ULI Chicago Fellows Share Key Takeaways from the ULI Fall Meeting

Our 2024-25 ULI Chicago Fellows recently had the opportunity to attend the 2024 ULI Fall Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here are a few of their key takeaways:

• Vera A. Halicki | Beacon Capital Partners
  2024-25 Women’s FellowThis year’s ULI 2024 Fall Meeting took place in Las Vegas, Nevada which, while famous for its casinos and entertainment district, does not typically make the news for land use planning or commercial development outside the Strip.  I had the incredible opportunity to participate in this year’s programming through the ULI Chicago Women’s Fellowship and it did not disappoint.Within the ballrooms of the conference hotel, I started off my Fall Meeting by taking advantage of some of the quick hitting sessions covering a myriad of land use and development topics. Chris Perkes, Senior Manager with the Decarbonization Program/Greenprint Center for Building Performance in the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate and Mary Ludgin, of Heitman and Senior Advisor and Global Investment Committee Member, outlined the various steps ULI is taking in decarbonization efforts through the ULI Net Zero Imperative, a multi-year initiative to accelerate decarbonization in our built environment.  With many real estate organizations, including my current firm, having carbon neutral goals targeted within the next 25-30 years, it was interesting to hear how the Technical Assistance Panels are working to help firms achieve these goals.

  The Opening Session then commenced with world-renowned speaker, Simon Sinek, taking the stage to provide his thoughts on leadership and the motivating factors in why we work, in addition to exploring the topic of the infinite mindset.   The infinite game is everchanging and there is not necessarily a clear winner or loser. Instead, the rules of the game can change at any time and the best leaders play the long game and build teams that can weather the disruption of unexpected short-term obstacles to achieve long-term objectives. He ended with his views and ideas around the concept of friendship and how, by building and working to maintain friendships, one can experience success in all sectors of their personal and professional lives. Community helps to support the individual and lifts them up. If friendships aren’t worked at, the individual loses this support system, and feelings of isolationism take hold to the detriment of the individual’s health and wellbeing.  While not explicitly stated, I felt this had a good correlation in terms of collaboration and in-person work as we talk about WFH or remote policies. While anecdotal, working with colleagues that you enjoy spending time with, or that are helpful in achieving your workplace goals, is crucial for personal and company success. There are always times you either need assistance or just need to talk through a problem, and it’s through these workplace friendships that a lot of these types of activities are carried out and they are more organic in nature in in-person environments.

  Day Two was a full Product Council Day Session of panelists and discussions which included guest participation at ULI’s Health Care and Life Sciences Council (HCLSC). We listened to speakers at the Frank Gehry-designed Keep Memory Alive Event Center of the Cleveland Clinic, whose mission it is to provide innovative research, treatment and support for caregivers and patients suffering brain disorders. The morning started with an overview by Councilman Brian Knudsen of all the actions Las Vegas is taking to prevent departure of its medical students and create a “Work, Play, Live” environment where students and doctors want to live and continue their practice. The day’s session continued with discussing the Steward Health Care bankruptcy which sent ripples throughout the healthcare community and speakers provided insight into how this could potentially impact real estate and healthcare developers in the future.

  After that panel, there was a frank discussion on capital markets and how life science and health care are viewed from a lending perspective with the afternoon concluding with a panel on AI’s impact on real estate and an update on how the life science sector was performing and where it was projected to land in the near term. While the HCLSC was clearly a group of individuals with well-developed relationships, I appreciated the open arms they extended me – with special thanks to Deeni Taylor and Lorie Damon, Chair and Vice Chair of the council.

  The last day was a whirlwind of sessions covering everything from data center trends to how AI can help create more efficient and smart buildings. The main closing event featured Jewel, who took us on a storytelling journey with each of her songs that tied into her current work in the mental health wellness recovery space.  I was able to attend one more session involving the conversation of converting commercial office space to residential, which is a hot topic in Chicago. It’s not right for every project but could be a great way to revitalize the Central Business District and create a vibrant, active neighborhood beyond office business hours where workers and residents want to work as well as live.

  I learned so much over the course of a few days and met so many amazing talented individuals within the healthcare and life science space. I am looking forward to building upon these connections and creating even more at the Spring Meeting in Denver.

• Andrew Killian | Syndicated Equities
  2024-25 Jeffrey Kahan FellowAttending the Fall Meeting was an incredible experience. I attended sessions that covered a wide range of topics, and I met up with old contacts while making new friends in every session. The programming was relevant and engaging, and they kept things tightly scheduled to make the most of our time together.

  Guesting on the IOPC Blue product council was undoubtedly the highlight of the conference. The dinner and networking event let me meet some members beforehand, helping me feel more included and welcome once the product council day kicked off. Being able to sit in a room with senior leaders in real estate and listen to the conversation was something I wouldn’t have been able to experience without the Kahan Fellowship. From a broader economic outlook to debt and capital markets discussions, to deep dives on Vegas industrial and San Francisco office, we covered a broad range of topics and heard comments from professionals across the industry. I won’t soon forget the experience, and I’m already looking forward to the Spring Meeting.