PROGRAM SUMMARY

November Program Summary:
Positioning Your Business in a Challenging Market

Moderator
Kay Sargent
Principal
IA Interior Architects

Joan Berman
Senior Vice President Management Services
Vornado/Charles E Smith

Tanja Castro
Partner
Holland & Knight

Monica T. Pittman
Director
DBI

This focus of this program was how to better position your business in order to survive and succeed in today's challenging market. Moderator Kay Sargent started the discussion out by urging members to adjust their expectations and embrace the “new normal” of today's economy. Ms. Sargent indicated that co-opetition, working together with your previous competition and valuing each other's core expertise, is critical to surviving these challenging times. Conditions in the market are forcing business to do more with fewer resources and the panelists identified areas to create efficiencies and opportunities in each of their three fields: property management, taxes and design/architecture.

Property Management

• Find cost efficiencies, particularly in utilities.
• Get competitive bids. Negotiation is the status quo.
• Take any Accounts Receivable issues seriously and address as soon as possible.
• Maintain tenant relations.

Taxes

• Be proactive, especially as it relates to setting of base years for new leases.
• Carefully complete Income & Expense forms that you submit because the appeal process is lengthy.
• Pay attention to deadlines related to assessments and appeals.
• Local jurisdictions are reluctant to acknowledge that cap rates have changed because of the impact on revenue from taxes.

Design

• Creatively show potential tenants the flexibility of your space.
• Provide cost information for build-outs.
• Show flexibility and sustainability in everything you do.

 

Click here for the copy of the PowerPoint presentation.

Click here for a PDF list of attendees.

 

Back to Top

VIEW PAST PROGRAM SUMMARIES

EVENT SUMMARIES

Linked In Roundtable Event

On October 23, 2009, over thirty CREW DC members and colleagues participated in a
CREW DC-hosted Linked-In Roundtable held in the Chevy Chase Bank Headquarters in
Bethesda, MD. Leading the event, Fast Lane Hires CEO Lori Gale demonstrated the
power behind Linked-In as a professionally oriented online networking forum. She
outlined the basics on using the website as well as provided a number of helpful hints:

• Take advantage of the site -- users have access to first, second and third degree
  contacts allowing a user to network beyond their own personal contacts.
• Join as many relevant groups as possible in order to network within the groups
  as well as to access the groups’ contacts.
• Personalize the URL associated to the users account and use this URL in the
  signature block of one’s email and business cards. (All members of Linked-In
  have a URL attached to their account).
• Use personal email address as the primary email instead of a work email to
  avoid any potential conflicts down the road.

Netwining Networking Event

On November 10, 2009, twenty CREW DC members and colleagues participated in a CREW DC-hosted Wine Tasting held in the Kimball Office. Leading the event, Perseus Realty’s Jill Homan, a wine sommelier, discussed six different affordable international wines. All the wines were under fifteen dollars. She mentioned the region, flavor and other interesting facts of each wine which is listed below:

• Riondo. Prosecco: The Prosecco is a light bodied white wine with a peach flavor and a floral nose. It comes from the Veneto region in Italy. Unlike Champagne, Prosecco goes through a second fermentation in pressurized tanks instead of individual bottles.
• Agricola Castellana Cuatro Rayas. Verdejo: Agricola Castellana is a cooperative that is comprised of more than 400 members growing wine in the Rueda region of Spain. Verdejo is a medium bodied white wine with apple and lemon flavors.
• Rio Seco. Torrontes: Torrontes is a medium bodied white wine that has a yellow gold appearance. It comes from the Mendoza region of Argentina. Torrontes has a tropical fruit nose and peach flavor.
• Palazzo Montanari Grossa (65%) Rondinelle (25%) Molinara (10%) Valpolicelle Classico: Valpolicelle comes from the Veneto region of Italy which is a hilly viticultural zone. It is a dry light to medium bodied red wine with a nice spice finish. It smells of hints of spice and cherries.
• Bodegas Farina. Spada Toro. Tempranillo: Spada Toro is a medium bodied red wine with black cherry and spice flavors. It has a spicy, earthy nose and comes from the Toro region of Spain. This region is one of the driest in Spain and has a wide variation of temperatures.
• Belasco de Baquedano Llama. Malbec: This particular winery is located in the Andes Mountains of Argentina. Malbec’s from Argentina have increasingly become more popular even though Malbec’s originate from France. This wine is a dark red full bodied wine with hints of cedar and cinnamon.

CREW Networking Event – April Site Tour

On April 29, 2009, CREW DC held a Green Site Tour. The tour started at CBRE's Office (750 9th Street, NW) which is certified Gold for LEED – Commercial Interiors. Seventy-five percent (75%) of CBRE's space has daylight which helped them obtain their certification. The next stop on the tour was 1050 K St, NW which was designed by Hickock Cole. The building is certified Gold for LEED – Core & Shell. A way in which the building obtained its certification was through their green roof. By having planters and albedo pavers, the building reduces their heat island affect.  Through the planters the building collects rainwater and stores it in a cistern. The water in the cistern is then used for watering the plants in front of the building reducing the amount of potable water used. The tour ended with a reception on the roof of 1050 K Street. The event was sponsored by Lenkin, Hickock Cole, CBRE and Kimball Office.

CREW DC New Member Breakfast

CREW held its Annual New Member Breakfast on March 11, 2009 at Arent Fox's offices on Connecticut Avenue. Eileen Circo, Senior Vice President of Development for Lowe Enterprises was the special guest speaker. NRAI was the event sponsor and Arent Fox LLP was the event host.

Eileen spoke about her many years of experience in CREW and shared some of the initiatives that CREW Network is spear-heading this year. She stressed the importance and privilege of utilizing the resources we have in our fellow CREW members to seek opportunities.

Several Committee and Board members were in attendance. They all introduced themselves and asked new members to join a committee.

10+/20+ Dinner

The CREW DC Networking/Member Services Committee hosted the 10+/20+ Dinner on February 10, 2009 to honor CREW members of Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland who have been active in CREW for ten or more years or involved in the real estate profession for twenty or more years. The event was held at the elegant Il Mulino restaurant where the evening commenced with a cocktail reception followed by a three-course dinner in the intimate private dining room. We had a wonderful gathering of 53 members who came out to meet new friends and reminisce with old ones while enjoying fine Italian cuisine and wine. The Il Mulino staff provided impeccable service and hospitality. They made every effort to cater to the group’s needs and as a highlight, the restaurant offered a free lunch for four to a lucky CREW member.

VIEW PAST EVENT SUMMARIES

Back to Top