With an industrial vacancy rate that remains below 9 percent for the third consecutive quarter, recovery in the market is the talk of the industry. The market recovery will be the focus of discussions on Thursday, April 24 at the 11th Annual CIP Summit at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont.
According to reports by various brokerage firms, activity is relatively strong across most segments of the market, with a significant number of large transactions continuing to highlight the last six months plus. Additionally, and perhaps even more telling of a broader recovery is the activity being completed by small to mid-size users, particularly when it comes to the acquisition of industrial facilities under 100,000 square feet.
Further demonstration of good signs in the economy and the industrial market is the increasing amount of both speculative and build-to-suit development projects.
To capture and tell the full story of the industrial marketplace as it stands at the end of the first quarter of 2014, Chicago Industrial Properties has planned a half-day conference that will feature a one-on-one conversation with a prominent figure and three panel discussions on key topics of interest.
The 11th Annual Conference will kick off showcasing the perspectives of Timothy Beaudin, president of IndCor, the industrial arm of Blackstone Real Estate. An active investor across the country, including in Chicago, Beaudin will be interviewed by Chris Gary, vice president of NAI and the 2014 president of the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers. The discussion will focus on IndCor’s view of the Chicago marketplace and its strategy as an owner/investor here.
Following that kick-off session, the conference will move to three panel discussions covering the State of the Market from the brokerage perspective, financing and investing in industrial real estate and the return of speculative and build-to-suit development. Confirmed speakers, in addition to Beaudin and Gary, include: Adam Roth, NAI; Robin Stollberg, JLL; Matthew Stauber, Colliers International; Carter Andrus, Prologis; Dan Fogarty, Conor Commercial Real Estate; Howard Green, Meridian Design Build; Kevin Matzke, Clarius Partners; Erik Foster, Avison Young; Patrick Sullivan, HFF; Matt Goode, VentureOne; and Alissa Adler, Podolsky|Circle CORFAC International. Additional speakers will be announced as they are added.
The CIP Summit kicks off with registration, networking and continental breakfast at 7 a.m. Registration is $99 and can be completed online at www.rejournals.com/conferences or by calling 312-644-2804. For speaking or sponsorship information, contact Mark Menzies, group publisher, Real Estate Publishing Group at 312-644-4610.
