The bigger the challenge…the bigger the opportunity. Nothing could be truer in the year of 2020. This has been a year of incredible challenges—challenges presented to our world, to our industry, to our organization, and to our members. As SIOR President, I have also seen 2020 as a year of innovation, determination, community outreach, and perseverance, and have been honored to watch as SIOR, our members, and the commercial real estate industry responded positively to these challenges. In many ways, it’s been a response that has accelerated our industry and will provide returns for years to come. Because, of course, it is not about what happens to you, it’s about how you react to what happens to you that counts.
“Today I am prouder than ever to be an SIOR.” These were not my words, although I wholeheartedly echo their message. They were the words of an SIOR member; words that reflected the sentiment of many of our members immediately following our inaugural CREate 360 conference this past October.
Being in a business that thrives on in-person networking and connections, the notion of holding a virtual conference was daunting. The goal was “simply” to provide our attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors an experience equal to that of being in-person, while acknowledging the barrier of the screen. Thanks to the relentless work of our SIOR Global staff and leadership team, the quality of CREate 360 was on par with any SIOR event I have attended. Thank you to all who worked tirelessly to make CREate 360 a success. From our exceptional session speakers to our fantastic panelists and content providers, it was a truly amazing way to host the most unique conference ever. Most of all, thanks to you for your trust, positivity, and relentless pursuit to CONNECT.
This edition of the SIOR Report holds many exciting and innovative articles, including an economic forecast as we head into the new year, tips on how to keep your business mobile as many continue working outside of the traditional office, tips on non-traditional networking and more. I hope you enjoy the issue.
As we head into the holiday season and bring 2020 to a close, on behalf of all SIOR leadership, I want to wish all of you a very happy and safe holiday season. I want to thank you for the opportunity and the honor of leading our great organization. I want to thank you all for showing what it means to be an SIOR. I look forward to seeing you in 2021, whether in-person or virtually. Because as we have learned in 2020, connecting to people, knowledge, markets, and opportunities is not just a physical or virtual event. Connecting is done any way possible.
Keep smiling!