Valbridge Property Advisors recently attended the annual CREW Network Convention and Marketplace in Orlando, Florida, in late September. This conference is the industry’s premier business networking event, bringing together more than 1,200 commercial real estate leaders for deal making, business networking, industry education, and leadership development.

At Valbridge, we are always growing and learning. This conference gives us the opportunity to take a deeper dive into not only our industry but also into who Valbridge is as a company. The conference allowed us to sit in many sessions throughout the day and hear from top professionals in the industry.

Keynote speakers to note included First U.S. Navy female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, Carey Lohrenz. Lohrenz provided critical insight on the importance of setting a bold vision to bring teams together and stay resilient through hard times. Joshua Harris, Ph. D., CRE, presented on navigating current and future trends and opportunities for the next decade in Commercial Real Estate. He explained how the 2020’s are going to be a decade defined by technology integration and adoption. He defined tech trends to follow in the next decade, including building information systems or smart buildings, sustainable/ energy efficient design, and space optimization technology.

We also enjoyed a presentation on the growth and opportunities flex spaces offer. Flexible spaces, like coworking spaces, business centers, or a start up space, are redefining corporate space options and lease transactions and is ranked fourth in industrial evolution. We are excited to be on the heels of the growth of flex spaces and see how our clients can help benefit from this industry.

Valbridge is proud to be an annual sponsor of CREW as well as a supporter of the 2019 CREW Network Convention and Marketplace. In 2018, we launched the Valbridge Women’s Council to provide a platform for growth and development for VPA’s professional women through mentorship and education. To date, the VWC has grown to 95 members strong. The Valbridge attendance at this year’s CREW conference was made up largely of VWC members.

To learn more about the Valbridge Women’s Council, or to sign up for the VWC newsletter, click here. We look forward to the continued growth in the next year as we look ahead and gear up for the next annual CREW Network Convention and Marketplace.