2023 Graaskamp Spring Board Dinner and Conference
Thursday, April 13 | 5:30pm – Friday, April 14 | 2:45pm
Inflation, Recession, Geopolitical Risks, Higher Rates: Can Real Estate Hold Up?
Graaskamp board members and guests are invited to join over 140 real estate leaders, Wisconsin Real Estate graduate students, faculty, and guests at the Chicago Club in Chicago on April 13-14, 2023. As the real estate industry – and the world around us – continues its rapid evolution, you’ll hear from industry thought leaders and visionaries on how to navigate the real estate landscape. Panel sessions and case studies will bring to life the challenges of and agility needed when doing business in today’s rapidly changing environment.
Agenda
Thursday, April 13 (5:30 – 8:00 pm) – Robert Todd Lincoln Room
| 5:30 pm | Reception (Chicago Club Lounge) Sponsored by Draper and Kramer |
| 6:30 pm | Dinner Sponsored by Farallon Capital |
| 7:00 – 7:10 pm | Opening Remarks Michael Brennan, Irgens Executive Director, James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate |
| 7:15 – 8:00 pm | Dinner Keynote Sponsored by CIBC Carly Tripp, Global Chief Investment Office and Head of Investments, Nuveen Real Estate |
| 8:00 pm | Informal Gathering in the Chicago Club Bar |
Friday, April 14 (7:30 am – 2:30 pm) – Daniel Burnham Room
| 7:30 – 8:30 am | Networking Breakfast Sponsored by Hubbard Street Group |
| 8:30 – 8:40 am | Welcome and Remarks Michael Brennan, Irgens Executive Director, James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate |
| 8:40 – 9:30 am | Morning Keynote: Spencer Levy, Global Client Strategist and Senior Economic Advisor for CBRE, the largest commercial real estate services firm in the world |
| 9:30 – 9:45 am | Networking Break Sponsored by First American Title Insurance Company |
| 9:45 – 10:45 am | Session 1: Higher for Longer – Debt Capital Markets and the New Interest Rate Environment Sponsored by Associated Bank Commercial real estate activity slowed dramatically over the past several quarters, as interest rate hikes and overall economic headwinds send investors to the sidelines and constrained liquidity. In addition, rising interest rates are challenging debt financing, and lenders have adopted a more risk-averse stance given market instability. This panel will feature Commercial Banker, Life Co and Debt Fund originators who will discuss current business activity, what higher rates mean to origination and refinancing, and how they manage risk in a geopolitically volatile market backdrop. Moderator: Jonathan Brown, Executive Director, Real Estate Banking Central Region, JP Morgan Chase Panelists: Michelle Herrick, Head of Real Estate Banking, JP Morgan Luke Goodwin, Senior Principal, Head of Originations, Walton Street Capital Nick Lillig, Managing Director of Real Estate, Pacific Life Investments |
| 10:45 – 11:00 am | Networking Break Sponsored by First Bank Chicago |
| 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Session 2: Sellers and Buyers: When Are We Getting Back Together? Sponsored by Colliers We’re living in unprecedented times from both economic and geopolitical perspectives. What is the current investment climate telling us in terms of capital flows? Where is the capital coming from? Are we pumping the brakes and continuing to sit on dry powder or are investors still looking to deploy capital? Our panel will discuss these issues from the perspective of different real estate sectors, as well a discussion of price discovery in today’s environment. Moderator: Seth Singerman, President and Managing Partner, Singerman Real Estate Panelists: Mary Ludgin, Senior Managing Director, Heitman Mark Burkemper, Senior Managing Director, Harrison Street Erin Spears, President, Fifield |
| 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Luncheon (Daniel Burnham Room) Sponsored by U.S. National Title Services |
| 12:30 – 1:00 pm | Session 3: Bringing the Real World into the Classroom: An update on the Real Estate Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT) and Real Estate Private Equity (REPE) Track Sponsored by The Jack & Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund/The Goldie Initiative Graduate students enrolled in the Real Estate Private Equity Track the Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT) will present the highlights of their real estate deals and portfolio selections and share how these unique, hands-on applied learning opportunities truly set the Wisconsin Real Estate Program apart. Moderator: Greg Reed, Associate Director, Graaskamp Center Panelists: Graduate Students from the Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT) and Real Estate Private Equity (REPE) Track Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT) Real Estate Private Equity (REPE) Track · Howard Bergdoll (MBA ’23) · Reny Pire (MS ’23) · Peter Murphy (MS ’23) |
| 1:15 – 2:15 pm | Session 4: The CEO Outlook: A View from the Top Sponsored by Colliers Industry leaders will share their insights on the opportunities and challenges facing real estate investors today. How long a runway does the current business cycle have? What should you be doing now to prepare for a changing cycle? What impact will the policies have on the industry? This session will be broad ranging, covering real estate capital markets and operational issues, and will examine the implications of a changing environment for the real estate asset class. Moderator: Jonathan Schein, CEO & Executive Director, Real Estate Limited Partner Institute Panelists: Douglas Lyons, Co-Founder/Managing Principal, Pearlmark Mike Reschke, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Prime Group Dan Walsh, CEO, CityMark |
| 2:15 – 2:30 pm | Closing Remarks and Adjourn Mark Eppli, Director, James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate |
Last year’s conference sold out so register soon! Questions? Contact Lee Gottschalk at lee.gottschalk@wisc.edu or 608-250-6401.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Thank you for taking investing in our vision and in the Graaskamp Center Spring Board Dinner and Conference. Your sponsorship is integral to our ability to offer best-in-class educational experiences for our students, board members, and alumni.
- CIBC
- Keeley Construction
- Draper and Kramer
- Hubbard Street Group
- U.S. National Title Services
- Associated Bank
- Kuvare
- Colliers
- First American Title Insurance Company
- First Bank Chicago
- Spaceco
- CBRE
- First National Bank of Omaha
- Brennan Investment Group
- Singerman Real Estate
- Jack & Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund
- Real Estate Limited Partner Institute
- JP Morgan
Presenters
Keynote Presenters
Carly Tripp
Global Chief Investment Officer and Head of Investments, Nuveen Real Estate
Read more about Carly
Panelists and Moderators
Michael Brennan
Irgens Executive Director, Graaskamp Center and Chairman, Managing Principal of Brennan Investment Group
Read more about Michael
Jonathan Schein
CEO & Executive Director, Real Estate Limited Partner Institute* *
Read more about Jonathan
Jonathan Brown
Executive Director, Real Estate Banking Central Region, JP Morgan Chase
Sponsor Opportunities
Our Spring Board Conference offers our sponsors premium opportunities to increase your company’s visibility and exposure to an audience of key decision-makers in the real estate industry, and our MBA and MS students. Not only will you reinforce your brand as a real estate leader by being a part of a best-in-class conference, but you’ll also be supporting the #1 Real Estate Program as ranked by the US News and World Report, 2022-23.
General event sponsorships are available at any level. We would be happy to customize a sponsor package for your organization based on your desired level.
If you have questions or to request additional information on sponsoring, please contact Genie Trewyn at genie.treywn@wisc.edu or 608-263-3459 or Lee Gottschalk at lee.gottschalk@wisc.edu or 608-250-6401.
Thursday, April 13
- $2,500 Reception – 3 complimentary attendees
- $5,000 Dinner – 5 complimentary attendees
Friday, April 14
- $2,000 Networking Breakfast – 2 complimentary attendees
- $3,000 Luncheon – 4 complimentary attendees
- $1,500 Panel (3 Opportunities Available) – 2 complimentary attendees
- $2,000 Conference Keynote – 2 complimentary attendees
Who Attends?
Previous conferences have featured a capacity crowd with more than 150 real estate leaders attendance, including:
- Real Estate Executives, Presidents/CEOs
- Real Estate Developers
- Investment Analysts and Strategists
- Real Estate Asset Managers
- Real Estate Finance Professionals
- REIT Managers
Lodging Options
We do not have a room block reserved for the conference but we have listed some hotels within walking distance of the Chicago Club:
- The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
- $250 1 King Bed
- 6-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 636 South Michigan Avenue, Lobby entrance on East Balbo Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605
- (312) 447-0955
- Palmer House a Hilton Hotel
- $317 1 Double Bed/$322 1 King Bed
- 6-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 17 East Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603 USA
- (312) 726-7500
- Hilton Chicago
- $330 1 King Bed/$330 2 Double Beds
- 7-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 720 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA
- (312) 922-4400
- Le Méridien Essex Chicago
- $175 1 King Bed/$195 2 Double Beds
- 8-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 800 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA
- (312) 939-2800
- The LaSalle Chicago, Autograph Collection
- $322 1 King Bed/$342 2 Queen Beds
- 8-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 208 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604 USA
- (312) 634-0000
- Chicago Athletic Association – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
- $199 1 Queen Bed
- 7-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
- (312) 940-3552
- The Congress Plaza Hotel
- $179 1 Queen Bed/$188 2 Double Beds
- 3-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
- (312) 427-3800
- Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop – Theatre District
- $165 1 King Bed/$178 2 Queen Beds
- 15-minute walk to the Chicago Club
- 32 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
- (872) 710-9539
- Springhill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North
- $205 1 King Bed or 2 Double Beds
- 8-minute drive to the Chicago Club
- 410 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA
- (312) 644-4071
- Aloft Chicago Downtown River North
- $205 2 Queen Beds or 1 King Bed
- 9-minute drive to the Chicago Club
- 515 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA
- (312) 661-1000
