For more information, contact: Trish Riggs at 202/624-7086

WASHINGTON — (February 9, 2016) – Nearly 7,000 of the world’s foremost leaders in the real estate and land use industry will convene at the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2016 Fall Meeting, set for October 24-27 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. ULI is a global research and education institute dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving, sustainable communities.

Each day of the meeting will emphasize a separate area of focus, starting with Monday, October 24, which will be dedicated to tours of the most innovative developments in North Texas. Tuesday, October 25, will emphasize leadership and innovation, offering lessons learned from experts in the real estate industry and beyond, including a high-profile session featuring Roger Staubach, executive of TSC and former Dallas Cowboys star quarterback, who forged a highly successful career in real estate following his retirement from the National Football League in 1980. On Wednesday, October 26, the focus will shift to industry trends during the ULI Stan Ross Real Estate Trends Conference; and Thursday, October 27, has been designated as “real estate deal day,” with opportunities for attendees to explore and initiate development projects, as well as share best practices in the art of making deals.

As the largest of the institute’s events and the real estate industry’s premier gathering, the annual ULI Fall Meeting routinely draws internationally renowned land use and urban development experts, including commercial developers, finance executives, economic development specialists, architects, urban planners, property owners and managers, real estate consultants, public officials, academics and property advisers.

Real estate session topics include challenges and opportunities presented by technology advancements, demographic shifts, urbanization, changing economic drivers, transportation and other infrastructure needs, and adaptation to climate change. The meeting will highlight successful business strategies used by rising stars and experienced professionals to thrive in the rapidly changing industry; and it will include programming specific to Dallas’s evolution as a highly livable, sustainable and globally competitive city. A prime example of the city’s accomplishments is Klyde Warren Park, a 5.2-acre deck park built over the recessed Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas, which was selected as the 2014 winner of ULI’s prestigious Urban Open Space Award.

Dallas-Fort Worth was named the most favorable region in the United States for investment and development in 2016 by Emerging Trends in Real Estate: The Americas, an annual industry forecast co-published by ULI and PwC. The report cites the area’s strong employment growth, business-friendly environment, and moderate cost of living as factors in its high rating.

The 2016 Fall Meeting Steering Committee, which is responsible for providing input on programming and highlighting Dallas’s considerable assets, is being chaired by Mark D. Gibson, executive managing director of HFF in Dallas. Gibson is also a co-chairman of the Host Committee, along with Patricia L. Gibson,

President of Hunt Realty Investments, Inc. in Dallas and John M. Walsh, III, president and chief executive officer of TIG Real Estate Services, Inc. in Plano.

“The Fall Meeting presents a unique opportunity for ULI members to share their expertise and insights to improve community building around the world. Dallas is the perfect backdrop for a gathering that offers such a fantastic mix of knowledge sharing and networking,” Gibson said. “Our city is demonstrating bold, innovative approaches to urban design and development that reflect the real estate trends we’ll be discussing at the meeting.”

ULI’s widely acclaimed advisory services program has offered recommendations on urban growth-related issues in Dallas and the metropolitan region on several occasions over the past 25 years, including a revitalization strategy for West Dallas in 1990; redevelopment of the Oak Cliff Gateway District in 2001; a strategy for new development in Frisco in 2004; development of a regional logistics hub in Southern Dallas County in 2006; a reuse plan for Southwest Center Mall in 2009; and a development strategy for Vitruvian Park in Addison in 2011. Later this month, a ULI national advisory services panel will convene in Dallas to study existing affordable housing policies and recommend new or revised strategies for increasing the supply of affordable and mixed-income housing in the city and the region.

The 2016 Fall Meeting is made possible with generous support from Allen Matkins; Champion; Cushman & Wakefield; Granite Properties; HFF; Hines; Hillwood; HKS; Hudson Pacific Partners; Essex Property Trust; JLL; KDC; Morgan Stanley; Prologis; UDR, Inc.; and Wells Fargo.

NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: To be placed on the registration list for ULI’s 2016 Fall Meeting, contact Robert Krueger at 202-624-7051.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 36,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.