Past Symposia

2021 Real Estate Symposium

The 14th Annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive Columbia Business School alumni-only educational forum was presented virtually on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.

• Keynote #1 Report: How Real Estate and Physical Space Utilization are Evolving - Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO and Chairperson of Gensler
• Keynote Conversation #2 Report: How Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast - Sandeep Mathrani, CEO of WeWork
• Panel Report: International Investment Opportunities
• Panel Report: The Impact of Technology and Consumer Behavior on Real Estate

2020 Real Estate Symposium

The 13th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive Columbia Business School alumni-only educational forum took place on December 8, 2020. For the first time ever, the half-day forum will be presented virtually, and we are delighted to be able to share a curated program highlighting thought leaders and industry experts with our real estate alumni community from all across the US and various parts of the world! Thank you to all who participated—over 380 alumni were in attendance, spanning 42 graduation years, with representation from 23 U.S. states and 13 different countries

• Opening Keynote Conversation on Housing - Ivy Zelman, CEO of Zelman & Associates and Chris Mayer, Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate and Co-Director of the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate
• Burst Presentation: Rise of Small Cities During COVID-19 - Mayor Ravi Bhalla
• Panel: Future of Cities post COVID-19: Will urbanization continue or will smaller cities level up?
• Panel: Investment Playbook 2021 and Beyond
• Closing Keynote Fireside Chat on Retail

 2019 Real Estate Symposium

The 12th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive Columbia Business School alumni-only educational forum took place on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at the Princeton Club of New York.

• Opening Discussion on Retail and Public REITs
• “Virtual Kitchens: Strategic Partnerships and the Impact on Commercial Real Estate”
• Panel: PropTech in the Era of Climate Change: How the Built Environment Must Innovate to Maintain Sustainability and Resiliency
• Co-Living and Beyond: Changing the Residential Paradigm
• Panel: Investment Strategies for 2020: Navigating the Longest Cycle
• Keynote Fireside Chat

The 11th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive Columbia Business School alumni-only educational forum took place on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at the Princeton Club of New York.

• Keynote Address
• Short Presentation: "Making Blockchain Real--Charting a Course to Generating Business Value"
• Breakout Panel: Data, Profits, and Pitfalls: Entrepreneurial Solutions to Workforce/Millennial Housing
• Breakout Panel: The Intersection of Real Estate and Technology: How Will Real Estate and the Buildable Environment be Different in 2028 and Beyond?
• Breakout Panel: Global Capital Flows: Thinking Beyond the Cycle
• Closing Fireside Chat with Hines Executives

The 10th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive alumni-only educational forum, took place on Monday, December 4, 2017 at the Princeton Club of New York.

Jonathan Tisch, Co-chairman, Loews Corporations, Chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels delivered the opening keynote address, and Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, Office of the Mayor of New York City closed out the program with an intimate fireside chat with Lynne Sagalyn, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor Emerita, Columbia Business School. The half-day event also featured an all new presentation on the London/UK market by Lance West, Senior Managing Director and Chairman, Centerbridge Partners.

In honor of the 10th anniversary, the annual event concluded with a celebratory reception.

See photos from the sold out event here.

• Keynote Address
• Presentation on Global Real Estate in Europe, London
• Global Institutional Real Estate
• The Innovative Practices and Tools affecting a Revolution in Design and Construction Methods
• The Changing Landscape of Retail
• Closing Fireside Chat

The 9th Annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive alumni-only educational forum, took place on Monday, December 12, 2016 at the Columbia University Club of New York.

Roy March, Chief Executive Officer of Eastdil Secured delivered the opening keynote, and Scott Malkin, Founder and Chairman of Value Retail delivered the closing address. 

See photos from the sold out event here. 

• Keynote Address
• The Future of Investing in Cities
• Shadow Banking — The Growth of Alternative Lending
• Investing Globally in Economic and Political Uncertainty
• Closing Discussion on Retail 

The 8th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive alumni-only educational forum, took place on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at the Columbia University Club of New York.

Barry S. Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, delivered the opening keynote, and Thomas J. Barrack, Jr., Founder and Executive Chairman of Colony Capital, delivered the closing address.

Please see photos from the sold out event here.

• Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
• How Long Can This Real Estate Cycle Last?
• Trends in Development
• Emerging Real Estate Uses and Market Disruptors
• Closing Address

The 7th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive alumni-only event, took place on Monday, December 15, 2014, at the Columbia University Club of New York. Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Executive Chairman, Boston Properties, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of U.S. News & World Report, Chairman and Publisher of the New York Daily News, delivered the keynote address.

• Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
• Main Panel: The Development Boom
• Where are we in the Real Estate Cycle?
• Real Estate Capital Markets
• New York: At the Very Center of Business

The sixth annual Real Estate Symposium took place on December 9, 2013, at the Columbia University Club of New York, with 200 alumni representing classes from 1959 to 2013 in attendance. Sam Zell, chairman, Equity Group Investments, delivered the keynote address.

The sixth annual Real Estate Symposium took place on December 9, 2013, at the Columbia University Club of New York, with 200 alumni representing classes from 1959 to 2013 in attendance. Sam Zell, chairman, Equity Group Investments, delivered the keynote address.

Hosted by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle of Columbia Business School, the Real Estate Symposium is an annual educational forum that brings together accomplished Columbia Business School alumni and top industry leaders for a broad-based discussion of topical issues, high-profile transactions, trends, and challenges facing the real estate industry.

• Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
• Main Panel: CEO’s Corner
• New York Panel: Is the Sky the Limit?
• Equity Capital Markets Panel: What Are Real Estate Investors Looking For?
• Debt Panel Report: Uncharted Waters

The fifth annual Real Estate Symposium took place on December 4, 2012, at Columbia University’s Faculty House, with more than 180 alumni representing classes from 1961 to 2012. David E. Simon ’85, Chairman and CEO, Simon Property Group, delivered the keynote address.

The fifth annual Real Estate Symposium took place on December 4, 2012, at Columbia University’s Faculty House, with more than 180 alumni representing classes from 1961 to 2012. David E. Simon ’85, chairman and CEO, Simon Property Group, delivered the keynote address.

Hosted by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle of Columbia Business School, the Real Estate Symposium is an annual educational forum that brings together accomplished Columbia Business School alumni and top industry leaders for a broad-based discussion of topical issues, high-profile transactions, trends, and challenges facing the real estate industry.

• Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
• Main Panel: Assessing Risk and Return in a Global Real Estate Market
• New York Panel: Real Estate Development in New York City in the Digital Age
• Equity Capital Markets Panel: Consolidating and Recapitalizing Real Estate Businesses
• Debt Panel Report: Special Servicing—360 Degrees

The 2011 Real Estate Symposium took place on December 8, 2011, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Faculty House, Columbia University, and was open exclusively to alumni of Columbia Business School. The keynote speaker was Richard B. Saltzman of Colony Capital.

The 2011 Real Estate Symposium took place on December 8, 2011, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Faculty House, Columbia University, and was open exclusively to alumni of Columbia Business School. The keynote speaker was Richard B. Saltzman of Colony Capital.

The Real Estate Symposium is an annual educational forum designed to build a community network for Columbia Business School alumni. It is co-hosted by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle. The Symposium features accomplished Columbia Business School alumni and top industry leaders who engage in a broad-based discussion of topical issues, high-profile transactions, trends, and challenges facing the real estate industry.

• Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
• Restoring Functioning Debt Markets Panel
• Equity Capital Markets Panel
• Future Development in New York Panel
• Main Panel: Designing and Executing Investment Strategies in Unprecedented Uncertainty

The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle hosted the third annual Real Estate Symposium on Thursday, November 11, 2010, at Faculty House, Columbia University. The event was a great success, with more than 150 alumni representing classes from 1961-2010 in attendance. The day proved to be a great opportunity for the exchange of information, the discussion of deals (past, present, and future), and the building of both professional and personal connections.

• Opening Remarks: Update on the School and the MBA Real Estate Program
• Keynote Address: Glenn Rufrano on the State of the Real Estate Market
• Real Estate Public and Private Equity Panel
• Macro Trends Panel
• Commercial Real Estate Debt Panel
• Main Panel: Global Investment Opportunities

The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle of Columbia Business School hosted the second annual Real Estate Symposium and annual Real Estate Alumni Reception for Columbia Business School Alumni on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at the Asia Society in New York.

• Symposium Newsletter, with details of panel discussions and the keynote address by Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO, Starwood Capital Group
• Howard Milstein Honored as 2009 Distinguished Real Estate Partner