We want to wish a hearty thank you to all sponsors, moderators, panelists, and guests that attended our 2019 NAI Florida & Caribbean Forum – making it one of our most well attended Forums to date!
Around 500 commercial real estate professionals gathered on November 15th at the Intercontinental Miami for a full morning of all things CRE -focusing on current commercial real estate conditions and economic trends at a national level and within the Florida region.
The morning started with networking, breakfast and a welcome message from Francis Suarez, City of Miami Mayor. Afterwards, guests received a plethora of information from our speakers and panelists, all of which can be viewed in full on YouTube at the below links:
Economic Update by Karen Gilmore, Federal Reserve. She anticipates a fairly good 2020 with moderate growth, a strong job market and stable inflation.
South Florida Real Estate Market Panel moderated by Jay Steinman of Duane Morris, featuring Neil E. Merin, SIOR, CCIM of NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, Inc., Jeremy Larkin of NAI Miami, and Ken Kurtz of NAI Kurtz. A few key highlights of the discussion was Brightline/Virgin Trains USA, in addition to climate change, and projected economic growth.
Domestic Opportunity Zones Panel moderated by Brian Bandell of the South Florida Business Journal, featuring Steven Kreinik of EisnerAmper and Brad Molotsky of Duane Morris. This panel featured a wealth of information, aiming to demystify what opportunity zones are, the investor incentives, timelines, and common misconceptions.
US Virgin Islands Opportunity Zones Panel moderated by Miles Plaskett of Duane Morris, featuring the Governor of the US Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan Jr., US Virgin Islands Chief Legal Counsel David Bornn, Kamal Latham of the US Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority, and Peter Chapman of RT Park. They shared information about how businesses can take advantage of the Opportunity Zones and investment opportunities in their region.
Marijuana/Cannabis/CBD Panel moderated by Jeremy Larkin of NAI Miami, featuring Justin Stern of Duane Morris, Dr. Fernando of LifeCannMD, Kristin Yeager of Green Treats CBD, and Jon Barack of Jushi. They discussed the booming cannabis market, the yellow tape involved, type of patients they see, and the future of the industry.
Our final leg of the event, the Keynote Address, was delivered by Kiernan “KC” Conway, CCIM’s Chief Economist. He discussed where the economy is shifting, including smart tech and autonomous trucking, where we can look to find data the shows shifting trends, the evolving future of retail, and more.
We hope you were able to join us to soak in all of this CRE news. If not, be sure to keep an eye out for the 2020 event!
NAI Florida & Caribbean is composed of full service commercial real estate firms spanning the state. Each firm’s staff is knowledgeable, creative, and driven to find optimal solutions for your company. By focusing on the relationship, not the transaction, we maximize our clients’ opportunities and results. In Florida we offer the largest scope of services and depth of experience.
NAI Global Florida & Caribbean Region operates as a single unit offering full service, multi-market brokerage where you are and where you want to grow in Florida. We are local experts working together with global management, shared processes, and cutting edge technology to deliver consistent, quality results.
