Season's greetings

In 2022 it has been fantastic to see vibrant airport terminals once again, and to have been involved in the creation of so many exciting and imaginative new commercial spaces across the world.

This year we have seen change gather pace, and several trends have helped to underpin Pragma's evolution to develop our services, and we are excited to be expanding our proposition in 2023 to meet evolving client demands.

Travel sector
It's great to see the renewed energy in the airport sector and this year we have been privileged to have helped in the development of new airport terminals and the improvement of existing ones in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Our team have been flying around the world advising terminal operators on how to improve their non-aero revenues, and determine the optimal commercial space strategy for new terminals.

We supported Bangalore International Airport with the development of the highly impressive new Terminal 2, an incredible vision delivering the concept of a ‘terminal in a garden’.  On the other side of the world, we were delighted to work alongside the team at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay Jamaica, to help develop a vibrant new commercial offer that celebrates the best of Jamaican culture.

Earlier in the year we ran a webinar looking at how to develop a holistic approach to airport commercial planning which you can see here.

Property sector
Our clients in the property world value the insightful analytics, robust modelling and new ideas and thinking we provide. Together with our sister firm Benoy, we have been particularly busy this year working with developers and investors in Saudi Arabia and India, as well as the UK.

On recent trips to Saudi Arabia, it was apparent that the evolving culture, behaviours, and aspirations are creating a highly engaging environment, with impressive new streetscapes, entertainment options, and cutting edge mixed-use. From the futuristic vibrancy of Riyadh Season’s Boulevard, to the sophisticated dining destination of Ajdan Walk in Khobar, developers, operators, and designers are pushing the boundaries of innovation in reaction to changing consumer demands.

This year we published two white papers on India and Saudi Arabia which look at the changes in these societies and the opportunities the change brings.

While some of our work has been international, we continue to work with UK and European property businesses, as well as local councils. Our recent work with Barnsley Council, providing a retail health check which can be read here. 

Pragma and Benoy have also combined to create an approach which puts hard science behind the process of understanding a client's asset and delivering value from a social, economic and environmental perspective. This is summarised in our Data Design Paper. Another thought piece we published this year, Commercial Space in Offices looks at how you can use commercial space to entice people back to the office.

We look forward to more exciting opportunities in 2023 and beyond to support our colleagues and clients in creating positive impact. We wish you all a healthy and happy holiday period, and successful New Year!

Alex Avery
CEO