Conferencing with a Purpose

INTRODUCTION

Ahead of the fall conference circuit, Alliance Global Advisors (Alliance) has set forth the following guidelines to help Investment Managers understand how best to approach attendance and participation in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) industry conferences. Attending conferences is one of the primary networking tools available to Investors, Consultants and Investment Managers. Our latest blog offers guidance for Investment Managers to optimize their conference participation and engage in best-in-class practices for attendance and networking.

We would like to thank Greg MacKinnon, Director of Research at the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), and Jonathan Schein, CEO and Executive Director at the Real Estate Limited Partner Institute (RELPI), for their contributions to this article, given their extensive knowledge of the conference circuit.

CONFERENCE BEST PRACTICES

How can an Investment Manager effectively prepare for a conference and what are the networking best practices? Below we identify essential tools necessary from conference selection, preparation and networking tips that are critical to success and offer the most efficiency for your team.

Pick the Right Conference for You

Identifying the conferences that offer the best opportunities for your firm and achieve your conferencing goals is an important first step. What are you looking to get out of the conference? Are you trying to obtain information and educate yourself on a particular topic? Or are you trying to network with key people?

  • Understand the effect the conference is supposed to have on your company

  • Ask yourself, what kind of groups/people are you most eager to network with? Understand the primary audience, including industry participants, Investors, Consultants and brokers

  • Seek feedback on conferences you have yet to attend from peers

  • Establish a conferencing budget and protocols for attendees

  • Review agendas online to ensure the conferences will satisfy your criteria and goals

Preparation

Investment Managers should properly prepare leading up to the event to ensure maximum performance and generate new opportunities upon attendance. What steps should one take to best prepare?

  • Book rooms as soon as conferences are announced (understand cancellation policies)

  • Review the agenda to decide which sessions and networking events seem most relevant to you

  • Request the attendee list and consider making an email introduction to attendees you would like to meet

  • If the attendee list is not available, try to obtain the previous year’s attendee list to understand who is attending and their intention for being there

  • Thoroughly review the attendee list once obtained. If your prospects plan to attend, understand where you stand with each one

  • Identify other prospects in the area and consider extending your stay before or after the conference to meet with those not in attendance

  • Plan events around the conference, such as property tours, dinners and architectural tours, but make sure these do not interfere with conference events

  • Make sure to attend conference-wide events, such as the keynote addresses

  • Request speaking/moderator roles if applicable, as these provide the best visibility for an organization

  • Identify/join committees, councils or affinity groups

  • Follow the event’s Facebook page or Twitter hashtag (if applicable) to keep track of people you would like to meet

  • Pack more than enough business cards – if you forget your business cards, make sure you have an efficient system for follow-up with people you have met

Networking

Greg MacKinnon of PREA stresses the importance of strategically building a network over time. "Creating a network, whether at the PREA conferences or other events, is like real estate investing - it takes a long-term strategy. Consistently returning to the same event over several years will pay off in gradually building relationships in the industry that can then continue outside that event. Don't wait until you need a network; start working on relationship building when you don't need it, so that it is there when you do,” shared Greg.

We further highlight best practices below. Simply put, an event without networking is a missed opportunity.

  • Set a goal to meet a certain number of new people at each event

  • However, don’t use a conference to meet with everyone one-on-one, but use it as a touchpoint

  • Arrive early to the event

  • Make a point to write a quick follow-up to anyone you meet, and do so sooner than later to make yourself memorable

  • In your follow-up email, make a point to reference a topic discussed during your conversation

  • Log business cards collected in your electronic contact list

  • Take notes to help remember each person and the conversation you shared – jot a note on their business card

  • Track your connections and provide your feedback to senior management

  • Connect on LinkedIn

  • Do not forget to follow up with connections with your contact information and more detail about your firm or offering

Pro-Tips

We called on our friend Jonathan Schein of RELPI for conference “pro-tips” and best practices. As a creator and producer of events beginning with GlobeSt.Events, previously RealShare Conferences and various events platforms over the past two decades, including Institutional Real Estate, Inc. (IREI), Jonathan has noticed certain actions that help the attendees maximize their time. Below we share a few of his key takeaways:

  • Arrive early and welcome people as they come in, whether in the lobby or at the registration desk. You’ll always find that you’ll make memorable connections

  • Ask questions during the sessions. Yes, be that person because it gets you noticed. This requires listening to the content closely. There is always a nugget of intelligence you’ll pick up, and it also positions you as a curious and inquiring individual. Panelists appreciate feedback from the audience, and so many are either intimidated to ask a question or disengaged

  • Leave late. There are always a few people you didn’t think you’d meet still hanging around. So many of us want to “get home” sooner than later. And what’s the point of that? You’ve committed the time and money to be at the conference, and you need to maximize every moment of it

  • Pick your spots. You don’t need to be at every conference, wherever it is. Eventually, you become the wallpaper that nobody sees because you’re becoming overexposed. It’s okay to miss one every now and again. There’s some wisdom in scarcity and take advantage of that

  • Find events your peers may not be aware of, such as outlier events. These are typically smaller or not very well-known events and seminars in places you probably haven’t visited which gives you esoteric information and the ability to meet people that generally go to the larger ones

  • Volunteer to be on any event's Advisory Board. You may meet people you might not originally have, and the board will give you exposure through the event's promotions

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

Interested in learning more? Our Partners, Heather Fernstrom Border and Jennifer Stevens, have an unmatched depth of experience attending and participating in panels. Throughout Heather’s career, she has held memberships at the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP), PREA and IREI, among others.   Heather continues to speak and moderate various panels on industry-wide topics. She is an Advisory Board member of Outsourced Research & Capital and was recently asked to participate on PREA’s Governance Committee. Jennifer has served as a representative member of the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UN PRI), Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), PREA, PREA Foundation Diversity Working Group, IREI, Women in Institutional Investment Network (WIIN) and National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) in addition to speaking at numerous educational and industry events. In 2022, Jennifer was elected to the PREA Board of Directors.

To learn more about targeting specific conferences or further best practices, reach out to our team. We also encourage you to visit the Alliance Conference Calendar, published on the Alliance Global Advisors website, containing a summary of upcoming institutional real estate investment conferences in the United States, Europe and Asia.

ABOUT ALLIANCE GLOBAL ADVISORS

Alliance Global Advisors (Alliance) is a women-owned consulting firm focused on developing strategic growth solutions for real asset investment managers. Advising clients with over $400 billion in assets under management (AUM), Alliance partners with organizations to provide an informed, independent perspective, continued education and an innovative approach to attracting capital in a competitive market environment. Our experienced team is committed to empowering the real asset investment community to elevate best practices. Our partnerships allow senior management teams to focus on what matters most: diligently managing Investor capital, creating value and delivering exceptional returns in a performance-driven market.

Disclaimer: This blog was originally published in October 2022 and will be updated periodically to reflect changes in the industry. The content may contain or cite personal and/or professional opinions that differ from the views of Alliance.

 

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