SIOR Spring World Conference recap by president Duclos

Mark Duclos, the president of the Connecticut/Western Massachusetts Chapter of SIOR shares a recap of the Spring World Conference recently held in Miami Beach. Eight members of SIOR CT attended the Spring World Conference in Miami Florida on May 10-12. A total of approximately 625 SIORs from all over the world attended the conference and enjoyed enhanced programming and speakers...not to mention South Beach! The conference speakers were highlighted by author, movie producer and entrepreneur, Peter Guber. Guber owns a number of minor league baseball teams and is a member of the investment group that just purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers. Guber spoke of the need to reinvent oneself without the fear of failure (something he has experienced numerous times throughout his career). The conference was once again generally upbeat with most brokers talking about increases in overall business and activity. Transaction volume was up for Q4 2011 and Q1 2012, although a number of brokers spoke about quieter times in Q2 2012. A number of brokers were also cautious about the immediate future and the potential peril of events in Europe. There was also a lot of talk about the continued consolidation of the brokerage industry; the most recent being the Newmark Frank acquisition of Grubb & Ellis. The Loews Hotel and South Beach proved to be a fantastic venue for the World Conference. There was plenty to enjoy during the day and night, with nights that generally begin at 11 p.m.! A nightlife highlight was, once again, the Pannatoni event held on Thursday night at the Loews hotel. The next World Conference is scheduled for Los Angeles on October 25th through the 27th. Please visit the website www.siorct.com to find additional information on the Connecticut/Western Massachusetts Chapter, chapter members, and upcoming events.