Bisnow’s Invite-Only Elevate Conference Is Back: Here’s Why You Should Apply Today
Bisnow is gearing up for its second annual Elevate retreat on April 29-May 1 at the W Hotel in Nashville, less than one year after the success of its inaugural event.
In August 2023, Bisnow invited 170 of commercial real estate’s rising stars to Nashville for Elevate, the newest addition to the company’s executive retreat series. This unique conference featured two days of educational workshops, building a network of like-minded peers as well as the opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of CRE from the industry’s top leaders.
The 2024 Elevate conference will once again gather rising CRE investors, owners, developers, capital providers and brokers to learn key skills needed to build successful careers.
They will gain a fundamental understanding of how to navigate rocky markets and cycles, become strong leaders, understand underwriting, build a network and generate deal flow through workshop sessions, keynotes and curated networking with other young professionals at the top of their fields.
Attendees will come away from Elevate with the knowledge, skills and contacts to better navigate the industry and facilitate future deals. Last year, close to 5,000 connections were made by the end of the retreat.
“I attended the inaugural Elevate conference in Nashville and had the opportunity to meet young leaders from all across the country throughout all asset classes and hear from industry experts such as Simon Ziff, Ethan Penner and Gary Rappaport,” said BC Wood Properties Senior Associate Hunter Porter. “I couldn't have asked for a better couple of days and by far one of the best conferences I've attended."
JLL Capital Markets Analyst Maddy McMillen said that she found the people she met and the insights provided within the event to be “invaluable.”
“The speakers, diverse topics and overall seamless execution made this a standout occasion and show the dedication it took to organize such a dynamic and informative event,” McMillen said. “I’m so glad I saw the vision brought to life.”
Elevate’s tribe sessions, which are small, highly curated break-out groups, allow attendees to exchange insights and best practices in an intimate forum. During speed deal-making, owners and developers will sit across from capital providers to discuss prospective deals within a series of three-minute conversions.
"Being put on the spot … was something that I found kind of challenging, but really rewarding,” said Alessia Salvatore, vice president of investments at Haven Capital. “I was really able to hone in on what ... I needed to say. It was scheduled in a productive and useful way that has actually led us to have active conversations and successful relationship building and networking that I have not found elsewhere.”
Registration is now open, but spots are extremely limited. Click here to apply for the opportunity to join.
This year’s keynotes will be given by CRE luminary and President at Starwood Property Trust Jeffrey DiModica as well as the nation’s leading deception expert, Pamela Meyer.
Ackman-Ziff President and co-founder Simon Ziff will be leading Coffee and Capital, which connects sponsors directly with capital providers through an interactive conversation.
“Someone you met within the last two days will impact your life, as a great partner, lender or friend,” Ziff said in a Bisnow article. “Always try to help others and think about building long-term relationships in CRE.”
Attendees will also have access to the following workshops focused on improving their professional skills, including:
Translating Excel Into The Real World: The Real-Life Implications Of Your Underwriting: Kelly Nagel, head of residential at EDENS, will discuss the potential real-world impact of making alterations to valuations while underwriting, as well as how the design, construction and management of master-planned communities exist at the crossroads of multifamily, retail and mixed-use spaces.
How To Have A Successful Career In CRE: This workshop will cover the skills and mindset needed to achieve a lucrative CRE career, the process of approaching joint ventures and how CRE professionals can navigate cycles and the current climate with John Drachman, co-founder and head of capital markets at Waterford.
How Proptech Is Reshaping The CRE Industry: Attendees will learn how CRE is adapting to the presence of proptech with Mitchell Shear, former president of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, VC investor and real estate development, technology and investment expert.
Leadership 101: Shear will discuss the lessons and takeaways from his experiences with overseeing public and private firms of varying sizes, dealing with different types of management and lessons learned from his 30+ year career in CRE.
Additional workshop leaders include James Nelson, principal and head of tri-state investment sales at Avison Young, who will share the themes within his book “The Insider’s Edge to Real Estate Investing: Game-Changing Strategies to Outperform the Market,” and more to come.
This year’s event welcomes rising stars from industry-leading firms such as AEW, Nuveen, The Davis Companies, Geolo Capital, Bozzuto, Peachtree Group, HIG Realty Capital, Presidium Group, Hines, CIM Group, Link Logistics, Centennial Bank and many more.
Bisnow is looking forward to welcoming attendees in Nashville for its 2024 Elevate conference. This year’s slots are filling up fast and you do not want to miss this opportunity. Click here to apply to attend or nominate someone who would be accretive here.
Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.
Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.
