Over the last two years, I have heard the same message repeatedly in conversations with developers, investors, operators and retailers across Europe: our industry is becoming more complex, but the opportunities to learn from one another are not keeping pace. The ACROSS ACADEMY is our response to this challenge.
When I founded ACROSS in 2008, many people questioned the timing. The world was in the midst of a financial crisis. Launching a new publication dedicated to retail real estate seemed, at least to some, like a rather courageous decision. Yet from the very beginning, the idea behind ACROSS was never simply to publish a magazine. The ambition was to create a platform that helps bring together an industry that is diverse, fragmented and constantly evolving. Over the years, ACROSS has grown from a print publication into a European media platform that connects developers, investors, operators, retailers and advisors across more than 40 countries. It has become a place where projects are presented, ideas are debated and experiences are shared.
“Information is everywhere. Learning is not.”
Today, however, I believe our industry needs more than media. This conviction led to the creation of the ACROSS ACADEMY.
Complexity Has INCREASED
Looking back ten or fifteen years, retail real estate was a comparatively straightforward business.
We discussed locations, tenant mixes, leasing strategies and asset performance. While these topics remain important, the scope of what industry professionals need to understand has expanded dramatically.
Today, retail real estate sits at the intersection of numerous disciplines. We talk about mixed-use development, placemaking, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, hospitality, entertainment, mobility, food and beverage concepts, data analytics and community building. Successful destinations increasingly combine many of these elements at the same time.
This has made our industry more complex than ever before. But also far more interesting.
Today’s industry leaders are expected to understand an ever-expanding range of disciplines while navigating markets that are evolving faster than ever before. This is where I see the role of the ACROSS ACADEMY.
Reinhard Winiwarter
„Think Big!“ is the motto of Reinhard Winiwarter, Founder, Managing Director and Publisher of ACROSS Magazine and initiator of ACROSS ACADEMY.
Education Through Exchange
The ACADEMY is not intended to be a traditional educational institution. We do not claim to have all the answers or see ourselves as the teachers. Instead, we see ourselves as the platform.
Our role is to connect industry leaders and create formats that turn expertise and experience into meaningful learning opportunities. We invite leading specialists, practitioners and thought leaders from across Europe to present their ideas, discuss their experiences and engage with participants.
The ACADEMY is therefore built around exchange rather than instruction. Its formats range from Executive Masterclasses and strategic workshops to Retail Talks and curated study tours. Some
are designed for small groups and intensive discussion. Others create opportunities for a broader audience to participate in conversations around the most relevant topics facing the industry today. What unites all of them is a simple idea: learning happens most effectively when expertise meets dialogue.
Beyond the Conference Room
One of the experiences that significantly influenced the development of the ACADEMY was the success of our study tours, which have become an increasingly important part of the ACROSS platform over the last few years. What surprised me was not only how popular these tours became, but why people valued them so highly. Participants were not interested in simply walking through shopping centers and taking photographs. They wanted access. They wanted conversations with developers, operators and retailers. They wanted to understand the thinking behind successful projects, the challenges encountered during development and the decisions that shaped the final result.
In other words, they wanted to learn directly from experience. This insight has become one of the guiding principles of the ACADEMY. Whether through a workshop, a masterclass, a lively online discussion on investment trends or a Placemaking Safari exploring innovative destinations. The objective is always the same: to connect participants with practical knowledge and real-world perspectives.
A European Perspective
One of the great strengths of ACROSS has always been its European perspective. Europe is not a single market. The differences between countries and cities like London, Lisbon, Warsaw, Bucharest or Vienna are significant. Market maturity, consumer behavior, regulatory frameworks and investment dynamics vary enormously from country to country. Yet these differences are precisely what make Europe such a valuable learning environment. Some of the most innovative ideas currently shaping retail real estate are emerging from Central and Eastern Europe. Other markets are leading the way in placemaking, sustainability, hospitality integration or digital transformation. The ability to learn from one another across borders is one of the greatest opportunities available to our industry. And the ACROSS ACADEMY is designed to support exactly this exchange.
Looking Ahead
To launch the ACROSS ACADEMY was just the start. We will continue to develop new formats, explore new destinations and invite new voices to contribute to the conversation. Some initiatives will succeed immediately. Others will evolve over time. What matters most is that we remain close to the needs of the industry and flexible enough to adapt as those needs change.
One thing, however, I am convinced of: retail real estate will always remain a people business. Technology will continue to transform the way we work. Artificial intelligence will change how decisions are made. Data will become increasingly important. Yet at the heart of every successful project remain people: people with ideas, people with experience and people willing to learn from one another.
The ACROSS ACADEMY exists to bring those people together. And that, perhaps, is the most important form of education we can offer.
Originally published in ACROSS Magazine Issue 2/2026
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