7:00 AM

REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

Registration Sponsored By

8:00 AM

OPENING REMARKS: PROGRAM OVERVIEW

8:10 AM

WHERE ARE THE KEY ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS FOR CANADA & ALBERTA HEADING?

8:45 AM

A REBOUND IN ECONOMIC GROWTH: A LOOK AT EDMONTON AND THE SURROUNDING REGION

9:15 AM

THE EDMONTON STORY: HOW CAN THIS CITY REVITALIZE AND DIVERSIFY?

10:10 AM

MORNING REFRESHMENTS

10:40 AM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select A1, A2 or A3)

SESSION A1:
THE CAPITAL ROUNDTABLE: INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES FROM KEY PLAYERS IN THE REAL ESTATE CAPITAL STACK 

SESSION A2:
OPPORTUNITIES AND KEY DYNAMICS IN EDMONTON’S INDUSTRIAL MARKET

After years of an uncertain economic climate, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for Alberta. Planning for the next wave of industrial developments has already begun with projects such as Remington Developments Discovery Business Park coming into the market within the next year. What is the range of vacancy rates across Edmonton’s industrial submarkets? What does this mean for lease rates? What effect are construction costs having on the industrial market? How is the ring road impacting distribution, warehousing and logistics? What does this new wave of development mean for older product already in market?

Moderator:
Andy Horvath, Partner, Cushman & Wakefield Edmonton

Panel:
Catherine Bergamo, Senior Manager, Leasing and Operations, Edmonton Industrial, Oxford Properties Group
Ken Mamczasz, Director, Economic Investment & Development, City of Edmonton
Kelly Pawlik, Vice President, Leasing, ONE Properties
Matt Woolsey, President, York Realty

SESSION A3:
UNDERSTANDING THE EDMONTON RETAIL MARKET: FROM BUOYANT AND GROWTH TO CHALLENGES AND TRANSFORMATION

No other real estate property class has attracted as much ongoing attention and range of opinions as retail. With the impending legalization of marijuana, the growth of online shopping, and the future impacts of autonomous vehicles, there are a range of factors that are disrupting or transforming the market. In the face of all these trends, retail in Edmonton has continued perform well. Why? What makes this market so appealing? Which of the disrupters are affecting Edmonton? How are landlords and retailers adapting to the changing market conditions with incubation, omni-channel strategies and pop-ups like those in the West Edmonton Mall? Are external factors such as minimum wage and property taxes impacting retailers?

Moderator:
Brett Killips, Partner, Retail, Cushman & Wakefield

Panel:
Don Goyan, Vice President, Legal & Development, Chatters Limited Partnership
Robert Mulvale, Vice President, Retail Leasing, ONE Properties
Jeff Sheckter, Executive Vice President, Triple Five Group of Companies
Dallas Wingerak, Vice President, Real Estate & Operations, Western Canada, Choice Properties REIT

11:40 AM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select B1, B2 or B3)

SESSION B1:
ASSESSING ASSETS IN EDMONTON: HOW REGIONAL AND NATIONAL INVESTORS APPROACH A DEAL

This session will assess investment interest and activity within the office, retail, industrial, and multi-residential markets. The panel will begin by briefly examining benchmark transactions in Edmonton over the past twelve months. Discussion will then focus on each asset class and determine which ones have the strongest investor interest. Where are cap rates trending? How will investor decisions be affected by the cost of capital ranging from private equity funds to REITs to institutional buyers? What is their overall perspective on investment real estate market fundamentals for 2019 and beyond for the Edmonton market?

Moderator:
Ryan Zacharuk, General Manager & Senior Director, Altus Group

Panel:
Rod Gatenby, Senior Vice President, Investment Management, Bentall Kennedy (Canada)
Randy Hoffman, Vice President, Investments, Oxford Properties
William Secnik, Senior Vice President, Investment, Fiera Properties Limited
Martin Tovey, Vice President, Investments, Minto Capital

SESSION B2:
WHERE IS THE EDMONTON OFFICE MARKET HEADING? FROM ADAPTIVE RE-USE TO AMENITIES TO DESIGN

The Conference Board of Canada predicts Edmonton will add up to 17,600 office jobs by 2021. What are the major drivers of this growth? Given the impact of new office developments in the downtown core, how much more leverage do tenants have? What options can they consider? What can landlords with older existing assets do to reposition their properties to remain competitive? How are start-ups and companies such as WeWork using their space and changing the office landscape? What type of amenities do landlords need to consider? How do these trends vary from downtown to suburban markets? What will happen to Edmonton’s office market over the next two to three years? How much absorption has there been in the Edmonton market, and what can be expected in 2018 and beyond?

Moderator:
Chad Boddez, Senior Vice President, Office Leasing & Sales, JLL

Panel:
Kathleen McCabe, Vice President, Global Real Estate, Stantec
Chris Nasim, Vice President, Asset Management, GWL Realty Advisors
Dean Wulf, Vice President, Acquisitions & Leasing, Pangman Development Corporation
Mike Saunders, Vice President, Development, Qualico Commercial

SESSION B3:
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: A LOOK AT SOME OF EDMONTON’S MAJOR PROJECTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE MARKET

The City of Edmonton is changing at a rapid pace with new developments and infrastructure projects taking place in almost every quadrant of the municipality. This session will examine the range of infrastructure development activity beginning with the Valley LRT presently under construction. How is it contributing to Transit-Oriented Development? What are the fundamentals that have contributed to and what can be expected of the Blatchford Redevelopment? What does the future hold for the Northlands? What other infrastructure projects lie ahead that could have major impacts on real estate development in this market?

Moderator:
Bob Walker, CEO, Tangent Project Management Ltd.

Panel:
Jonas Locke, Vice President, Western Canada, Altus Group
Hilary Lumme, Vice President, Property Management, Operations & Leasing, Katz Group Real Estate
Jason Meliefste, Branch Manager, Infrastructure Planning & Design, City of Edmonton
Keith Shillington, Senior Vice President, Canada Prairies & Territories, Stantec
Olympia Trencevski, General Manager, Edmonton Downtown Portfolio, Oxford Properties Group

12:35 PM

RECEPTION AND LUNCHEON

Pre-Luncheon Reception Sponsored By

1:30 PM

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE

A PRESENTATION FROM THE HONOURABLE JASON KENNEY

Speaker:
Hon. Jason Kenney, Leader of Alberta’s Official Opposition

2:20 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Select C1, C2 or C3)

SESSION C1:
THE CHANGING FACE OF DOWNTOWN EDMONTON: TRANSFORMATION, REVITALIZATION AND REDEVELOPMENT

The revitalization of Edmonton began a few years back with the very significant development activity in the downtown core. As you walk along 101 St between 104 Ave and Jasper Ave, it is apparent that this transformation is well-underway. Edmonton’s downtown now includes the Ice District, Rogers Place, a new Hyatt Place Hotel, and the expansion of NorQuest College’s Singhmar Centre. What have been the implications of these projects on the various real estate asset classes and in leading to other development activity? What are the underlying fundamentals supporting these projects? What will the ultimate vision be for downtown Edmonton once all the major projects have been completed?

Moderator:
Cory Wosnack, Principal & Managing Director, Avison Young

Speaker:
Simon O’Byrne, Vice President, Regional Business Leader, Community Development, Stantec
Ian O’Donnell, Executive Director, Downtown Business Association of Edmonton
Glen Scott, President, Katz Group Real Estate
Eric Slatter, Partner, Omada Commercial

SESSION C2:
AN UPDATE ON MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE MULTI-RESIDENTIAL MARKET:  CONDOMINIUMS, RENTAL APARTMENTS, STUDENT AND SENIORS HOUSING

With Alberta’s economy improving with population and employment growth, do investors in Edmonton’s apartment sector have reason to be more optimistic? Some projects such as Mayfair, The Hendrix, and Carrington are making their way into the market, and are already seeing strong demand. What can be expected of purpose-built apartment construction? How is the next generation of potential homeowners answering the question of owning vs. renting? What opportunities exist in student housing and seniors housing? What is the forecast for rental demand given the region’s demographic predictions for the next five to ten years?

Moderator:
Paul Chaput, Senior Vice President, CBRE Limited

Panel:
Chris Dulaba, Placemaker, Beljan Developments
Henry Edgar, Partner, Edgar Developments
Jonathan Milroy, Broker, Asset Manager, Westcorp
Brent Weimer, Principal, Market Analysis, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

SESSION C3:
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS IN EDMONTON

The impending legalization of recreational marijuana has raised many questions and concerns for landlords, especially in the multi-residential sector. Edmonton is also witnessing the real estate impacts of major producers on the market - from Aurora Cannabis with an 800,000 sq ft. facility near the airport to Canopy Growth’s 160,000 sq ft. deal in south Edmonton and Freedom Cannabis’ retrofitted 110,000 sq ft. facility in Acheson. What is the forecasted demand for space in the market from these and other producers? How will the legalization impact the city, its zoning and regulations for use in public places? Will new building requirements be implemented to assist with ventilation? What is the impact on the condo and rental markets? Would landlords rather lease space to a traditional user over a cannabis operation?

Moderator:
Ryan Zabloski, Principal, Avison Young

Speaker:
Troy Dezwart, COO & Co-Founder, Freedom Cannabis
Geoff Herdman, Director, Real Estate Development, Edmonton International Airport
Rohit Gupta, President, Rohit Group of Companies
Mitchell Osak, Managing Director, Strategic Advisory, Grant Thornton
Dan Rowland, Principal Consultant, 420 Advisory Management

3:15 PM

AFTERNOON REFRESHMENTS

3:30 PM

CLOSING ROUNDTABLE

ASSESSING THE RISKS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EDMONTON MARKET: PREDICTIONS FROM THE C-SUITE

A group of well-respected senior real estate executives will share their perspectives and insights on what they believe are the most critical issues and market trends facing their strategies and the industry in general over the next 12 months and beyond. What are the major risk and challenges in the Edmonton market? How are these issues impacting their decision-making? What opportunities are still available for investors, developers and owners?

Moderator:
Kevin McKee, CEO, Pangman Development Corporation

Panel:
Rob Kumer, Chief Investment Officer, KingSett Capital
Nolan Montgomery, President, Camgill Development Corporation
Blair Welch, Founding Partner, Slate Asset Management
Dave Young, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, CBRE Limited

4:25 PM

CLOSING COMMENTS