7:00 AM

REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:00 AM

OPENING REMARKS: PROGRAM OVERVIEW

8:05 AM

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR EDMONTON AND ALBERTA: WHAT TO EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS

8:35 AM

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE EDMONTON STORY

9:00 AM

BUILDING THE CAPITAL

There seems to be little sign of stopping the growth opportunities in Edmonton and the capital region. Hear from some of the region’s biggest investors as they discuss how they are contributing to and taking advantage of investment opportunities in the region. How does the region maintain and grow its current position? What opportunities exist and who are the other players? What steps need to be taken to attract more investment to Edmonton?

9:55 AM

MORNING REFRESHMENTS

10:20 AM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select A1, A2 or A3)

Session A1:
INDUSTRIAL LAND: IS THERE ENOUGH TO GO AROUND?

It is expected that over 1300 hectares of new industrial lands will be needed in the next 3 years with most of the demand in the northwest and southeast sectors of the city, but is there sufficient supply? Will existing buildings be able to accommodate demand? How will owners of established industrial space position their product? How effective is the Industrial Land Strategy? What role do surrounding counties play?

Session A2:
WELCOME TO EDMONTON: THE IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH ON THE HOUSING MARKET

Despite the provinces continued challenge to attract sufficient talent to Alberta, Edmonton is continuing to see an increase in population that easily surpasses the national average. With very low multi-family vacancy what opportunities exist? Inevitably this population increase is shifting Edmonton’s demographics, but what does this mean? How are housing demands and demographic changes shifting neighbourhoods? Are more people buying condos or looking to rent?

Session A3:
CHANGING SHAPE OF RETAIL

The retail landscape is changing in Edmonton. Many mid-sized box stores are downsizing to become more profitable and remain affordable meaning tenancies can be somewhat uncertain. Deals such as the purchase of Shoppers Drug Mart by Loblaws and The Hudson’s Bay acquisition of Saks are also bound to impact retail, but how and what are the repercussions for lease agreements? What aspects of retail are performing well? What are the expectations and likely outcome of new investment in the downtown core on retail? What opportunities exist with annexation of land in the southwest? Is online shopping continuing to impact retail stores?

11:30 AM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select B1, B2 or B3)

Session B1:
LAND USE GROWING PAINS: GROWING UP, OR GROWING OUT

As the city continues to grow at a rapid rate the debate about urban sprawl and densification continues to heat-up, but what are the impacts of each situation? Some argue there are only 20 years of residential land use available – is that really the case? If so, is densification the only route? What challenges do developers face in each situation? What are the true costs of urban sprawl? Is annexation a viable option to deal with population increases? How will Transit Oriented Development impact development opportunities?

Session B2:
MAKING A MOVE: THE NEW OFFICE SPACE

Despite the fact that the majority of Edmonton’s office space expansion is happening in the suburbs a slow trend toward investment in the downtown core is also starting to take shape. What are the implications on office demand in the suburbs versus the downtown? What are the reasons some move to the burbs, while others choose downtown? How do foreign leaseholders perceive the Edmonton and Canadian market? How does the city attract new companies and retain current offices?

Session B3:
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD: PENSION FUNDS, PRIVATE INVESTORS, REITS

In the last part of 2013 REITS performed poorly as private investors scooped up commercial property across Canada, but is this the case in Alberta? Which REITS are most likely to succeed? What other funds are investors looking at? What are the expectations for the second half of 2014? What opportunities exist? What happens if and when interest rates go up?

Moderator:
John Ross, Managing Director, Avison Young

Panel:
Micheal Dal Bello, Senior Vice President Real Estate, Alberta Investment Management Corp.
Paul Vander Schaaf, Vice President, Portfolio Management, KingSett Capital
Dallas Wingerak, Vice President, Real Estate & Operations, Western Canada, Choice Properties REIT
Matthew Woolsey, General Manager, York Realty Inc.

12:30 PM

RECEPTION AND LUNCHEON

LUNCHEON REFRESHMENTS

1:10 PM

KEYNOTE LUNCHEON SPEAKER

THE QUADRUPLE BOTTOM LINE

Luncheon Speaker:
Ken Chapman, Executive Director, Northern Initiatives, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation

2:00 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select C1, C2 or C3)

Session C1:
GAME CHANGER: WILL OFFICE CONSOLIDATIONS PRODUCE DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR EXISTING LANDLORDS?

Some argue that the recent announcement of a new dedicated municipal office tower means even more big changes for the downtown core. With two other large organizations looking at their options to consolidate into a centralized property, to what extent will this bring about trying times for landlords who will face increased vacancy or compete against those properties that will? Are the expectations too high? Will the office market witness the biggest boost of inventory since 1980? What does this really mean for downtown?

Moderator:
Cory Wosnack, Principal, Avison Young

Panel:
John Day, John Day Developments
Randy Ferguson, Chief Operating Officer, Strategic Group
Tim Hogan, Senior Vice President Office & Mixed Use, WAM Development Group
Sandy McNair, President, Altus InSite
Walter Trocenko, Branch Manager of Housing & Economic Sustainability & Corporate Properties, City of Edmonton

Session C2:
EDMONTON: GATEWAY TO GROWTH

With relatively young populations and continued investment in the energy sector, both Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray are among the fastest growing cities in North America. In addition, there is more and more action north of the Alberta border with some referring to Yellowknife as the ‘next Fort Mac’. Who are the major players in each market? What strategies need to be applied to keep pace with development? What unique challenges do communities face as part of this growth? How can developers, investors and brokers take advantage of these developing cities?

Moderator:
Robb Campre, President, Grazing Buffalo Construction & Brocha Systems Ltd.

Panel:
Mayor Bill Given, City of Grande Prairie
Sam Gordon, Co-founder & Partner, Wexford Development Corporation
Neil MacGillivray, President, Camgill Enterprises Ltd.
Paul Verhesen, President, Clark Builders

Session C3:
UP, UP AND AWAY? – THE OUTLOOK FOR DEBT AND CAPITAL MARKETS IN 2014

With the likelihood that the BoC will increase long-term interest rates sooner rather than later the panel will discuss the implications on debt and capital markets and what it means for Alberta, and Edmonton specifically. What are the risks and opportunities associated with an increase in interest rates? What are the best bets for positioning capital? What can be expected from lenders? Will they be more aggressive?

Moderator:
John O’Bryan, Chairman, CBRE Limited

Panel:
Jason Cottle, Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets Real Estate Group
Tim Gillespie, Vice President, Commercial Group, ATB Corporate Financial Services
Dale Klein, President & CEO, Canada ICI
Jeff Lastiwka, President & CEO, JayCap Financial Ltd.

2:50 PM

AFTERNOON REFRESHMENTS

3:05 PM

FINAL COMMENTS: LOOKING AHEAD: WHAT’S THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR EDMONTON?

Over the last 10 years, Edmonton has seen tremendous growth with little sign of stopping. Hear from both experienced and up and coming members of the Edmonton real estate industry on where they see the city going in the next 10-20 years. What goals would they like to see the city meet? What challenges do they believe the city will encounter? What contributions do they want to make to their community? What does the Edmonton of the future look like?

Moderator:
Darin Rayburn, CEO, Melcor REIT

Panel:
Mayor Don Iveson, City of Edmonton
Bill Butler, Chairman, Springwood Developments
George S. Schluessel, CEO & President, Procura
Alex Thomson, Vice President, Investments, Triovest
Cory Wosnack, Principal, Avison Young

4:05 PM

CLOSING COMMENTS

4:10 PM

CHAIRMAN’S RECEPTION