Shared challenges. Different perspectives. One of the most valuable aspects of our work is the breadth of organisations we engage with. Over the past few months, we've worked with investors, asset managers, developers, local authorities and regeneration partners, while also facilitating industry roundtables and workshops. Although their objectives differ, many are facing the same challenges: increasing project complexity, ongoing funding and viability pressures, and the ne

Events like UKREiiF (and recently MIPIM) are becoming an increasingly important part of how businesses in the built environment connect, collaborate and develop new opportunities. But like marketing, they tend to work best when they’re thought about early rather than bolted on at the last minute. It's easy to treat an event presence as a badge. A pavilion booked, a few fringe invites accepted, perhaps a speaking slot secured. But without a clear plan around who you want to m

We’ve always felt that marketing works best when it’s an integral part of a business, not something tacked on at the end. So often, marketing is brought in once the big decisions have already been made. The strategy is set, the investment or regeneration plan agreed, the leasing approach signed off, and marketing is then asked to support it or help get the message out. By that point, the role is mostly reactive. When marketing is involved earlier, alongside those wider conver

We spent months debating a company name, eventually landing on Layer, only to realise quite quickly that it didn’t really matter what we were called. Starting a business, post-50, felt equal parts madness, risk and excitement. But our experience meant we could hit the ground running, whatever the company or project. The work felt familiar, even if the structure was new. One of the nicest moments came when industry friends started referring to Layer rather than Victoria and L