West London Autumn Property Lunch

The West London Autumn Property Lunch

Kensington Olympia and Future A-Grade Office Space Needs

**FINAL SPACES REMAINING!**

Update 5.10.26 SITE TOUR SPACES ARE NOW FULL. Successful applicants will be notified over the coming days of the logistics for the tour.

Date: Friday 16 October | 12:00-4:00PM 

Venue: Idalia, Kensington Olympia

Our third and final Property Lunch of 2026 focuses in on the newly refurbished Kensington Olympia, which as recently reopened its doors as the greatly anticipated new cultural hub for West London, with prime dining options, a new theatre and fantastic A-grade office space. We are excited to be joined by Michael Volkert, CEO of Kensington Olympia, for this exciting opportunity to be one of the first to experience the new site. 

There will be an optional site visit led by Michael prior to the Lunch, with spaces limited by a first-come, first-served basis. Please indicate your interest in joining the tour when registering.

There is CPD recognition available. We welcome the inclusion of young entrepreneurs to the West London built environment and property community - please contact Amy Jiang if you are interested in attending and are under 35. Read these networking tips from WLB member Jo Shepherd from The Manser Practice. Contact Amy if you are U35 and would like to be buddied up with an experience networker at the start of your first/ next WLB event.

 

      

Agenda

11:00 AM Optional site visit at Kensington Olympia (limited spaces, first come first served)

12:00 PM Arrival and drinks reception at Idalia

12:45 PM Presentations in the Garden Room

13:45 PM Q&A

14:00 PM Three course lunch

14:45 PM Desserts and further networking

16:00 PM (Optional) Departure to bar for further networking

 

Speakers

Michael Volkert, CEO of Kensington Olympia

Michael Volkert was appointed CEO of Olympia Estates, the operating company behind the £1.3bn transformation of the iconic Olympia site, in 2025, ahead of the phased opening of its new venues and public spaces. He is leading the transformation of the 14-acre estate as it evolves into a global scale destination for entertainment, culture, food, hospitality, business and events.

The transformation is already coming to life, with the 3,800-capacity British Airways ARC, Hyatt Regency London Olympia, a host of new restaurants and bars, premium office space and new public realm now open, with further openings throughout 2026 and 2027. The final chapter will see the opening of the British Airways Theatre in 2027 – London’s largest purpose-built theatre in almost 50 years – alongside further hospitality and public spaces.

 

Alice Sewell, Investment Director at Imperial College London

Alice will present Grapht Works, Imperial's new advanced manufacturing facility in North Acton, as a case study in successful new commercial workspace. Grapht Works opened in March 2026 as London's first facility dedicated to pilot and demo manufacturing. Its 28 flexible industrial units give deep tech companies somewhere to scale in the capital rather than move elsewhere. 

 

Councillor Hannah Bulmer, Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Hannah has 15 years of experience in strategy and marketing, starting her career as a Sales and Marketing graduate at Cadbury before moving to a Strategy Consultant role at Cognosis. Throughout her career, she has tackled a wide range of strategic and leadership challenges, including delivering portfolio planning workshops for major FMCG companies, acting as a strategic partner for a leading hotel chain’s loyalty program, and developing board assessment and recruitment processes for a national sports body.

Hannah was elected in May 2026 as Labour councillor for Grove ward in Hammersmith & Fulham, where she serves as Cabinet Member for Social Advancement and the Pathway Bond, which she will be speaking about at the Property Lunch. She also acted as a Communications Advisor to the H&F Labour 2026 local election campaign contributing to the development of the manifesto and other campaign materials, as well as inputting on broader strategic campaign direction.

 

Facilitator: Lucy Bawden, Founder of Pocket Creatives

Lucy Bawden is the Founder of Pocket Creatives and a member of the LDN Collective. Lucy is a cultural strategist and programmer with more than 18 years’ experience working across property, regeneration, placemaking and the arts. She has delivered projects for developers including Lendlease and Delancey, as well as local authorities and cultural organisations, and is also a West London local, having grown up next to Olympia.

She is a very engaging and confident communicator, with a real ability to connect different people and perspectives. Her experience bridging the property and creative sectors make her an excellent fit for a discussion celebrating Olympia as both a major commercial development and West London’s new cultural hub.

 

Pricing

£137 + VAT - Non Member's Rate (Non-Veg)

£117 + VAT - Non Member's Rate (Veg)

£112 + VAT - Member's Rate (Non-Veg)

£99 + VAT - Member's Rate (Veg)

Your ticket includes a sparkling wine reception, half a bottle of red/white wine and a three course meal at Idalia.

 

Venue

Address:

Idalia Restaurant, Ground Floor

Olympia Way, London W14 0EY

W3W: ///unions.slows.tape

 

Menu Preorders:

Please select one from each upon checkout. Any dietary requirements will be catered for. 

Starters

Ham hock & caper terrine - picalilli gel, pickled vegetables and micro watercress

Roast Chantenay carrots (v) - labneh, dukkah seeds and carrot top pesto

Beetroot & gin cured Loch Duart salmon- fennell puree, horseradish creme fraiche, crispy shallot rings

 

Main Course

Ballontine mushroom stuffed Chicken Supreme - pomme anna, heritage carrots, squash puree & braised shallots

Roast cod - chorizo, chickpea and datterini cassoulet, salsa verde

Grilled miso & hispi cabbage (v) - burnt cauliflower puree, toasted hazelnut crumb & truffle vinaigrette

 

Desserts

Fig tartlet - almond frangipane, roasted black figs, mascarpone cream

Pear cake - William's pear Cremieux, amaretto crumble, vanilla ice cream

Blackberry cake - vanilla sponge, blackberry and verbena compote, blackberry Cremieux

 

Please choose your preorders upon checkout, or complete the form that has been sent to you if you booked on prior to the preorder menu being received. If you have not received this yet please get in touch with Amy ASAP to ensure that we receive your orders in a timely fashion.

 

Site Visit:

Successful registrants will be notified of the exact location of the site visit and travel arrangements closer to the time. 

The site visit will commence at 11 o'clock and we will meet at the visitor office adjacent to the Kensington Olympia station. 

 

Parking is extremely limited and cannot be reserved save for those with accessibility requirements (please contact Amy to arrange this.)

We would recommend guests travel to Idalia via public transport where possible - both Kensington Olympia and West Kensington are nearby tube stations and Olympia is also served by Kensington Station on the bus routes: 9, 27, N9 and N27.

 

For any questions or interest in purchasing the Season Package for three Property Lunches, please contact amy.jiang@westlondon.com.