In news away from Chicago’s commercial real estate markets, Major League Baseball’s Winter Meeting were held this week at one of Disney’s magical resort properties in Orlando, Florida.
It’s that point in time, just ahead of the holidays and the end of one year, when those that run the operations of 30 major league baseball teams meet somewhere warm and sunny to bolster their rosters, to put the best team forward and chase a World Series title. Some blockbuster deals were made; the avalanche of free agent signing began.
Typically, at this juncture, most in baseball, including legions of fans, are very optimistic about their chances. Sure, there always is tinkering to do: a starting pitcher, a left-handed bat off the bench, a late inning defensive sub to shore up the defense. But for the most part, the new season is on the horizon. After time to celebrate the holidays, spring training is just weeks away.
Bringing it back to real estate, those involved in the planning of the 16th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference have been having their own version of “winter meetings”. A fourth-floor conference room in a downtown office building is a far cry from sunny Orlando, Florida. But the intent is all the same: put the finishing touches on a line-up that is really shaping up and already is star-studded.
Ahead of its “winter meeting season” REjournals already had locked in Dan Ryan of JLL, James Letchinger of JDL, Lori Healey from MPEA, Sterling Bay’s Keating Crown, Kent Swanson from Riverside Investment and Andrea Zopp of World Business Chicago for its roster of speakers on January 17, 2018.
The depth of the lineup also includes the likes of perennial forecast participants Danny Nikitas from Avison Young and Michael Drew of Structured Development; a trio of experts from Marcus and Millichap: Richard Matricaria, Steven Weinstock and David Bradley; and first-time event participants Fred Regnery from Colliers International, Dan Brown of Brown Commercial, Steve Caton of Caton Commercial, Jeff Bennett from McColly Bennett, Joe Pecoraro from Skender Construction and Dan Smolensky of Taurus Modal Group.
Certainly not to be overlooked on the roster are the unique perspectives and contributions expected from Don Shapiro, Foresite Realty Advisors; Randall Waites, Avison Young; David Burden, Colliers International; Caroline Linton, Shepard Schwartz & Harris LLP; Ivan Baker, Economic Development Corp of N. Central IL; Jason Costello, MB Financial Bank; Marc Boorstein, MJ Partners Real Estate Services; John Murphy, PNC Real Estate; and Geoffrey Kasselman Newmark Knight Frank.
For the planners of the Annual Forecast event, the winter meetings are far from over! There is still tinkering to be done … subject matter experts—some blockbuster names as well as diamonds in the rough—to be added in the days and weeks ahead.
Optimism runs as deep for REjournals’ 16th Annual Forecast Conference as it does for most of the 30 major league baseball teams—including those in Chicago. To parody an old baseball slogan: Forecast Fever: Catch It!