NEW YORK CITY—Attendees of “2017 East Meets West,” this year's edition of the signature event for the New York Manhattan chapter of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, will have quite a buffet of content served up along with breakfast and luncheon. There will be keynote addresses from two of the most recognizable names in the city's commercial real estate sector, along with simultaneous panel discussions for commercial or residential practitioners. It's scheduled for Oct. 25 at the Westin New York Grand Central.

“We look at it twofold: to inspire our members to think bigger, and also to educate them,” says Julie Kang, senior managing director with MHP Real Estate Services and president of AREAA's Manhattan chapter. “Our keynote for breakfast will be the principal of my company, Norman Sturner, who's done tremendous work on the office building sector in New York City. He'll be providing a lot of stories about his journey to success.”

On the more educational side, and focusing on the residential sector, the conference will include a panel discussion with Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel Inc. and Noah Rosenblatt of Urbandigs. “These guys are all about numbers: what's going on in the market, data-driven,” Kang explains. “You could read about it, of course, but being there and soaking in all that information is key to our members.”