Real Estate Technology Forum
The Real Estate Technolgy Forum was formed in 1999 as a professional networking organization. It is dedicated to exploring the application of technology to real estate and the urban landscape. It's members have achieved great distinction in their fields and are considered high level visionaries who influence the world's real estate.

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Previous Meetings

2007 Meetings

2006 Meetings

2005 Meetings

2004 Meetings

2003 Meetings

2002 Meetings

2001 Meetings

We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our January 2007 meeting: Lauren Yarmouth, Principal YRG sustainability consultants http://www.yrgconsultants.com

We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our November 2006 meeting:Maureen Beirne , of Captivate Networks

We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our September 2006 meeting: Robert, Trenck of Agilquest Corporation

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our November 2005 meeting: Carl Gambello of Cisco Systems

Cisco's Net Buildings

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our September 2005 meeting:Peter J. Boritz, Executive Vice President Real Data Management http://www.realdatamanagement.com

• Dynamic tools and services for commercial, residential, and corporate markets.
• Property management and the internet.
• Centralizing property information such as occupancy, vacancy, floor plans, documents, and more.
• How real estate managers can easily calculate square footages, and create "what if" scenario floor plans.
• Integrating new programs.
• Better buying decisions using technology as part of due diligence.

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our October 2004 meeting:Gene Samburg who is the president and founder of Kastle Systems, Inc.,

Kastle Systems, Inc. is a unique security systems service company that installs and monitors electronic security systems serving over 1,600 office buildings throughout the United States. Trends in Outsourcing,
A Revolutionary Approach to Office Building Security.

A paradigm for office building owners, operators and managers that reduces
risk of potential legal liability, delivers dramatic savings, provides substantially better service,
while offering greater flexibility and control.

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our April 2004 meeting:
Brian Schwagerl, Director of Real Estate and Facilities Planning The Hearst Corporation

The Hearst Tower Project has become one of the most talked about buildings in New York City, not only because of its remarkable architecture, but also because the tower will be rising from inside the preserved shell of Hearst's original headquarters (completed in 1928 landmarked in 1988)at 57th Street and Eighth Avenue.

The building will be an architectural standout, with a 42 story stainless steel and glass tower designed by Norman Foster rising from the interior of the six story masonry structure the company has occupied since 1928. The building is also being designed and equipped to be energy efficient to minimize wasted and to provide a bright, attractive interior environment for the 1800 employees who will work there.Such an approach is considered green or environmentally friendly because it reduces the consumption of resources while holding down pollution added to land air an water.

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our December 2003 meeting:
Martin Zuckerman, Principal, ZG Technologies

Media & Narrative:
New Adventures in Civic Places

Martin Zuckerman, former Vice President of Technology for Citigroup spoke about the infrastructure and technology standards required to operate a multi-national fortune 100 financial institution. Included among the topics he will discuss will be: cabling strategies, disaster recovery, and security.

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Link to Press Release

We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our December 2003 meeting:
Gregory Beck AIA, Architecture + Experience Design

Media & Narrative:
New Adventures in Civic Places

Its time to get the Real Estate Technology Forum back on track. The next meeting will be on December 2nd, 2003 with Gregory Beck speaking on how the traditional forms of architecture are no longer enough to shape our expectation of public space. A new type of place is emerging, using media technologies and age-old storytelling techniques to create memorable experiences. How can developers engage in- and profit from- these new design values? Mr. Beck co-directs the research group "Urban Narratives" at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, collaboration between the Media Laboratory and the City Design Program. He created and produces an annual forum on "Experience Architecture" at the HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN.

Link to Press Release

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our January 2003 meeting:
Anthony Townsend, a professor at New York University, founder and president of Cloud Networks and co-founder of NYCwireless.net

Transitioning from the Wired to the Wireless World:
New Opportunities for the Real Estate Community

With wireless networks becoming increasingly pervasive in today's society, Anthony Townsend, a professor at New York University, founder and president of Cloud Networks and co-founder of NYCwireless.net, will discuss how wireless networks are creating new opportunities for the real estate community. An internationally-recognized expert on the use of wireless communications in architecture, urban planning, and real estate development, Mr. Townsend provided an overview of the advantages offered by wireless networks, issues property owners should consider and common obstacles to wireless network deployment.

Link to Press Release

Link to Powerpoint Presentation

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for April 2002 meeting:
Ernest Schirmer, Vice President, Syska Hennessy Group Technology

Telecommunications Infrastructure for Today and Tomorrow:
Infusing Technology Into Building Design

This program will assist architects, designers and real estate professionals in understanding how telecommunications infrastructure
requirements affect building design with special emphasis on voice, data and multimedia networks. An overview of the four major
design standards will be given along with a summary of design features most valuable to tenants. Other topics will include wireless
networking, passive income from antenna site leases, and "Interior Technology."

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our March 2002 meeting:
Steven Alschuler, President and Hannah Arnold, Principal of Linden, Alschuler and Kaplan

Public Relations in a Tech-Weary Media Market

A few years ago, a building that had multiple telecom service providers was considered state of the art.  Today, many buildings can make this claim.  Similarly, offering speed, reliability and redundancy – and actually being in the tenant’s location – could previously distinguish a telecom provider.  Now, many companies can make these claims.  Complicating things further, many companies that made these claims over the past few years are now gone.

In this environment, with the media overwhelmed with information from a multitude of developers and tech companies – and at the same time distracted by New York’s recovery – how can a project, service or business get the media’s attention and market itself effectively through media coverage/p>

• Know the media.  Know what they’re covering generally and what individual reporters are covering.  Sending out press releases may not work, but if you can find an individual reporter who’s interested in a particular subject that’s relevant to your project – and pitch him – your odds of success increase.
• There are differences between how you approach daily newspapers, news magazines, trade publications, lifestyle publications, different sections of the newspaper, etc.
• Try to tie into current events and breaking news.  What are the implications of September 11th for telecom companies?  For real estate projects?  Downtown and in the rest of the City?  How does the overall post-September 11th environment relate to your individual project?
• Be a source.  It may be harder to pitch stories specifically about you.  But you can get a lot of mileage out of stories on a trend that you’re included in.
• Charities and New York-oriented activities.  Being a good citizen is a good way of generating visibility as well
  Market publicity.  Use direct mail, faxes and e-mail to circulate publicity to key audiences and generate additional buzz.
  

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We were pleased to have as our honored guest for our next meeting:
Andrew Gansler, a senior manager in Grant Thornton LLP’s Management Consulting Services Group

Business Continuity Risk:
Mitigation and Contingency Planning

An ounce of prevention……
….and what to do when that's not enough

Most businesses talk about disaster recovery, but don’t make planning for one a high priority. Fire, tornado, theft, sabotage, intrusion, power outage or explosion -- all can cause major disruptions in your business and can affect the security and integrity of your data and physical assets. In today’s environment, you simply have to be prepared.

Taking the time to plan for such events can pay dividends in the long run. The planning process doesn’t have to be monumental; it just needs to be comprehensive, pragmatic, and inclusive of the critical components of prevention, detection, and recovery. Prevention and detection efforts are focused on mitigating business continuity risk. Recovery, or contingency planning goes beyond technology recovery, considering the restoration of key business functions as well.

The discussion covered:

• The New Environment: Impact on Real Estate Companies
• New threats in the Internet Age
• Security and Control Issues
• Business Continuity Planning
• What should you be doing right now

Click here to see a copy of their Powerpoint Presentation

Click here to see the Press Release

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October 9, 2001:

Topic: "Security in the Aftermath of Tragedy"

Guests:

We were pleased to have as our honored guests:

Bob Smilowitz, a nationally recognized expert in protecting buildings against terrorist attacks and a principal of Weidlinger Associates, a leading engineering firm whose expertise was called upon in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as well as the recent terrorist attacks. The firm has also been involved in the construction of more than 100 embassies around the world.
and

Bob Ducibella, president and managing director of Ducibella Venter & Santore, a leading security services firm which has been involved in the consultation, design, engineering documentation, construction supervision and implementation of security monitor/control and protection systems since 1964. The firm has been entrusted with the development of protection systems for the world's only supply of lunar material at NASA, the financial operations of the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange, and the Federal Reserve Bank, among numerous other
security-sensitive locations.

Link to Presentation

In addition Ken Block, from Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner LLP provided a handout discussing: Landlord's liability for injuries suffered by tenants from the criminal acts of third parties and security measures landlords may be required to implement in order to safeguard tenants from criminal actions of third parties.

Link to Press Release

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September 11, 2001:

Topic: "Is Power a Risk to your Portfolio"

Guests:

We were pleased to have as our honored guests:

Vince Berlen, Executive Vice President - SourceOne, Inc.

SourceOne provides end-to-end utility management outsourcing services to mid and larger-sized businesses operating in a complex, deregulating environment.

SourceOne’s largest customer segment is businesses developing data centers and co-location facilities supporting Internet based businesses such as web hosting, data storage, and voice.

SourceOne is retained to support electrification of these facilities and manage the procurement of electricity.
Relying on extensive industry knowledge, regulatory expertise and commodity procurement skills, SourceOne offers customers an innovative, full outsourcing solution across multiple utilities, including electricity, natural gas, and integrated communications (local, long distance, cellular and Internet services).

Click here for a meeting summary

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July 12, 2001:

Topic: "Monetizing Your Energy Assets: Taking Advantage of Opportunities Brought About by Deregulation"

Guests:

We were pleased to have as our honored guests:

Steve Wemple, Director of Wholesale Trading &
Bill Costello, Real Estate Industry Manager, Con Ed Solutions

Click here for a meeting summary

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June 5, 2001:

Topic: "Energy Crises - Myth or Reality?" Electric Competition - What does it mean? Managing price volatility

Guests:

We were pleased to have as our honored guest:

Ashok Gupta of the Natural Resources Defense Council

Click here for a meeting summary

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May 1, 2001:

Topic: "Market Trends and their effect on Real Estate and Technology"

Guests:

We were pleased to have as our honored guest:

Mitchell Moss - Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy and director of the Taub Urban Research Center.

Click here for a meeting summary (pdf format)

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Members: