CRE: Annual Convention - Featured Programs

Overview · Midyear Meeting · High Level Conference · Annual Convention ·
Chapter & Regional Events

Featured Programs

Sunday, April 13

Dispute Resolution Workshop
The CRE Real Estate Dispute Resolution Program is designed to resolve high value, complex real estate disputes. At the April Midyear Meetings we are excited to offer a special Dispute Resolution workshop session presented by expert CREs who are experienced in the complexities of this broad field.

Session topics and speakers include --
• Introduction to Sunday Workshop Program: Arthur Mazirow, CRE
• Dispute Resolution Program Overview: Philip S. Cottone, CRE
• Dispute Resolution Protocol and Rules: Gerald M. Levy, CRE
• Insuring Neutrality/Disclosure Policy; Case Consolidation Issues; Common Mistakes in Arbitration: Mr. Mazirow
• Arbitration Case Discussions: Mr. Levy and other instructors
• Mentoring Program: Mr. Cottone
• Marketing Plan and How to Generate Cases: Mr. Cottone

The session will highlight case study material from:
• Ground Rent Renewals
• Space Lease Rent Renewals
• Fractional Ownership Valuations
• Purchase Option Valuations
A packet of materials will be provided.

The session is open to all members of the CRE. However, seating is limited and will be on a first-come, first seated basis, so please arrive early. All CREs who want attend should RSVP to smcconnell@cre.org by April 1, 2008. (PLEASE NOTE: There will be a continental breakfast at the beginning of the session and a late morning snack for those planning to attend the Sunday development tour.)

Monday, April 14

Welcome Address
Speaker: Jerry Reinsdorf, Chairman, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls
A Legend in Chicago Real Estate

General Session: Macro Trends in the United States Real Estate Industry
In today's turbulent marketplace it's critical for CREs to be able to predict key trends before they occur. This session will provide insights from leading national investors and economists on the best practices and strategic thinking that will help CREs thrive in recessionary times, and answer important questions regarding the direction of the U.S. economy, debt and equity markets, property market conditions, and key investment themes and issues.
Speakers: Carl Tannenbaum, Economic Consultant; Mary Ludgin, Managing Director, U.S. Private Equity Director, Investment Research, Heitman

General Session: The Global Supply Chain: Developing, Acquiring, Financing and Managing Industrial Real Estate Around the World
In this session see how two large internationally diversified real estate investors approach the development and management of a global platform for commercial real estate. Discussion topics will include: customer demand drivers for global distribution, equity and debt capital flows, fund structures and the unique challenges/rewards inherent in running a global platform.
Speakers: Richard Conklin, Managing Director, Global Investment Management, ProLogis; Dan Reynolds, Managing Director, LaSalle Investment Management
Moderator: Louis Armstrong, Chief Executive, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Business Issues Forums (concurrent sessions)
Talk, argue, question, and consider. Through facilitated discussions, the Business Issues Forums provide an opportunity for CREs with similar specialties and interests to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and build professional bonds.

Corporate Real Estate
“Who Cares and About What -- How Corporations Make Real Estate Decisions”
“Location, location, location?” These are the core questions for a real estate person, but to corporations the real estate equation may read, “Efficiency, Image, Location.” In this session, Noah Shlaes, CRE, FRICS, will moderate a panel including Aki Knezevic, Corporate Business Sector leader of Perkins & Will, and David Ray, Senior Real Estate Program Manager for IBM. Their discussion will focus on what corporations think about before making real estate decisions. Topics discussed will include:
• Is $50 space twice as good as $25?
• Reconciling unstandardized standards
• Changes in workplace design 1998-2008
• How to measure real estate cost – per person? Per product? Per square foot?

Coordinators: Herbert Hafter, CRE – CB Richard Ellis; Dennis DeSantis, CRE – Gateway Commercial – A Cushman & Wakefield Alliance

Sustainability
“How to Make Win-Win Investments in Sustainable Real Estate”
The forum will be divided into two parts. The first part (2:30-3:30 p.m.) will be a guided tour of the Chicago Center for Green Technology. The Chicago Center for Green Technology is a model for the nation. It is only the third building in the United States to be designed according to the LEED rating system using the highest standards of green technology available. It is the only one of the three that is a renovation of an existing building and the only one accessible by public transportation. Home to organizations and businesses committed to the environment, tenants who occupy the Chicago Center for Green Technology provide environmental products and services. The Green Tech's building and campus are open for visitors to explore and learn how green buildings are good for people and the environment, and teach citizens how to incorporate environmentally friendly, cost-saving features into their home or business.

The second part of the session (3:30-4:30 p.m.), "How to Make Win-Win Investments in Sustainable Real Estate", will include a presentation by Mark Jewell, Founder and President of RealWinWin, a Philadelphia-based company that specializes in helping owners and managers of income-producing properties use enhanced energy efficiency to support higher net operating income and asset value. Mark’s role in helping the U.S. EPA create and deploy “ENERGY STAR for Commercial RE” and almost 15 years’ experience with energy engineering, leasing, property management and other disciplines make him a preeminent authority on actually applying energy-efficiency-related best practices in landlord/tenant settings. Mark’s firm uses a proprietary “Building Triage” process to identify energy-related opportunities most deserving of management bandwidth and finite capital, and an approach to payback analysis that uniquely addresses the decision-making dynamics of multi-tenant properties. Mark’s presentation will be followed by an open forum question and answer session in which participants can share their experiences as well as ask questions and get advice on more specific aspects of their developments.

Transportation to and from session:
For attendees at the Midyear Meetings, passenger vans will be available for transport beginning at 2:00 p.m. from the Drake Hotel Walton Street entrance. The vans will return to the Drake from the Center at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Coordinators: Theddi Wright Chappell, CRE – Pacific Security Capital; Brent Palmer, CRE – NewTower Trust Co.

Litigation Services
“Enabling the Pursuit of Practical Ends”

This Forum will be presented in two parts. The first part, “The Zoning Game: Mastering Practices and Policies,” will focus on the substance, procedure and challenges of modern zoning litigation, with highlights from Tom Geselbracht, a partner with DLA Piper U.S. LLP in Chicago. Geselbracht has lectured and published extensively on eminent domain and land use, and participated in the Appraisal Institute’s instructional video for expert witnesses.
The second part of this Forum is, “Fitting the Forum to the Fuss”: There are almost an infinite number of processes for resolving real estate disputes but focusing on four major methods---negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation--- three CRE experts, Philip S. Cottone, Gerald M. Levy and Robert J. Walner, who are involved in the CRE Real Estate Dispute Resolution Program will undertake a dialogue with each other and the audience to review factors to be considered before choosing a process for resolving a particular real estate controversy.

Coordinators: Robert McKennon, CRE – Appraisal Associates; Deborah Haskell, CRE – FTI Consulting

Capital Markets
“A Practitioner’s Guide to Grave Dancing”
James Shilling, CRE, Professor of Real Estate Studies at DePaul University, will present his thoughts and findings from recent research into the subprime market. This will be followed by a panel discussion regarding where to look for potential opportunities to make money, or at least not lose money, during the current capital crisis. Moderated by Bruce Cohen, CEO of Wrightwood Capital, panelists will include Mr. Shilling, Joe Neverauskas, CRE, Senior Vice President of BPG Properties, Stephen Quazzo, CEO of Transwestern Investment Co., Karen Case, President of Commercial Real Estate Banking for The PrivateBank. The last part of the session will include presentations that discuss the practical reality of today’s situation and tools to deal with it. Hosted by Stephen Grant, CRE, CIO of the Bond Companies, presenters will include representatives of: Chatham Financial discussing the hedging of interest rate risk utilizing swaps, caps, collars and other strategies; Commercial Defeasance talking about how to unwind existing loans; and Capmark, whose head of servicing will discuss the realities of loan assumptions and purchasing as well as the default process in the context of pooled assets.

Coordinators: James Lee, CRE – Kensington Realty Advisors; Julie McIntosh, CRE – The Integral Group

Public/Private Partnerships
“PPPs – Opportunities Abound for CREs”
The Public Private Partnerships portion of the Business Issues Forum will begin with a presentation from Frank Parker, Esq. a CRE who teaches real estate at Boston College in addition to his advisory work. Frank will present on the U.S. military base closures in Bermuda for which he was a key advisor, and will focus on the opportunities for stronger outcomes by creating and fostering Public Private Partnerships early in the process as well as lessons learned. While not all communities have base closings in their future, these lessons apply to all forms of governmental property disposition and cover a vast spectrum of property types. Property issues including environmental, title, highest and best use etc. are all applicable. CRE’s are ideally suited to play a key role in these projects. Frank will also speak about his experiences with Boston’s Big Dig and Business Improvement Districts.
The second segment of this session will be a panel discussion chaired by Marilee Utter, CRE with Frank Parker, Bill Norton, CRE, and Ken Patton, CRE, former Deputy Mayor of New York. The panel will outline the multitude of opportunities for CRE’s to participate in these types of projects including smaller scale projects in smaller communities.
The last segment will be a round table of all of the session’s attendees to discuss whatever comments, concerns or inquiries they have regarding Public Private Partnerships and their potential roles as CRE’s.

Coordinators: William Norton, CRE – Norton Asset Management; Karen Williams, CRE – Lane Powell, PC

Tuesday, April 15

General Session: Designing the 21st Century City
Using the Chicago real estate arena as a backdrop, but focusing on the common design issues that all cities face, this session will explore the macro challenges of urban design and demographic trends, and what their impact is on overall urban development. What are the key strategies for design contribution to layered and dynamic urban societies? How can designers and developers prevent or reverse the degradation of the natural environment while in a profit-driven business?
Speakers: Richard Hanson, CRE Chairman, Principal, Mesa Development, LLC; Sam Assefa, Director of Policy, Department of Planning and Development, City of Chicago; Mary Sue Barrett, President, Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago; Phil Enquist, Master Planner, Skidmore Owings Merrill; Ted Novak, Partner, DLA Piper

Development Tour: Chicago Merchandise Mart
The Merchandise Mart is the world's largest commercial building, and has obtained the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Building (LEED-EB) Silver certification. Now the fifth building in Chicago to become LEED certified, this tour will provide an insider's look at how the building achieved the rating, and the Mart's continuing efforts to be economically profitable, environmentally friendly, and a healthy, productive place to work.
Tour Guide: Myron Maurer, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Merchandise Mart

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For more information contact The Counselors of Real Estate.