SIOR CHICAGO CHAPTER SUPPORTS TRUNK SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR MORE THAN A DECADE
The SIOR Chicago Chapter has come together for a 13th year to fund 22 trunk scholarships as part of the Ada S. McKinley Revie Sorey Trunk Scholarship program in 2023. These scholarships are provided to students from the west and south sides of Chicago, with selection based on an essay contest and demonstration of financial need. At the scholarship celebration, more than 100 of Chicago’s successful rising college freshmen were awarded college trunks for overcoming adversity to pursue a post-secondary education.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE SIOR EUROPEAN REGIONAL CHAPTER, THEY'RE "MINDING THEIR BUSINESS"
In the September iteration of the SIOR European Regional Chapter’s members-only mini-conference, over 40 attendees gathered in Milan to focus on business generation, knowledge sharing, and strengthening relationships between chapter members. Participants were treated to a tour of the Porta Nuova district, guided by COIMA, who shared their insights into the site assembly, development phases, and the challenges of pursuing a sustainable model. They also had the opportunity to visit CityLife, the largest urban shopping district in Italy and also home to a complex mix of new and renovated real estate assets, as well as the Milano Innovation District located at the site of the former EXPO with Lendlease.
RACING TO INDY WUTH THE SIOR GREAT LAKES REGION
L to R: Bill Ehret, SIOR, and IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan
Building on the success of last year’s regional conference, the SIOR Great Lakes Region delivered yet again with a banner, Indy 500-themed event this past August. This two-day event featured keynote speaker Indiana former Secretary of Commerce Bradley Chambers, Katie Culp, Jason Tolliver, and IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan, along with a number of knowledgeable panelists who expertly showcased why Indianapolis continues to stand out from the crowd. The event generated meaningful discussion amongst the over 130 attendees, providing a better understanding of where we are and where we are headed in today’s ever-evolving times.
SIOR SOUTHEAST REGION DELIVERS WITH EXCEPTIONAL CONFERENCE
L to R: SIOR Memphis Chapter Vice President Landon Williams, SIOR;
Thomas Hernandez, SIOR; and SIOR Middle & East Tennessee
Chapter Vice President Jay Cobble, SIOR
Another outstanding event was held in August by the SIOR Southeast Region. The biennial event drew over 300 members, sponsors, and guests from across five chapters. Keynote speaker, former US Senator and Chattanooga native Bob Corker, kicked off the meeting and was followed by an economic forecast from Dr. Anirban Basu. The second day of the conference started off strong with inspirational speaker Kyle Maynard and sponsor roundtables. Following the meetings, attendees had the opportunity to participate in social activities, including golf at Lookout Mountain, whitewater rafting on the Middle Ocoee River, and a cooking competition.
A MEETING OF THE CRE MINDS AT THE SIOR WESTERN MISSOURI-KANSAS CHAPTER'S DEVELOPMENT DAY
L to R: Charles Connely, Peter Kinter, George Junior Agyei-Nyarko,
and SIOR Western Missouri-Kansas Chapter President Zach Hubbard, SIOR
L to R: SIOR Western Missouri-Kansas Chapter Administrator
LeShelle Moorman and SIOR Global Vice President Mike Ohmes, SIOR
Those who were in attendance would agree — the SIOR Western Missouri-Kansas Chapter’s Development Day is a can’t-miss event. This past September, the chapter united the local commercial real estate community at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. at a pre-event luncheon, SIOR Global Vice President, Mike Ohmes, SIOR, provided a brief update on SIOR Initiative, and keynote Speaker Chris Kuehl discussed current economic trends, answering future-forward questions from the audience. He noted that the threat of recession had been much reduced and positive economic activity is being bolstered by strong non-residential construction and stable consumer spending. While global commodity inventories remain low overall, there had been some improvement in the past month. The chapter also awarded the Olen Monsees Memorial Scholarship to Peter Kinter and George Junior Agyei-Nyarko, providing them with $5,000 each to assist with their studies in real estate at the University of Missouri-Kansas.
SIOR PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER'S SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY SUMMIT YIELDS IMPRESSIVE TURNOUT
The annual Office & Industrial Property Summit, hosted by the SIOR Philadelphia Chapter in September, continues to reach new heights and has become the chapter’s most successful event of the year. Nearly 300 commercial real estate professionals and 40 sponsors were in attendance at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pa. Phil Mobley of CoStar remarked that we have reached the bottom of the office market, but cautioned it may take some time to rebound as property values are down 20-60%. While there is a semblance of doom and gloom, trophy buildings with amenities are doing well and sublease space in these buildings may be very popular opportunities for end users. On the industrial side, Adrian Ponsen, also of CoStar, highlighted that construction starts are down and demand has cooled, but the data shows a promising outlook into 2025 as online spending will continue to increase. Grey Lindsay closed the event with a dynamic keynote session on advances in AI and automation.