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.
5:30 pm | Reception (Mezzanine Lounge) Sponsored by Draper and Kramer |
6:30 pm | Dinner (Daniel Burnham Room) 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 |
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 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) · Margeaux Wysockey (MBA ’23) · John Kujawski (MBA ’23) 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 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.
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.
Previous conferences have featured a capacity crowd with more than 150 real estate leaders attendance, including:
We do not have a room block reserved for the conference but we have listed some hotels within walking distance of the Chicago Club: