DALLAS-With the industry buzzing about the capital markets' shakeup, it's practically impossible for dealmakers to have too much information. As a result, the Nov. 13 RealShare Dallas intends to shed as much light as possible on the issue to meet market demands.

Keynote speaker will be Jody Thornton, executive managing director in Dallas for Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP and an industry icon with a well-respected daily pulse and sixth sense for the capital markets scene. The sixth annual RealShare Dallas will kick off at 7 a.m. in the Inter-Continental Hotel Dallas at 15201 Dallas Pkwy. in North Dallas with introductory comments from Carl Ewert, Dallas-based Staubach Co.'s executive vice president and current president of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors. The conference concludes at 1:45 p.m.

Richard Kelley, RealShare's executive director, says CRE professionals overwhelmingly requested the conference provide an industry expert to address the volatile capital markets, leading him to the Fort Worth native and 20-year veteran of debt and equity markets. Thornton is one of nine directors on the HFF board, with oversight for 16 of its US offices.

“The market wanted to hear from someone who could address the capital markets,” Kelley says. “Everyone has an opinion. Nobody knows who's right or wrong. What we can be is a conduit for that information.”

The morning's spotlight also will shine on Equastone CEO Chad Carpenter, who will explain why Dallas is at the top of the San Diego-based firm's buy list. The flip side of the RealShare favorite, “Fact or Fiction,” features Bill Cawley, chairman and CEO of locally based GVA Cawley, who has a different perspective about acquisitions in the metroplex.

After a short networking breather, the conference swings to yet another favorite, the town hall meeting, often a spirited exchange of opinions about market issues and a sneak preview of what could surface in the day's later sessions. This year's town hall leader is Mark Fewin, the Dallas-based senior managing director of CB Richard Ellis' worldwide hierarchy.

Kelley says the 2007 conference is expected to draw at least 400 executives from all industry sectors to probe, analyze and discuss the market in depth in the usual format of fast-paced concurrent sessions. Among the highlights will be a panel of leading financiers to offer future guidance on the post-credit crunch's impact on debt and equity and another panel of investment sales all-stars to speak their minds about re-pricing and what, if any, shadow it will cast over Dallas/Fort Worth after its two consecutive record-setting years.

The conference will be topped off by a luncheon featuring pillars of the industry, all seasoned veterans who have helped to build and maintain Dallas/Fort Worth in the best and worst times of recent decades. CBRE' senior vice president Ran Holman will be the moderator for a panel consisting of First Industrial Realty Trust's senior development officer Terry Darrow, Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc. vice chairman Bob Edge, Henry S. Miller Commercial's president of investments and land Robert Grunnah and Koll Development Co. CEO Steve Van Amburgh. The RealShare conference series is produced by Real Estate Media, which also publishes GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.

Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.