The New England SIOR Chapter members are planning to attend the St. Louis fall conference on Thursday, Nov. 8th through Saturday, Nov. 10th. The conference is being held at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. Over 700 SIORs are expected to attend one of the largest commercial networking and educational conferences in the commercial industry. The hotel is a 4 Diamond Renaissance located in the center of St. Louis and 15 miles from the St. Louis airport. SIOR is planning tours of the Anheuser Busch Brewery as part of the convention. The hotel has a group discount rate for SIOR members and is a full service hotel with a health club, indoor pool, stairmaster and bikes, elegant lobby and numerous restaurants and bars.
From Tuesday, Nov. 6th to Thursday, Nov. 8th, SIORs can send their brokers interested in the SIOR designation to attend the SIOR 200 course prior to the convention. The topics will be construction, ethics, lease agreement and negotiations and real estate investment and finance.
On Wednesday, Nov. 7th, SIOR is holding a leadership conference as an orientation for the 2008 Chapter and committee officers. New officers are expected to attend this orientation that was traditionally held in January in Washington, DC. The SIOR leadership conference is designed as an orientation and planning event for the 2008 SIOR board of directors, chapter presidents and vice presidents, committee chairs and vice-chairs, committee council members and chapter administrative staff. Registration is required for all planning to attend.
On Thursday, Nov. 8th, the tentative calendar has scheduled committee meetings including Membership Development, Membership Standards, Sponsorship Committee, SIOR Board of Trustees, Education, Benefits and Services, Admissions, etc.
The opening general session sponsored by Spectrus Real Estate Group is set for 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Spectrus Real Estate Group is a national provider of real estate investment products. They specialize with 1031 and TICs and other real estate investment vehicles. Daniel Pink is the key speaker. Pink is a best-selling author and an expert on innovation, competition and the changing world of work. His latest book, A Whole New Mind, charts the rise of right-brain thinking in modern economies and explains the six abilities individuals and organizations must master in an outsourced and automated world. Pink served in the White House from 1995-97 as chief speech writer to Vice President Al Gore.
The opening cocktail party, sponsored by Panattoni, will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. You don't want to miss this networking opportunity. Entertainment, hors d'oeuvres and a full open bar will be included. Your convention registration includes this event. Panattoni has been one of the most active industrial developers in the U.S. and has been a frequent sponsor of this event. The company has over 18.4 million s/f totaling over $1.5 billion.
On Friday, Nov. 9th, concurrent specialty practice boards and educational sessions are planned for the full day. An International Advisory Council lunch is also planned.
At 3:30 p.m., the general session sponsored by Pro Logis is scheduled with Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Beane is often known as Mr. Moneyball as he has been operating a competitive and division winning team year after year with a lower budget than many of the high profile baseball teams. He was interviewed and hired to serve as the general manager for the Boston Red Sox before the job was eventually taken by Theo Epstein. Beane will talk about lessons for life and business with humorous anecdotes and lessons for business success. He will help SIOR members to become better managers and leaders. Pro Logis is one of the world's largest distribution facilities developers with over 422 million s/f in 80 markets world-wide. Following the general session will be the Bull N' Beer reception from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Following the Bull N' Beer reception, a complimentary tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery is being sponsored by Clayco from 7-10 p.m. Clayco is a purpose driven national real estate group that develops land and buildings to their fullest potential. This popular complimentary tour will sell-out. Conference attendees will learn about the rich brewing heritage of Anheuser-Busch and learn how fresh beer is brewed and packaged today. You will see the state of the art facilities including brew houses, beech wood aging cellars and packaging facilities. Attendees will follow the making of Budweiser's natural ingredients such as barley malt, rice, hops, yeast and water to the full-bodied refreshing brew. After the tour, networking with guests will be arranged with hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Again, this is a complimentary event with your convention registration so register as soon as possible. Transportation to and from the hotel is included.
Saturday, Nov. 10th is the final day of the conference with round tables and other concurrent specialty practice board educational events. The closing general session is set for 3:30 p.m. The key speaker is the infamous Dr. Peter Linneman who will give the economic outlook for commercial real estate. He will answer; Where are real estate markets today? Overpriced? Below Replacement cost? Exposed to recession? Roaring ahead full speed? Dr. Linneman is the principal of Linneman Associates and a professor at the Wharton School of Business. His teaching and research focuses on real estate and investment strategies, mergers and acquisitions and international markets. He has published over 60 articles and a real estate finance book.
SIORs can register on-line at www.sior.com. We look forward to seeing you at the convention!