On May 8, the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers will host its Third Annual Virtual Tour of the 1.2 billion-square-foot Chicago Industrial marketplace. The Annual Virtual Market Tour will take place from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at the Rivers Casino, 3000 S. River Road in Des Plaines.
This year’s tour is being themed after the “American Top 40″ and will feature a countdown of 45 properties distributed across the Chicago metropolitan area. The host/deejay for the event is Len Caldeira, SIOR, Jones Lang LaSalle, playing the role of Casey SpaceM. Brendan Green, Colliers International, and Mike Nelson, Nelson Hill Commercial Real Estate, are co-chairs for this event.
To register for the event, complete the form on the association’s website at www.aire-brokers.com or register at the door. Registration begins at 2 p.m.; the virtual tour will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and a cocktail reception will follow from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The cost of the event is $25 for members and $35 for non-members and includes food, beverages and many different sponsor-related items. Attendees are urged to register early.
Every year since 1995, AIRE has hosted a tour of the Chicago metropolitan industrial marketplace. For the first 14 years it was a traditional bus tour, where AIRE members were driven by bus and given guided tours of various facilities and markets in the metro area. With today’s advances in technology, AIRE utilizes the “virtual” market tour providing added market information, convenience and time savings to the attendees.
Some of the major sponsors of the 2012 Virtual Tour include Keeley Construction, Zilber Property Group, The McShane Companies, Koppco Material Handling Specialist, Clarion Construction Inc., CenterPoint Properties, IDI, Manulife, ML Realty Partners, Harris Architects, Meridian Design Build, Krusinski Construction Co. and Colliers International.
“Being actively engaged in and having a thorough understanding of Chicago’s vast industrial marketplace is essential for business success,” said John Gledhill, CBRE and 2012 AIRE president. “The use of technology also educates and demonstrates the role technology plays in marketing property and developing the highest level of professional skills.”
The goal of the tour — whether via bus or technology — has been to increase the depth of market information. Using the current virtual format, attendees see the market through the eyes and advantages of technology. Utilizing Google Earth as well as traditional marketing pieces and zooming in from literally 30,000 feet in the air, members and guests will get multiple views of the various markets followed by a close-up look at various business parks, properties and market hot spots.
