More than 700 real estate professionals from across the Carolinas gathered in Greenville February 12 and 13 for the 5th annual Carolinas’ Meeting.

The theme for the meeting was “Leading the Region Forward.”  Below are a few highlights from the meeting.

• The opening keynote focused on the challenges faced by the Carolinas’ as they contitnue to evolve and grow. Our communities face hard decisions about the future of our region, from connectivity to affordable housing to resiliency. Billy Grayson from the ULI Center for Sustainability & Economic Performance discussed the business case for healthier, more sustainable buildings. Doug Webster of CBRE covered the topic of connectivity, while Ron Terwilliger shared his knowledge on affordable housing.
• The popular “Crane Watch” was back for a look at development trends in the Carolinas. The panel featured six of the hottest projects under construction today (Camp North End, Charlotte, NC; WestEdge, Charleston, SC; Montgomery Building, Spartanburg, SC; Union Station, Raleigh, NC; Durham ID, Durham, NC, The RailYard, Charlotte, NC).
• The sharing of ideas continued with concurrent sessions featuring topics such as affordable housing, experiential retail, mobility and connectivity, and technological advancements in the industrial sector.
• Teams competed in the Urban Ideas competition. Congratulations to the 1st place proposal, Sea Change, developed by students at Clemson University’s Master of Real Estate Development program. Click here to see more about the competition.
• The meeting concluded with a closing keynote featuring a discussion with three of the Carolinas most thought-provoking mayors – Steve Benjamin (Columbia, SC), Esther Manheimer (Asheville, NC) and Knox White (Greenville, SC).

Many thanks go to the 2018 Carolinas’ Meeting host committee and volunteers; ULI Global CEO, Patrick Phillips; ULI Chair of the Americas, Trish Healy; District Council Chairs Robert Morgan, Andy Holland and Rob Cochran; our event sponsors; and to our host city, Greenville, for welcoming the ULI Community so graciously.

To see more photos from the meeting, visit 2018 ULI Carolinas Meeting.