In preparation for our Women of Influence special feature and retreat, Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com together is putting a spotlight on the achievements of women in commercial real estate. This year, we collected nominations across a number of fields, with the awards to be presented at our inaugural GlobeSt.ELITE Women of Influence Conference and this year's amount of entries, was our biggest yet.

CRE's use of tech may have started with software to better manage properties and automate certain processes, but nowadays technology touches all aspects of commercial real estate, from space listings and HR operations to crowdfunding investment and financing to the newest innovation, blockchain technology to provide a more efficient and secure way of closing deals. For the field of innovation, this year, we were seeking nominees who have fully embraced and integrated herself into the world of technology, and are reaping the benefits of the tools, platforms, products and services available through these innovations. Whether an IT expert who's found ways to capitalize on a need within the industry, or a CRE professional who has become more efficient and successful through the use of tech, whatever her role, we were looking for individuals who have had the forethought and ingenuity to realize how to best make technology work to benefit her career, her company and the industry at large.

Since 1983, Forum's Women of Influence has recognized remarkable commercial real estate professionals who have significantly influenced the market or had outstanding successes in the past year. It is in that spirit that we're launching our first-ever Women of Influence Conference will celebrate the women who drive the commercial real estate industry forward.