CREFC Hosts Annual Conference in New York City

Industry conference features Danny Meyer as keynote speaker

NEW YORK, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The CRE Finance Council (CREFC), the trade association that exclusively represents the nearly $6 trillion commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry, will host its Annual Conference in New York City on June 9-11, 2025. This year's conference will examine how the industry is managing a broad array of challenges and update conference goers on all sectors of commercial real estate, including hospitality, multifamily, office, and retail, and the newest entrant to the sector – data centers.

CREFC's Annual Conference is the largest gathering of senior CRE finance professionals who attend to learn about the latest industry developments and issues and exchange experiences and information. This year, panel speakers will examine the growing CRE CLO market and warehouse financing, the increased participation of insurance capital in the commercial property market, and the impact of rising operating expenses on income-producing properties.

Attendees will engage with industry peers through networking events, and our Annual Conference will recognize and celebrate contributions to the industry and the association made by CREFC members with its Founders, Woman of Distinction, and '20 Under 40' awards. Additionally, CREFC will announce its new leadership and members on its Executive Committee and Board.

Talk about treats, Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, will keynote at CREFC's luncheon. Mr. Meyer will explore the critical difference between service and hospitality, the role of emotional intelligence in leadership, and how the principles that drive success in restaurants can translate to real estate, tenant relationships, and business growth. Through compelling stories, he will share how embracing a hospitality mindset can elevate employee engagement, customer loyalty, and long-term success in any industry.

"I am proud of the powerful ensemble of industry professionals and keynote speakers we have brought together to enlighten and engage CRE finance market participants at our Annual Conference this year in New York," said Lisa Pendergast, President and CEO, CREFC. She added, "I look forward to hearing Mr. Meyer's compelling anecdotes about one of today's leading restaurant and hospitality brands."

In addition to CREFC's seven industry-sector forum sessions, the conference provides programming tailored to CREFC's multitude of young professionals via a Roundtable and a Career Conversations and Speed Networking session.

Other panel sessions at the Annual Conference include:

• Funding the Alternative Lender Universe: Warehouse Financing & CRE CLOs
• The Data Boom: Investment & Financing Strategies for Data Centers
• Industry Leaders Roundtable
• Risk, Reward, and Returns: How Insurance Capital Is Changing CRE Investment
• Hitting the Bottom Line: OpEx Drivers in CRE Investing
• Hotel Strategies from The White Lotus to the Rosebud Motel
• Office Recovery & Opportunities in 2025

When: June 9-11, 2025

Where: New York Marriott Marquis
             1535 Broadway
              New York, NY 10036

Program (June 9): https://bit.ly/AnnualConfProgramMonday2025
Program (June 10): https://bit.ly/AnnualConfProgramTuesday2025
Program (June 11): https://bit.ly/AnnualConfProgramWednesday2025

Registration: https://bit.ly/AnnualConfRegistration2025

Live stream options are available.

About CREFC
The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for the nearly $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry with a membership that includes approximately 400 companies and 19,000 individuals. Member firms include balance sheet and securitized lenders, loan and bond investors, private equity firms, servicers, rating agencies, and borrowers. For more than 30 years, CREFC has promoted liquidity, transparency, and efficiency in the commercial real estate finance markets, and functioned as a legislative and regulatory advocate for the industry, playing a vital role in setting market standards and best practices and providing education for market participants.

SOURCE CRE Finance Council