Miami event promises to help minorities in commercial real estate

South Florida Business Journal

by Oscar Pedro Musibay

In the latest example of Miami’s growing standing as one of the nation’s most dynamic real estate markets, Global Diversity Summit is bringing its annual conference to Miami for the first time

Global Diversity Summit is a national organization focused on promoting the participation of minorities in commercial real estate. The event will be held Wednesday, Nov. 6th and Thursday, Nov. 7th.

The annual conference, which will take place at Downtown Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, will include panel discussions, featured speakers and break-out sessions exploring topics ranging from investment trends and capital sources, to new development activity and infrastructure projects across the U.S.

The luncheon’s keynote speakers will be Related Group Chairman and CEO Jorge Perez and former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, who is now a senior partner at the law firm of Lydecker Diaz.

Other speakers include Dacra CEO and President Craig Robins; University of MiamiPresident Donna Shalala; Macquarie Capital Managing Director Alan Braxton; PortMiami Director Bill Johnson; New Boston Real Estate Investment Funds Senior VP Kirk Sykes; and Swire Properties President Stephen Owens.

Swire is building Brickell CityCentre, a billion plus mixed use project in Miami. Robins is leading a makeover of the Design District and in August obtained a $302 million loan. Macquarie Infrastructure Partners had a majority stake in the parent of Global Tower Partners, which was recently sold for $3.3 billion. PortMiami is undergoing major infrastructure improvements, including dredging, a new tunnel, new crans and a new intermodal yard.

The Summit’s panel discussions will focus on topics such as off-shore capital sources, multifamily investment opportunities, infrastructure development, and entertainment districts.

“When it comes to tackling the issues and trends driving real estate and diversity in business, there’s no better host city than Miami for our first-ever conference outside Atlanta,” said Global Diversity Summit Chairman Michael Tabb, who runs Red Rock Global, in a statement. “Our two-day conference in Miami will be a platform on which some of the brightest minds in the national real estate and business landscape will connect and share ideas.”

Each year, the Global Diversity Summit raises funds for scholarships to fund the studies of promising college-bound students.

Sponsors of this year’s Global Diversity Summit include, Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP, Miami Parking Authority, Related Group, University of Miami, Wells Fargo, Lydecker Diaz, Red Rock Global, Schwartz Media Strategies, Jones Lang LaSalle, ForestCity, Greenfield Advisors, The Integral Group, NAIOP, PortMiami, Real Estate Executive Council (REEC), Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP, and REAP.