DevelopmentDavid Di Marco

Melbourne Long Lunch 2025: Four Game-Changers, One Big Conversation

Melbourne’s property industry will come together in December for one of the year’s most anticipated gatherings, as The Urban Developer’s Long Lunch—Melbourne returns to 1 Hotel Melbourne on Thursday, December 11.

Presented by ARC Energy and Opticomm, the anticipated sellout event will bring together more than 500 of Victoria’s leading developers, investors and advisers for an afternoon of ideas, conversation and connection—and a look at where the market is heading as the city moves into a new cycle.

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A market finding its footing

Melbourne’s development landscape is evolving. Cost pressures, planning complexity and changing buyer expectations continue to challenge the market, yet opportunity remains for those willing to innovate.

This year’s line-up of speakers—Tim Price, Katya Crema, Jeremy McLeod and Anne Michaels—represents the best of Melbourne’s creativity and resilience. Together, they bring fresh insight into design, sustainability, leadership and what it takes to deliver meaningful projects in a shifting environment.

Tim Price | Time & Place

With three decades in the industry, Tim Price has helped shape some of the country’s largest and most complex mixed-use developments. As founder of Time & Place, he has delivered more than $5 billion in projects across Melbourne and Sydney.

Price built his business on the philosophy that every development should outlast its market cycle—creating multi-generational value through attention to detail and design integrity. At the Long Lunch, he will share lessons from a career defined by reinvention and a focus on exceeding expectations.

Katya Crema | HIP V. HYPE

Architect-turned-developer Katya Crema brings a unique perspective to Melbourne’s sustainability conversation. As Head of Sales and Customer Journey at HIP V. HYPE, she is responsible for guiding residents through the creation of homes designed to perform—environmentally and experientially.

A former Winter Olympian and third-generation member of the Crema property family, Crema blends discipline with empathy. She also champions gender equality as co-founder of Women of ABP, a University of Melbourne initiative connecting women across architecture and construction.

At the Long Lunch, she will explore how design excellence, customer experience and purpose-driven culture can coexist in a high-pressure market.

Jeremy McLeod | Breathe Architecture

As co-founder of Breathe Architecture and Nightingale Housing, Jeremy McLeod has redefined what sustainable, affordable housing looks like in Australia. His award-winning practice champions collaboration and transparency—design as a force for good.

A recipient of the AIA’s 2025 Urban Design Champion Award, McLeod is also Head of Partnerships at Goodbye Gas, advocating for all-electric, fossil-free housing. He will challenge developers to reimagine their role in addressing the housing and climate crises.

Anne Michaels | sheBuilt

Anne Michaels has spent more than two decades crafting projects that connect people, history and place. As Director of sheBuilt, she leads with collaboration and inclusivity—values that inspired BVIA on BANK, a project led entirely by women across every discipline.

With experience spanning funds management, IT and a former non-executive directorship at a $1.2-billion ASX-listed property company, Michaels brings a multidimensional view of leadership. She will discuss how diversity drives better outcomes—and why community connection must sit at the heart of good development.

A forum for what comes next

The Melbourne Long Lunch has become more than a networking event—it’s an annual forum for the people shaping Victoria’s built environment.

This year’s speakers capture the themes driving the next chapter of growth: adaptability, inclusion, sustainability and a renewed focus on the human experience.