The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) drew the biggest names in the CRE industry to its annual Fall World Conference in Chicago Oct 25 through Oct. 28. The international conference drew 950 SIOR members, sponsors, exhibitors and other industry professionals from 20 different countries to The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.
For the 76th year, top commercial real estate brokers and experts, SIOR leadership and members and many special guests, gathered to discuss the most pressing and relevant topics facing the real estate industry today. Major topics of discussion throughout the event included corporate consolidations and relocations; micro and macro investment trends; threats to and opportunities for brokerage; and capital markets.
The Fall World Conference kicked off with Geoffrey Kasselman, SIOR’s Immediate Past President, officially instating Del Markward as the new SIOR Global President.
“With nearly a thousand of SIOR members and affiliates assembled in Chicago to discuss the latest trends and developments in commercial real estate, business and politics, the 76th annual Fall World Conference further proves SIORs embody the spirit of this organization and serve as community and industry leaders,” said Del Markward, the organizatin’s new president. “I could not be more excited, or more proud, to serve as the new President of SIOR, whose members continue to raise the bar for their peers in the real estate industry.”
Special guest speakers included psychologist Amy Cuddy, former senior US Government Counterterrorism official Richard Clarke, who also served as the first ever Special Advisor on Cyberspace Security to the President of the United States, and Jonathan Pearlman, a former executive at Buzzfeed and Google.
Highlights of the special sessions included Chairman and CEO of KDC Steve Van Amburgh leading an education session on the motivating factors behind corporate consolidations and relocations – the who, what, where, and why – and how the massive shift in corporate ideology is affecting markets around the country.
The conference also featured a two-part session led by the MIT Center for Real Estate that examined both macro and micro markets here in the United States and selected international markets to see what’s working and what’s not, and uncover new, transferable ideas to make more deals. Former Amazon executive and current Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University Zac Rogers discussed how technology disruptors impact supply chain decisions and the brokerage community.
“SIOR’s Fall World Conference in Chicago was one of the most well-attended events in this organization’s history, with the conference gathering 950 SIOR members and other prominent industry leaders and key influencers from around the globe,” said Kasselman. “It was wonderful to see so many of our members come together to discuss and provide insights on such a diverse array of real estate and business topics while helping to advance the goals of our organization.”
Attendees also had the opportunity to engage in social and networking events, including a sold-out Young Professionals Evening Out event, a SIOR Women’s Networking Cocktail Hour and a Spouse Tour and Lunch, including admission to the Art Institute of Chicago.
“SIOR’s Chicago Chapter was thrilled to host members from over 20 countries and provide four days of informative and enjoyable activities to those in attendance,” said Jason West, President of SIOR’s Chicago Chapter. “The breadth and depth of this year’s education sessions, discussions and networking opportunities speaks to SIOR’s ever-growing influence in the global real estate industry as well as the organization’s immense pool of industry though-leaders and experts.”
