The World's Top Real Estate Leaders to Gather in Boston for the Urban Land Institute's 2018 Fall Meeting, Set for October 8-11 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center

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Jun 13, 2018, 04:13 ET

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 7,000 of the world's foremost leaders in the real estate and land use industry will convene at the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) 2018 Fall Meeting, set for October 8-11 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts. ULI is a global, multidisciplinary, member-driven real estate organization dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving, sustainable communities.

"As the largest of ULI's events, and the real estate industry's premier gathering, the Fall Meeting routinely draws land use and urban development experts from around the globe who represent all aspects of the industry, reflecting the Institute's unique multi-disciplinary membership," said ULI Americas Chairman Patricia R. "Trish" Healy, principal at Hyde Street Holdings, LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina. "We are very excited to bring ULI to Boston – one of America's greatest cities and a hub for innovation and creativity. Our members can look forward to a meeting filled with topical discussions on all aspects of real estate, tours of the area's cutting-edge developments, and plenty of networking opportunities. ULI's Fall Meeting is a 'must attend' for anyone seeking to gain or share expertise on creating thriving communities."

Meeting attendees will include commercial developers, finance executives, economic development specialists, architects, urban planners, property owners and managers, real estate consultants, public officials, academics and property advisers. Real estate sessions will explore the real estate implications presented by timely issues such as technology advancements, demographic shifts, urbanization, changing economic drivers, transportation and other infrastructure needs, and environmental concerns. The meeting will also highlight successful business strategies used by rising stars and experienced professionals to thrive in the rapidly changing industry.

The meeting's Host Committee, which is responsible for highlighting Boston's considerable assets, is being chaired by longtime ULI leaders Owen D. Thomas, chief executive officer and director, Boston Properties; Pamela J. Herbst, managing director, AEW Capital Management LP; and Franz F. Colloredo-Mansfeld, president and chief executive officer, Cabot Properties. All are ULI trustees and highly engaged members of ULI Americas.

"Boston is an excellent example of how cities are adapting to the needs of future generations," Thomas said. "The 2018 Fall Meeting presents a prime opportunity to demonstrate how our members are helping position Boston for success in the decades ahead."

"The revitalization that is occurring throughout Boston has been nothing short of transformational," Herbst said. "We look forward to showcasing the many projects throughout the area that are making Boston more sustainable and livable."

"While steeped in history and tradition, the Boston region is at the forefront of the future of city building," Colloredo-Mansfeld said. "Our city is leading the way with inspired and highly successful design and development. We are excited to explore these best practices at the meeting."

Each day of the meeting will emphasize a separate area of focus, starting with Monday, October 8, which will be dedicated to tours of innovative developments occurring throughout the area, including:

Kendall Square
Allston-Brighton to Harvard
Jackson Square
South Boston
Downtown Boston
Fenway and Longwood Medical Area
Route 128 Corridor
South Boston Seaport

Tuesday, October 9, will emphasize leadership, offering lessons learned from experts in the real estate industry and beyond; and on Wednesday, October 10, the focus will shift to industry trends. Thursday, October 11, has been designated as real estate "deal day," with opportunities for attendees to explore and initiate development projects, as well as share best practices in the art of making deals.

The 2018 Fall Meeting is made possible with generous support from numerous sponsors, including Icon sponsors Boston Properties and Union Point; Principal sponsors NKF Capital Markets and Suffolk; and Platinum sponsors Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and GreenbergTraurig.

Boston was named one of this year's top ten cities in the United States for investment and development by the 2018 edition of Emerging Trends in Real Estate, the annual industry forecast co-published by ULI and PwC. The report cited Boston's appeal to highly educated millennials, and the aggregation of medical and health technology companies as economic drivers for the metropolitan area. It also pointed to a near-record influx of capital to the area due to the strength of the market.

Healy noted that ULI has a strong connection to Boston. Over the past several decades, panels of Institute members convened through ULI's Advisory Services program have advised the metro region on a range of urban development challenges, including recommendations on: the redevelopment potential of Kendall Square (1976); revitalization strategies for Roxbury (1994); the redevelopment potential of Lowell (2003); planning strategies for South Bay (2012); the redevelopment of Malden and Everett (2015); and, most recently, recommendations on downtown development that could result from an underground rail line linking North Station and South Station (2017).

"It's fair to say that the expertise of our members has played a significant role in shaping Boston's growth over the years," Healy said.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines, including more than 2,000 in the Asia Pacific region. For more information on ULI, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.