The Commercial Real Estate Summit – which started 36 years ago with 150 attendees at Creighton Law School – returns to the CHI Health Center Friday, August 22. This year’s theme is “The Next Chapter: Growth, Change, and Opportunity.” The all-day summit now attracts upwards of 800 commercial real estate professionals each year.
Early bird tickets are $325/person or $293.25/group of 20-plus and $310.50/group of 10-19 people until June 11. After that, tickets increase to $345 per person. Late conference tickets (after August 8) are $395/person. Hall of Fame Luncheon and students’ tickets are $75.
“The event has grown each year, and we’re expecting upwards of 800 commercial real estate professionals this year,” said Jerry Slusky, who founded the event in 1990. “Not only have we experienced continued growth over the years, but our format has evolved to reflect what’s happeneing with commerical real estate each year. This year is no exception.
“We’ve got a great lineup of speakers, and presenters, attendees will have many opportunities to network and make contacts within the industry, and everyone will leave with more knowledge and enthusiasm for what’s to come locally and regionally in commerical real estate.”
Slusky founded the summit while teaching a course in Commercial Real Estate Development, Planning and Finance at Creighton Law School.
To address a growing need, he mentioned to the Dean of Creighton Law School that teaching commercial real estate at the time was ineffective due to the state of the industry. As an alternative, he suggested it would be more efficient and impactful for the law school to sponsor a workshop on the subject.
From there, the Commercial Real Estate Workshop was born before changing its name to The Commercial Real Estate Summit in 2014.
The event has grown to include presentations and discussions from the Midwest’s industry leaders, including presidents of national banks and CEOs of national real estate brokerage firms and construction companies.
The 2025 summit kicks off with a networking breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by opening remarks and poetry from Jewel Rodgers, State Poet of Nebraska and daughter of Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers. She is a development manager with Noddle Companies.
Following opening remarks, Nate Kauffman, Senior Vice President, Economist, and Omaha Branch Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, will give an update on recent economic developments and emerging risks that will shape the outlook for commercial real estate moving forward.
During a short lunch, Scott Anderson, a licensed mental health practitioner and certified executive and life coach, will cover the topic “Burnout-Proof Success: 10 Quick & Proven Techniques for High-Achieving CRE Professionals.”
Anderson, author of You’re Not Toast and founder of DoubleDare Executive Coaching, will share 10 fast-acting, science-backed techniques to help CRE professionals prevent and recover from burnout without sacrificing success. Four industry professionals yet to be determined will also be inducted into the CRE Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Nine breakout sessions, highlighted by “Understanding key drivers in Real Estate Property Tax appeals” and “Insights from the Lenders: Navigating Commercial Real Estate Financing” make up the majority of the day’s events, along with five Summit University Roundtables led by industry professionals.
Omaha Greater Chamber of Commerce President & CEO and former Nebraska State Senator Health Mello will close the day with a session titled “Omaha Reaches 1 Million: Planning the Path Forward for Growth and Development.”
Happy Hour follows from 3-5 p.m. within walking distance at Let It Fly.
“I’m so excited to once again be part of the CRE Summit,” said event co-chair Chris Mensinger, senior vice president at Colliers. “There is no better event for commercial real estate professionals like the CRE Summit. It’s an opportunity to share ideas and network with fellow professionals as well as learn about current and future industry trends and happenings. I highly recommend anyone in this industry participating.”
Visit www.attendcresummit.com to register online and learn more about sessions and speakers.
