How Hurricane Irma Cemented a CRE Collaboration

BROOKLYN, NY—A partnership between NAIOP‘s office conference and Global Workspace Association‘s annual conference, originally scheduled for Miami, is making for a dynamic and serendipitous event called The Office Evolution, November 9-10 in Brooklyn, participants tell GlobeSt.com. Pre-empted by Hurricane Irma, the GWA conference was rescheduled, and a partnership with NAIOP’s event creates a unique, multi-faceted event with a distinct focus on how office owners, developers and operators can benefit from the trends that are shaping the office sector nationwide.

We spoke with Greg Fuller, president and COO of Granite Properties Inc., 2018 NAIOP Chairman-elect, and a panelist on the breakfast general session “Mix it Up: Integrating Flexible Office Space,” and Kane Willmott, co-founder of iQ Office Suites, founding partner and broker of record for Spire Commercial Realty Inc. and president of GWA, who will also be speaking at the conference’s “Deep Dive on Traditional Financing” panel, about the partnership, and why flexibility is growing in importance in the office environment.

Willmott: “Landlords are looking at doing shorter-term deals but having tenants pay a bit more, and tenants are saying yes to paying more for flexibility.”

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the benefits of bringing together two organizations—NAIOP and the Global Workspace Association—for this conference?