief Executive Officer, Brooks Australia

Prue Gardner, Early Learning Specialist, Step 4

Rod Gray, Senior Associate & Branch Manager, Douglas Partners

Jason Lohf, Fire Systems Solutions Manager, Brooks Australia

Chris Orr, Standards and Code Specialist, Brooks Australia

CAPITAL MARKETS & INVESTMENT VALUE

12:10

Overview of APAC childcare

From emerging trends and regulatory developments to market dynamics and investment opportunities, Vanessa will delve into the factors shaping the APAC childcare sector. Gain a deeper understanding of regional nuances, challenges, and growth drivers that impact childcare operations and investment opportunities across APAC.

Emerging trends, regulations, and market dynamics in the APAC childcare sector
How resilient is this asset class when it comes to economic fluctuations?
Understanding the regional nuances and challenges shaping childcare operations across APAC
Identify growth drivers and investment opportunities within the APAC childcare industry

Vanessa Rader, Head of Research, Ray White

12:30

Capitalising on growth: Investment insights in childcare real estate

In this panel of leading childcare fund managers, we uncover their latest investment insights and look into capital flows and returns for the sector. Dive into long-term compression trends in urban and non-urban childcare centre yields, uncover market momentum, and discover how to maximise your ROI.

Unlocking investment potential: Analysing the impact of rising interest rates and inflation on childcare real estate markets
Yield dynamics: Assessing long-term compression trends in urban and non-urban childcare centre yields
Exploring market momentum: Unveiling real estate and private equity interest in growth potential
Capitalising on ROI metrics: evaluating long-term performance indicators in childcare real estate investments

Panellists

Richard Barresi, Executive Director, MA Financial Group

Cameron Bell, Senior Analyst – Equity Research, Canaccord Genuity

Travis Butcher, Fund Manager Social Infrastructure, Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT

Mark Delaney, Fund Manager – Social Infrastructure, Australian Unity Wealth

Facilitator

Benjamin Martin-Henry, Head of Real Assets Research – Pacific, MSCI

13:10

Lunch and networking break

TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & INNOVATION

14:10

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT:

In this rapid-fire session, 5 forward thinking companies showcase how they’re shaping the future of childcare real estate through innovative tech, design and services.

Talk 1: The Future of ECEC Staffing – Tony Been, General Manager, Z Staffing

Talk 2: Ensuring Efficiency Across Your Childcare Centres – Kheang Ly, CEO/Founder, OWNA

Talk 3: Jesse Casellini, Director of APAC, Verkada

Talk 4: De-Risking new ELC’s through an Integrated Design and Construction Approach – Joe Kelley, Integrated Architectural Design & Construction, Coverite Projects

Tony Been, General Manager, Z Staffing

Kheang Ly, CEO/Founder, OWNA

Jesse Casellini, Director of APAC, Verkada

Joe Kelley, Integrated Architectural Design & Construction, Coverite Projects

Facilitator:

Simon Hayes, Commercial Real Estate Subcommittee, Proptech Association Australia

15:00

Afternoon coffee and networking break

NEXT GENERATION CHILDCARE FACILITIES

15:30

CASE STUDY: The Starex Difference: Innovating in the Childcare furniture market

Matt Cooke, Managing Director of Starex will examine why Australian childcare services are choosing Starex furniture to create a unique point of difference in a saturated market. 

Matt Cooke, Managing Director, Starex Manufacturing

15:50

TENANTS PANEL DISCUSSION: Generating greater economic and social value: Meet the innovative tenants shaping the future of childcare real estate

Join us for the Tenants Panel Discussion as we unlock the economic and social value in childcare real estate. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry leaders on maximising the potential of childcare real estate as we go in depth to explore the following aspects:

Nurturing success: Redefining operator and children’s needs in modern and innovative childcare assets
ESG in Action: Building sustainable value through childcare real estate developments
Tenant-centric leasing strategies: Adaptable approaches to drive client retention and attract quality tenants in childcare real estate

Panellists

Max Bergh, Chief Executive Officer, Amiga Montessori

Nicholas Siliato, Head of M&A, Affinity Education Group

Addy Singh, Owner/Founder, Learning Ladder Boutique Early Learning Centres

Jack Kroger, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Birches Early Learning

Facilitator

Marcello Caspani-Muto, Associate Director, CBRE

16:30

FIRESIDE CHAT | The Crystal Ball: Insights from a legend of the industry

In this dynamic locknote session, industry visionary Tom Hardwick will share his key views on what lies ahead for childcare real estate and how you capitalise on this booming sector.

Tom Hardwick, Former CEO, Guardian Childcare

Interviewed by

Nick Anagnostou, Managing Director, Navigator IC

16:55

Chair’s closing remarks

In this dynamic locknote session, industry visionary Tom Hardwick will share his key views on what lies ahead for childcare real estate and how you capitalise on this booming sector.

Nick Anagnostou, Managing Director, Navigator IC

18:00

Close of Summit

Event Ticket Price

Register Today

$1095+gst

1 Day Summit Virtual Ticket

Access to conference streamed sessions
Session recordings and presentation slides
No access to interactive round tables and networking sessions

$1395+gst

1 Day Summit In-person Ticket

Access to all conference sessions and networking opportunities
Session recordings and presentation slides

Partnership Opportunities

The Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit presents unique annual opportunities across a number of channels, all designed to deliver business development and leadership opportunities.

Organisations that are involved in providing products, services or solutions in the following categories would benefit from being involved:

Construction firms
Developers
Architects/designers
Property managers
Financiers
Smart building technologies
Energy efficiency/sustainability solutions
Furniture rental companies
Play equipment
Legal firms

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Who Attends?

Childcare & Early Learning Real Estate Summit 2025 by the numbers:

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Benefits of Attending

The Supply Chain and Industrial Warehouse Summit is a Hybrid event. This format combines the traditional face-to-face conference with virtual elements, allowing both in-person and virtual attendees to access the same content and networking opportunities simultaneously.