by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Because of its increasing popularity, the First Coast Real Estate Outlook Conference and Expo has a new location. The event, scheduled for 7 a.m.- noon March 20, will be held at the Osborn Center.
“There will probably be between 600 to 700 people there this year,” said Craig Thomas of Coldwell Banker Commercial Nicholson-Williams Realty who chairs the event. “We have everyone from area builders and developers, real estate investment trusts, other brokerage services, banks, attorneys and engineers. This year we are having it at the Osborn Center because we have outgrown the facilities at the University Center at the University of North Florida, which is quite nice.”
There will be about 30 booths outside the event for an industry-related expo.
“That is a nice amount so you are not overwhelmed by having to see hundreds upon hundreds and you really get the opportunity to get a lot more quality out of the people at the booths rather than an overwhelming quantity,” said Thomas.
The event is an exposition of commercial real estate and its related fields of interest in Northeast Florida.
“Unlike the other larger conferences that take place around Florida like the International Council of Shopping Centers, it is really a great snapshot of what is taking place in our markets today,” said Thomas. “Instead of being overwhelmed at some of the other conventions that take place around the state where, unfortunately quite often, folks become a little fish in a big ocean. Here you can actually be a good size fish in a good size pond and really get a flavor for what the commercial markets around Northeast Florida are actually doing.”
Dr. Henry Fishkind, economist and president of Fishkind and Associates, will give the economic forecast for the upcoming year. Also, members of the Super Bowl Host Committee are scheduled to explain the economic impact an event such as the Super Bowl has on a metropolitan area.
During the event, the Golden Triangle Awards will be presented by the Commercial Alliance of Realtors for investment sales, office brokerage, land sales, industrial brokerage and retail brokerage.
Additional awards will be presented for CAR Humanitarian, CAR Affiliate of the Year, CAR Realtor Member of the Year and the Golden Triangle Service Award, which goes to a leader in Northeast Florida who has had a positive impact on the commercial real estate industry
Following the speakers, breakout sessions, including office, industrial, retail, multi-family, single-family, real estate investment market and brownfields will be held. There will also be county updates for Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns and Putnam counties.
“We touch on all the above areas of responsibility from retail markets to office markets, multi-family, brownfields redevelopment and downtown redevelopment,” said Thomas. “It’s quite a production.”
Tickets for the conference are $45 if purchased by March 11 and $60 after March 11. Tables of eight are also available for $450 if purchased by March 11.
Thomas decided to drop the bus tour of commercial developments this year.
“We wanted to keep a new fresh face on what we do each year,” he said. “We don’t want to do a resounding theme constantly every year. We want to have the building blocks of course, but we don’t want to have a redundancy every year where it becomes stagnant for folks.”