DENVER (June 22, 2012) - Atlanta's real estate market will get the chance to shine next June when the nation's top residential and commercial scribes descend on the city.
The National Association of Real Estate Editors, or NAREE, voted unanimosuly late last week to hold its annual Journalism Conference in Atlanta. Kris Hudson, who covers hotels and retail real estate, will be president of NAREE when the conference is held in Atlanta. (The board and I are pictured at left.)
Each NAREE Journalism Conference features keynotes and panels with national and local industry executives, researchers and government agencies.
Wilbert News Strategies was Platinum Sponsor of NAREE 2012 and used the conference as the backdrop to promote our expanded Experts Guide, an online resource for journalists seeking sources. (See photo below.)
In Denver, Mayor Michael B. Hancock welcomed this year's NAREE attendees in an engaging off-the-cuff chat about his city and why it is the nation's top construction market right now.
Mayor Hancock bragged about the expansive size of Denver International Airport and its ranking as the world's fifth-busiest airport by aircraft movements (10th based on passenger traffic). As Hancock said these words, we imagined Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed ready to boast about Atlanta's ranking as the world's busiest airport - period.
In addition to being a major travel hub, Atlanta is a real estate town. I helped write the bid to bring NAREE 2013 to Atlanta, and here was part of my argument:
Atlanta is a real estate town like no other. It’s home to Beazer Homes, John Wieland Homes, Post Properties, Gables Residential Trust, Cousins Properties, InterContinental Group and several other large homebuilders, commercial development firms and hospitality companies. Moreover, several large German syndicators such as Jamestown and KanAm USA are based in Atlanta.
Real estate developers such as Tom Cousins (Cousins Properties), John Portman, John Wieland, Horst Schulze/William B. Johnson (founders of Ritz-Carlton brand, Capella Hotels and Resorts) and John Williams (Post Properties) helped build metro Atlanta into a major metropolitan area. The saying in Atlanta goes like this, “Real estate is to Atlanta what cars are to Detroit.”
NAREE director Matt Valley, based in Atlanta with France Media Inc., presented our bid to the board Friday, and WSJ's Hudson made the motion that passed without an opposition.
We look forward to working with NAREE on the 2013 conference and having the influential group in Atlanta.
Wilbert News Strategies and Matt Valley will do a great job for the 2013 NAREE conference. This could be the best thing for the city since the Olympics!
Harold Bubil
2012 NAREE president
Posted by: Harold Bubil | July 04, 2012 at 02:03 PM
Well, congratulations to Atlanta and to NAREE. Without a doubt, Atlanta has indeed grown into a tiger in the aspects of real estate business. The mushrooming success of real estate in the city makes it worthy to host the 2013 Real Estate Journalism Conference.
Posted by: Grace Walker | December 19, 2012 at 09:52 PM
Congrats Atlanta! Hope It will be an awesome experience!
Posted by: Jerry Spring | January 25, 2013 at 12:55 PM