For anyone working in or connected to the built environment, next month will be busy because UKREiiF takes place in May.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Patn Fest is not competing against UKREiiF. It is, after all, the year’s leading real estate event and expects to attract over 16,000 attendees.

We, on the other hand, have a capacity of just over 100. From a numbers and reputational perspective, we’re very much operating on the margins.

But marginal isn’t a dirty word. The margins are where interesting, fresh and challenging ideas thrive. We’re not in the mainstream but we want to get the voices we represent heard — not in some militant way, but to encourage different ways of thinking about and looking at the built environment.

And our secret weapon? Play. A bit of playfulness goes a long way. Patn Fest isn’t about doing deals. It’s about placemakers of different backgrounds coming together to relax in each other’s company, at an event where they can be entertained and inspired.

We’re championing the margins because that’s where good things start to happen.