National – The Urban Land Institute (ULI), a research and education organization dedicated to responsible land use and creating thriving communities worldwide, has announced its 2015 Spring Meeting schedule and featured speakers. Keynoters for the event, which will include an emphasis on creative community building for the 21st century, are Richard Kinder, chairman and chief executive officer of the energy pipeline company Kinder Morgan; James A. Baker III, former federal government dignitary and chairman of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; and ULI benefactor Gerald D. Hines, chairman of the global real estate firm Hines, which is based in Houston.
Registration is now open for the meeting, which will take place at the Hilton Americas Houston on May 13-14, 2015. The Spring Meeting typically draws up to 3,000 of the world’s foremost industry professionals, and the 2015 event marks the first time since 1992 that one of ULI’s two major annual all-member meetings has been held in Houston.
Kinder will open the event on Wednesday, May 13, with insights on business resilience, the state of today’s energy environment, and the importance of giving back to the community. On Thursday, May 14, Baker and Hines will discuss leadership: Baker will share lessons learned from serving in senior government positions under three U.S. presidents; and Hines will share lessons learned during the 57 years he has led his international investment, development, and management company.
Another highlight of the meeting will be a town hall session, moderated by former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, which will explore findings from two new ULI surveys — Generation Y and Housing and America in 2015 – both follow-ups to previous ULI reports. Cisneros will lead a discussion that will include the timely topic of how the surge of Millennials entering the housing and jobs markets will change urban development.
In addition to these three main sessions, the meeting will include an emphasis on communities that, like Houston, have built on their strengths in the post-recession years to be economically prosperous, environmentally sound and highly livable. Twelve mobile tours are planned to provide attendees with behind-the-scenes access to Houston’s most innovative developments. “Houston’s economic diversity, downtown neighborhood revitalization, light rail, bikeway and green space additions are all contributing to the city’s success in positioning itself as a vibrant place to live and work,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “We are excited to bring ULI to this great city, and we are anticipating a highly successful meeting, in terms of both networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities.”
Chairing the Host Committee for ULI’s Spring Meeting are ULI trustee and former ULI Houston Chairman Jonathan H. Brinsden, chief executive officer of Midway; and ULI Trustee Thomas D. Owens, senior managing director and chief risk officer for Hines.
ULI’s major meetings, including the Spring Meeting, are made possible each year by the generous support of sponsors. Hines is the Icon sponsor for the 2015 Spring Meeting, and other major sponsors include Colliers International, Cushman & Wakefield, OliverMcMillan, ProLogis, Camden Property Trust, EY, and Lutron. Sponsorship opportunities for the meeting are still available.
