7:30 AM 

REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:15 AM 

OPENING REMARKS: PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Introduction of the Conference Chair:
Eve Renaud, 2014 President, Calgary CREW Association

Conference Chair:
Rob Blackwell, Vice President, Leasing & Acquisitions, Aspen Property Management Ltd.

8:20 AM 

THE BUSINESS OF ENERGY: WHAT IT MEANS FOR CALGARY

9:15 AM 

NEW DEVELOPMENT ROUND-ROBIN

With over 9 million square feet in development or pre-leasing the Calgary skyline is changing, prompting excitement and curiosity. This session will include an overview of the largest and most significant developments in the Calgary area that are bound to change how you do business, and provide opportunities for brokers, tenants and landlords.

Moderator:
Rob Blackwell, Vice President, Leasing & Acquisitions, Aspen Property Management Ltd.

Panel:
Eau Claire Tower: Rick Artus, Director, Office Leasing, Oxford Properties
Palliser East/West: Jay Cowan, Vice President Development, Aspen Property Management Ltd.
Brookfield Place Calgary: Ryan Handley, Leasing Manager, Brookfield Properties
Telus Sky: Andrew Maclachlan, Executive Vice President, Jones Lang Lasalle
Manulife House: Peter Whitehead, Property Director, Manulife Real Estate

10:15 AM

MORNING REFRESHMENTS

10:40 AM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select A1, A2 or A3)

Session A1:
THE DICHOTOMY OF DOWNTOWN: AA, A…AND EVERYTHING ELSE

With more than two-thirds of downtown being AA class office space when will the older buildings be re-purposed? What are B and C class brokers and landlords doing to remain competitive? What are tenant expectations in new buildings? Are more affordable rents enough to sway some? This session will examine what strategies can be implemented and how landlords can apply these strategies in an effort to attract or maintain tenant leases.

Moderator:
Dwight Jack, Vice President, Office Leasing, Brookfield Properties

Panel:
Irene Au, Vice President, Leasing, Western Region, Dream Office Management Corp.
Dan Harmsen, Vice President, Associate Broker, Principal, Barclay Street Real Estate Ltd.
Ashley Roberts, Senior Leasing Associate, Colliers
Glenn Simpson, Principal, Office Leasing, Avison Young

Session A2:
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS – WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Developers, owners, landlords, brokers, property, facility and asset managers alike will all require dynamic and progressive thinking in order to adapt to the inevitable growth of mixed use developments in the Calgary region. With mixed use developments such as East Village, Eau Claire, Mark on 10th and Telus Sky following on the success of projects like Keynote and Le Germain, who and what are the main drivers pushing forward these developments and how are they expected to perform? Looking at the principles, pre-requisites, sequencing, proportions of use and common features of a well-designed mixed use development; what are the major components needed to realize the opportunities and mitigate the challenges? From the upfront creativity and excitement on the drawing board through to the mechanics and legalese of lease documents, what works and doesn’t and where is Calgary taking its cues from?

Moderator:
Iain McCorkindale, President, M2i Development Corporation

Panel:
Bernie Bayer, President, Taurus Property Group
Michael Brown, President & CEO, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation
Rosanne Hill Blaisdell, Managing Director & Vice President, Leasing, Harvard Developments Inc. 
Tim Low, Vice President, Leasing, Allied Properties REIT

Session A3:
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT: BIGGER & BETTER?

The expansion of the Calgary International Airport and the development of industrial land in the surrounding area are resulting in an increase of product on the market. Tenants are demanding A class product, yet a large portion of the market remains B and C. What are the challenges in leasing this product? Have rates on A class versus the rest completely de-coupled? What does this mean for vacancy rates? How do brokers compete to market and lease current holdings? Will this change your tenants’ demands and expectations? Who will sign leases on these properties? Are they geared at specific industries? Who are the tenants and where are they from?

11:50 AM

LUNCHEON

12:30 PM

THOUGHTS FROM THE CORNER OFFICE

Delegates are invited to spend time chatting with and asking questions of industry leaders and experts during round-table discussions.Choose from one of the following topics. Discussions will give delegates the opportunity to ask questions and learn first-hand.

1. Downtown Office Market
2. Suburban Office Market
3. Industrial Leasing Market
4. Mixed Use Activity
5. Landlord & Tenant Rights During Leasehold Improvements
6. The Top 5 Most Important Lease Clauses

1:15 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select B1 or B2)

Session B1
SINK OR SWIM: THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS & RISK MANAGEMENT

This panel will review how natural disasters, including the 2013 flood, impact lease agreements and insurance claims. What issues are tenants’ impacted by the flood still facing? What role do the broker, lawyer and landlord play when dealing with insurance claims? The discussion will also include a review of risk management as it relates to commercial leasing. What purpose do insurance clauses in leases play? What should these clauses cover? What legal responsibility do brokers, lawyers and landlords have in communicating risk to tenants? What, if any, repercussions can brokers expect nearly a year later?

Moderator:
David J. Simpson, General Manager, Oxford Properties

Panel:
Glen Kitteringham, President/Security Consultant, Kitteringham Security Group Inc. 
Greg Liakopoulos, Partner, Bennett Jones
Tanya Page, Manager, Compliance, Audit & Performance, Network Western Financial Group

Session B2:
THE ALMIGHTY MALL: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD

With vacancy rates steady at 1% in Calgary malls , the City of Calgary’s new vision on retail projects, and many US retailers playing the game of ‘wait and see’ what does the future of retail leasing in the almighty mall look like? Are tenants happy or frustrated? What about landlords and brokers? What impact are the paused expansion plans of US retailers having, if any? What’s prompting them to take a back seat and will they ever come North? Is this an issue in Calgary alone, or across the country? Will Calgary shopping centres remain much the same, or does the panel envision a new approach in the future?

Moderator:
Stephen Knight, CEO & Managing Broker, Sitings Realty Ltd.

Panel:
Laurel Adamson, Vice President, Leasing, Primaris Management Inc.
Marcia Grant, Senior Director, Leasing, Cadillac Fairview 
Eve Renaud, Director, Retail Leasing, 20 VIC Management Inc.

2:15 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select C1 or C2)

Session C1:
CLOSING THE DEAL: CREATING THE IDEAL LEASE AND COMPLETING THE TRANSACTION

What stumbling blocks do brokers encounter when negotiating in today’s market? How do environmental issues, financial covenant issues and foreign ownership impact the process? What important points are being overlooked? What steps can be taken to ensure you create the best experience for your clients? How do these questions apply to industrial, office and retail? What recent legal cases have impacted the leasing industry? What precedent, if any, do these cases set? The panel will draw from their own experience and share some important lessons.

Moderator:
Loy Sullivan, Vice President, 20 VIC Management Inc.

Panel:
Craig Harkness, Partner, Commercial Real Estate Group, McMillan
Philip Markovich, Principal, BFR Consulting Ltd.
Barrie Pomerance, Councel, Borden Ladner Gervais

Session C2:
PASSING THE BATON: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE DEAL IS SIGNED

Once the deal is signed the tenant is often unsure about the next process and how to move the project forward. What do designers, contractors and landlords wish brokers and lawyers knew about the process after the deal is done? How do you ensure a smooth transaction? What contribution can all those involved make to provide great customer service? What challenges have the panelists encountered and how have these changed their approach? When is the broker off the hook?

Moderator:
Mark Massing, Senior Director, Leasing, Strategic

Panel:
Andrea Freeman, Partner & Creative Director, MAKE
Alexi Olcheski, Vice President, Office Leasing, Avison Young
Shannon Potter, Director, Leasing, Morguard Investment Limited
Derek Weiss, Senior Advisor, MHPM Project Managers Inc.

3:15 PM

CLOSING SESSION — OUTLOOK FOR 2015: IS THERE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

Some argue that the positive news out of the energy sector signals good news for the leasing business in Calgary, but is this overly optimistic? How much transaction business has taken place in the last 12 months? What are current vacancy rates? Are developers taking more risks or staying the course? Where does the panel see the market heading in the next 12-24 months? What opportunities exist in Calgary? What other factors will contribute to some positive news?

Moderator:
Rob Blackwell, Vice President, Leasing & Acquisitions, Aspen Property Management Ltd.

Panel:
Randy Fennessey, President & Partner, Colliers International
Cole Harris, President & COO, Centron Group
Greg Kwong, Regional Managing Director, CBRE
Alex Wong, Executive Vice President, Avison Young

4:10 PM

CLOSING COMMENTS

4:15 PM

CHAIR’S RECEPTION