The largest global real estate developments are currently taking place in Saudi Arabia and they want to work with you. Saudi Arabia has seen significant investment in the real estate sector in recent years, with a particular focus on developing world-class cities and urban areas.
The global real estate market faces several ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) challenges, including energy consumption, water usage, waste management, social equity, and governance transparency. These challenges are exacerbated by varying climatic conditions, urbanization, and the growing demand for resources.
The underlying problem to solve is to develop innovative solutions that reduce the environmental impact of the real estate sector while improving the quality of life for residents and tenants. This includes promoting renewable energy sources, implementing new sustainable building designs, enhancing indoor air quality, fostering social responsibility, and ensuring transparent governance practices.
This ESG Challenge at Cityscape Global aims to foster creativity and collaboration among stakeholders in the real estate sector worldwide. The goal is to work together on innovative solutions that promote environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and good governance, aligning with global sustainability goals and frameworks.
Can you demonstrate a solution that addresses these challenges in the real estate sector? Do you want to contribute to creating world-class cities with reduced environmental impact? If so, submit your pitch for an opportunity to be on stage at the world’s largest real estate event, in Riyadh on 11-14th November 2024.
What are some examples of solutions we are looking for?
- Energy Efficiency: Technologies and solutions that can improve the energy efficiency of buildings and infrastructure, whether for new assets or as part of a retrofit of existing assets.
- Integrated Renewable Energy: Solutions that empower net-zero energy buildings and infrastructure, using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind or geothermal power, especially without having significant aesthetic or cost implications.
- Water conservation: Innovative water conservation technologies, such as water-efficient plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting systems, graywater recycling systems, and leak-detection tools, which can reduce water usage in buildings.
- Waste management: Solutions that can improve waste management practices in the real estate sector, such as developing innovative recycling and composting systems, promoting sustainable procurement practices, and reducing the use of single-use plastics.
- Sustainable Design: Innovations in eco-friendly architecture and technologies that incorporate sustainable design principles, such as passive solar design, natural ventilation, and integrated green and blue infrastructure.
- Indoor air quality: Tools and design principles that can enhance indoor air quality, detect impurities or in other ways improve health and wellbeing.
- Urban Biodiversity: Technologies that help integrate nature into urban environments, enhance urban food production, and improve the health of local wildlife.
- Community and Social Engagement: Platforms and solutions that facilitate community engagement, social interaction, and local business support.
- Climate Resilience: Solutions that enhance the ability of buildings and infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and other climate-related challenges.
What are we not looking for?
- Vendor lock-in solutions
- Solutions that are not cost effective
- Solutions that are difficult to implement logistically
- Solutions with no track record of success
About the Show and Competition Format:
Cityscape Global is the world’s largest real estate event, welcoming over 160,000 attendees. 380 industry-leading speakers, 300 exhibitors and every Saudi Arabian GIGA Project under one roof, in 2023.
The event is growing even further in 2024, with an expected audience of 200,000+ and 500 speakers across 6 stages, covering a broad range of topics and areas related to urbanism, technology, investment and the future of living. This edition is taking place at the Riyadh Exhibition & Conference Centre – Malham on 11 – 14 November 2024.
- 20 semifinalists will be chosen to present live at the show, per category
- Each semifinal consists of 10 participants and 5 judges, with back-to-back pitches over a 1.5-hour time period.
- The live semifinals will be viewed by an audience of government stakeholders, key developers, and leading investors present at Cityscape Global
- 1 finalist will be chosen per semifinal, to present on the Cityscape Global Mainstage as part of the Innovation Challenges final showdown, where the 6 finalists will present again in front of an audience of 1,000 industry experts and globally renowned judges
- 1 final winner is selected per category by the judges
What do successful submissions (semifinalists) receive?
- Direct access to the most exciting global real estate market
- Opportunity to pitch in front of an audience that includes every Saudi GIGA project
- Matchmaking with VCs and investors, as well as end-users and potential buyers
The 6 overall Finalist receive additional benefits:
- Marketing exposure and presence in the competition press release
- Interviews pre-event for Cityscape Global 2025
What does the winner receive?
Prize money to be determined.
1st Place Winner per category receives:
- A possible pilot project with one of the jury members’ companies
- Media Exposure and interviews during Cityscape Global 2024
- Complementary 9 sqm (3x3) equipped booth at Cityscape Global 2025 (worth $9,604 USD)
- Complementary Panel speaker slot in Cityscape Global 2025 – “The Winners circle -12 month on” content session
- Marketing exposure and interviews pre-event for Cityscape Global 2025
- Possible access to 12-month complementary office space in Riyadh (via sponsors)
Selection and invitation:
20 companies per category (60 total) will be selected and invited to Cityscape Global 2024.
- There is no submission fee, and a complimentary Event Pass to Cityscape Global 2024 will be provided
- Entrants must cover their own flight, accommodation and other expense during the event
- Additional benefits: Cityscape Innovation Challenge participants receive a discounted rate on a Startup-Pod-Package at the exhibition, for $3.500 USD
Rules to participate
- Participant must be a registered company.
- Innovative solutions must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
- Participant must be able to demonstrate a working prototype/product/service.
The pitch deck (max. 20 slides)
Your submission will be evaluated by a jury. On the pitch day, semifinalists will be able to use a more comprehensive slide desk.
What must be included in your pitch desk?
A. Elevator pitch about what your company does
B. Product Description. Provide a clear description of your innovative solution/product/business
C. Using a business case/ success case, describe the added value of your solution
D. Introduce your founding/key team members and provide an overview of how many team members in total FTE
The pitch document may be submitted as a presentation deck or in letter format, and must be in English language. Uploaded files must be in PDF format: A4 size (portrait/landscape), max. 30MB. Links to videos, examples, websites etc. may be included.
Timeline
- Application deadline: 13th September 23:59 Central European Time
- Selection Period: 17th August – 13th September
- Announcement & Invites: 13th September (60 companies overall)
- Semifinal Preparation submission: Slides to be sent in by 31st October 2024 (no late submissions will be accepted)
- Semifinals: 11-13th November 2024
- Final: 14th November 2024
Concept program Semifinals & Finals:
- Pitches: 4 minutes
- Jury questions: 4 minutes
- Jury deliberations
- Finals including award ceremony on the Main Stage of Cityscape Global on the 14th of November 2024