Blakedown Landscapes Joins Expert Procurement Panel at Public Spaces Expo
Blakedown Landscapes was delighted to be invited to be part of an expert panel discussing all things procurement at this year’s Public Spaces Expo.
Public Spaces Expo is the UK’s largest expo and trade event for those who design, build and maintain public spaces. Held at Excel London in November, it is attended by local authorities, architects, landscape architects and commercial landscapers who are dedicated to creating beautiful and sustainable public spaces.
The session aptly entitled ‘Pricing to Profit: Avoiding a Race to the Bottom’ opened a lively conversation that included representatives from Tivoli Group Limited, Glendale Services, Tony Benger Landscaping, Quality & Service Limited and Blakedown Landscapes who shared their knowledge and best practice around commercial landscaping and procurement. The seminar was hosted by Nina Mason from Pro Landscaper, the organisers of Public Spaces Expo.
Some of the key take outs from the debates included:
the knowledge that bid teams are seeing an increase in quality submissions which pave the way to long term, mutually beneficial relationships being developed with trusted and reputable contractors;
that pricing frameworks are not the way forward. Contractors have the quality and ability to deliver and gain competitive advantage on their own merits;
a call for earlier interaction with the contractor at the design process stage. Chris Wellbelove, Director, Blakedown Landscapes mooted this point based on the premise that the landscape contractor has the knowledge and greater understanding of delivering landscaping best practice on the ground.
The overall concensus of the panel was that a ‘Race to the Bottom’ would be hugely detrimental to our industry and that innovation, best practice and offering value to our clients is the way forward. The biggest opportunity for the commercial landscaping sector lies in the importance that landscape and public realm has taken on in more recent times in creating spaces, communities, places to help with mental and physical wellbeing and leaving lasting legacies for future generations.
