ULI will hold its 2014 Spring Meeting April 9–11 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. For the first time, the spring event is being held outside the United States, reflecting the Institute’s international presence and the growing number of members with global business operations. In particular, the Vancouver location for the meeting is indicative of the strong business relations between the city and many markets throughout Asia, where ULI’s membership is growing rapidly.
A major focus for the 2014 gathering will be building communities that encourage healthy living and that are economically prosperous and environmentally sustainable—all of which are characteristics of Vancouver, notes ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Vancouver is known for innovative urban design, environmentally conscious development, and a commitment to a high quality of life,” he says.
The ULI Host Committee is being chaired by ULI British Columbia Chairman Alan Boniface, principal of DIALOG in Vancouver. “This is a great opportunity to showcase Vancouver’s ample assets to an organization that champions excellence in urban development and community building,” he says.
Video: See You in Vancouver | Register for the ULI Spring Meeting | Travelling to Vancouver | More on the Program
The closing keynote speaker planned for Vancouver is Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s flagship foreign affairs show, Editor-at-Large of TIME Magazine, Washington Post columnist, and New York Times bestselling author. He will be talking about the global economy and what it means for the real estate industry going forward: Who the players are and will be, what to watch for, and how to make the best decisions for your business.
Attendees may consider traveling by way of Seattle for two special tours hosted by ULI Northwest. The Cascadia Mobile Tour will feature two concurrent morning tours. The Eastside Livability and Technology Tour will feature the Microsoft Envisioning Center and a tour of downtown Bellevue, Washington. The Seattle Urban Innovation Tour will feature a walking tour of South Lake Union and the Amazon campus and also the Cascade neighborhood. These tours will be followed by a lunch program where speakers will discuss the urban histories of and the growth behind the Cascadia markets—Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland. Participants will then go on a tour of Seattle’s retail and office core and will end with a tour of historic Pioneer Square. After these activities, participants will board a train and arrive in Vancouver later in the evening.
Robert Krueger is director of public relations and social media at ULI.
