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

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 2nd 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.

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:

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
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 StaffingTony Been, General Manager, Z Staffing 

Talk 2: Ensuring Efficiency Across Your Childcare CentresKheang 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 ApproachJoe 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

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