Eduardo Acuna is responsible for all of Cinépolis’ operations in the Americas. Cinépolis has presence in 17 countries across four continents, and is the second largest cinema exhibitor in the world in terms of theater admissions and the fourth largest in terms of screen count. Prior to his role as Head of the Americas, Acuna served as President of Cinépolis Brazil, where he was awarded the International Exhibitor of the Year Award by ShowEast in 2014. Prior to moving to Brazil, he was the director of the Financial Planning and Supply Chain Departments at Cinépolis. Before working at Cinépolis, Eduardo held positions in the private sector at McKinsey & Company and at Goldman, Sachs and Company. He has also worked in the Mexican public sector, at the Mexican Central Bank and at the Ministry of Social Development. Eduardo holds a Master’s in Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a Master’s in Public Policy degree from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he attended as a Fulbright Scholar. He has an Economics bachelor’s degree from ITAM in Mexico where he graduated with honors.

With more than 25 years’ in virtual reality, video games and entertainment, Shiraz Akmal has deep, hands-on experience building new entertainment businesses with cutting-edge technology. Akmal is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of SPACES, a leading immersive entertainment company that was spun out of DreamLab where Akmal formerly led business and product development for all of the virtual reality projects for DreamWorks Animation prior to 2016. He also served as VP of operations-product development for video game company THQ. Akmal has led fundraising of over $10.2 Million dollars for SPACES with prominent industry partners and led his organization to become a Comcast Ventures Portfolio Company. SPACES is a leading location-based entertainment company with the first SPACES Center open in Irvine, CA and major partnerships announced with Songcheng, Cinemark, and Skydance. He is a mentor for Boost VC, the pre-eminent accelerator for emerging technology, and his career highlights include directing a string of multi-million-dollar selling video game titles, including Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Scooby-Doo! Akmal and SPACES co-founder Brad Herman are inventors of multiple patented VR technologies.

Brian is the Global Sector leader of DLR Group’s Retail/Mixed-Use studio. He collaborates with DLR Group design and business development professionals to meet the needs of developers and retail brands in markets across the country and overseas. Brian brings over 20 years of experience working on complex wide-variety of commercial projects including retail power centers, mixed-use and entertainment, hospitality, restaurants and workplace. He focuses on innovative design solutions and leadership to the teams he leads and provides solving complex design issues in today’s urban retail environments. Brian is known for his collaborative nature, client service oriented approach and management style which encourages all design team members to offer innovative solutions which are grounded in constructability and budgeted parameters.

Mr. Benson is founder and CEO of Cinergy Entertainment Group, Inc., the leading chain of luxury cinema entertainment centers in the country, describing itself as a “social playground” complete with private meeting and event spaces and VR-equipped gaming.  Cinergy combines amenities such as boutique bowling, laser tag, ropes course with a zip line, immersive escape rooms, and large arcades with 8-12 dine-in movie theatre auditoriums that feature zero-gravity, heated luxury recliner seats, Barco laser projection, and Dolby Atmos sound.  Cinergy’s chef-inspired menu includes a wide array of classic American favorites plus craft beer and cocktails...all delivered straight to your theater seat, lane, table or outdoor patio.  Cinergy was a 2017 finalist for IAAPA’s Top FEC of the World and operates one of the highest grossing theatres in Texas.  Cinergy has four locations in Texas and its aggressive rollout plan includes one location under construction in Oklahoma and multiple more under development. Prior to founding Cinergy, Mr. Benson founded Movie Tavern in 2001, one of the largest chains of dine-in theatres in the country.  Mr. Benson graduated from the University of North Texas in 1992 with a Master of Science degree and is a CPA.  He began his career with Deloitte where he worked as an Audit Manager.  He is Treasurer of Theatre Owners of Mid-America, an advisory board member of the National Association of Theatre Owners and is on the College of Business Advisory Board at UNT.  Mr. Benson is an avid private pilot and enjoys snowboarding and traveling.

A Senior Principal with Lifescapes International, Inc. and team member for nearly 35 years, Julie is President/CFO for the firm, providing direction and vision for the growth of the company. She is a frequent international speaker at industry events and has authored numerous articles on real estate and demographic trends. Representative entertainment-driven destinations, domestic and international, include The Grove in Los Angeles, The Point in El Segundo, Pacific City in Huntington Beach, The Village at Meridian in Idaho, Station Park in Utah, Americana at Brand in Glendale; Korufloyra in Istanbul, Turkey; Robinsons Galleria Cebu, Philippines; The Waterfront (Redondo Beach- currently in design), Hillsdale Shopping Center in Menlo Park, The Watermark in San Diego (currently in design), Jurassic Park-the Ride, Universal Studios/Universal City; 8500 in Los Angeles, Town Square in Las Vegas, Nevada; work at South Coast Plaza/South Coast Village in Costa Mesa, as well as numerous entertainment-oriented casino destinations (including 15 on the Las Vegas Strip, from The Mirage to current project, Resorts World Las Vegas). Julie is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers, American Gaming Association, Cal Poly University’s National Development Council and is the recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards including the Life Spike Award of NAHB, BJ Stewart Community Award among others. As a Co-Founder of HomeAid America, Julie also serves on its national executive board. A non-profit organization with 20 chapters nationwide, HAA builds shelters for homeless returning veterans, women and children, and at-risk youth.

Garrick joined Cushman & Wakefield (formerly DTZ / Cassidy Turley) in October 2010. He serves as Vice President, Retail Research for the Americas. He speaks frequently at industry events and has been a keynote speaker at symposiums, conferences and market forecasting events. Garrick is also the founder and creator of the Bay Area Comp Network and Central Valley Comp Network. These groups work closely with the Northern California commercial appraisal community and facilitate the exchange of commercial real estate data among their members.

Fred Bruning began his real estate career as legal counsel for Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1977. After only three years, he was promoted to Territorial Real Estate Director and was given the responsibility of formulating and implementing the strategic real estate growth plan for the western United States and was also responsible for Sears' real estate portfolio in the west, which consisted of over 500 assets. After leaving Sears in 1983, Mr. Bruning served as Vice-President of Development for the Torrance Company in Torrance, California, and as Vice-President of Development for the John Price Development Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1985, Mr. Bruning joined the Alexander Haagen Company as a development partner where he spent 13 years as the key executive in charge of acquisition and development of over 40 retail projects. Mr. Bruning was also instrumental in taking the company public in 1993, serving as the Wall Street spokesperson. In 1988, Mr. Bruning formed his own development company, CenterOak Properties, LLC, and in 2005 formed CenterCal Properties, LLC. In his career, he has been actively involved in over 150 major retail developments in the western United States. Mr. Bruning's close personal contacts with major retail tenants throughout the US, combined with his unique perspective of the development industry from both the public and private development sectors, give CenterCal Properties a strategic advantage in the competitive retail development industry. Mr. Bruning is a member of the California Bar Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute, and was also inducted as a member of Lambda Alpha, an honorary real estate organization. He received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University in Los Angeles and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College in Claremont, California. His hobbies include travel, archaeology, and flying his antique Stearman biplane.

Dan Burgner’s indisputable tenacity is personified at The Grove in Los Angeles. As an executive at Caruso Affiliated he headed operations, executing the property’s development
and vision through his innovative programming, guest services, sponsorships and entertainment packages. The property continues to draw regional, national and international attention. He positioned The Grove in Los Angeles as a must-see destination; cultivating guest services, marketing and advertising (revenue), and programming of the centers and events. During his 20-year tenure at Caruso Affiliated, Dan managed scores of programs that produced significant net revenue increases. He founded the strategic division that set new standards in the areas of fully integrated and immersive brand experiences and events, revenue generation, and new business platforms stemming from technology and broadcast opportunities. Prior to joining Caruso Affiliated, Dan oversaw the community and neighborhood properties of the Irvine Company as Vice President of Hollis & Associates and Portfolio Director of The Carlson Company. His career began in real estate develop- ment where he managed and developed industrial, R & D, hotel and retail properties with the Dilling- ham Corporation and Trojan Enterprises. Burgner Experiential, Inc. is a culmination of a career built by developing unique experiential programs for new and existing retail and mixed- use venues. Dan’s comprehensive work for now-iconic properties like The Grove in Los Angeles,
The Commons at Calabasas and The Promenade at Westlake, have set new standards for develop- ers and brands worldwide. Dan brings the same level of industry-leading performance to projects at every stage-from sponsorship and advertising, to new retail development, to overlays that breathe new life into existing properties. Dan spends his free time supporting several charitable and humanitarian efforts, including serving as Chairman of the Board for Habitat for Humanity, Greater Los Angeles and as Founder of Uganda 3:16-Clean Water and Medical Clinics. Just for fun, over the years, he has personally owned several food and wine businesses and has completed 12 marathons. He resides in Orange County with his wife of 30 years where they have raised four children.

Benjamin Calleja is CEO of Livit, the worlds largest restaurant design company, focusing on improving brand's performance through guest experience design. Livit is active in 40 countries over 5 continents, developing a new restaurant every 8h somewhere in the world. Ben is also the Founder of 1889 Fast Fine Pizza. A disruptive restaurant chain and an innovation lab for extraordinary guest experiences. He is a Partner of The Passionality Group. Passionality cultivates concepts responsibly and profitably by providing specialized and relevant business expertise through advisory or consulting services and – where applicable – seed investments in exchange for compelling returns on invested capital. He is board member in various Scandinavian companies and advisor to several international private equity funds . Benjamin holds two Master of Architecture degrees and is considered a international expert in the area of Hospitality design and technology, being lecturer at Conferences, Events and Masters. He is also member of the American Institute of Architects and Registered Architect in Germany, France, Italy, UK, Spain, Luxemburg and Sweden. When not travelling, he lives in Sweden with his wife, two teenage kids and a white shepard.

Jonathan Casson is the Vice President - Business Development for Virtual Reality and Themed Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Jonathan is responsible for identifying, executing, and supporting global strategic partnerships for leisure and hospitality developments - including theme parks, resorts, VR/AR & Mixed Reality, as well as other non-traditional media ventures based on Sony’s film, television, and digital intellectual properties. Jonathan lives in Los Angeles and is a faculty member in Experiential Design at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He previously served on the Location Based Entertainment team at 20th Century Fox and has been actively involved in product development for companies and clients including Oracle, CBS, GE, Paramount, Reuters, Toyota, Universal, and Disney.

Alex Charlebois is currently a Manager, Leasing on the Restaurant & Entertainment Leasing Team at Oxford Properties. Alex began at Oxford in June, 2015 through the graduate intake rotational program. Since then, Alex has pioneered the leasing of Oxford’s first two Food Market projects. Market & Co. opened in September, 2018 at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket in the former Target box. She is currently finalizing the leasing of Food District at Square One in Mississauga, projected to open March 1, 2019. In addition, Alex is supporting the leasing efforts for Oxford’s newly approved Capitale Food Market project that is projected to open in Q4 2019. Alex also sits on the ICSC Next Generation Committee.

Rogers Clayton is CEO of The Escape Game. He passionately leads The Escape Game in fulfilling its mission, which is: To design and deliver epic interactive experiences for every single guest. The Escape Game is the premier national provider of escape adventures. TEG’s 300+ employees have served over 1.3 million guests nationally over the last four years. Their experiences bring epic stories to life in one-of-a kind, tactile, immersive experiences. In a TEG adventure, anything is possible. Guests can complete challenges such as repairing a spaceship on a distant planet, finding hidden gold, escaping prison, or recovering a priceless work of art. Teams have one hour to complete their mission and heroically escape. As CEO, Rogers seeks to inspire greater excellence and creativity, so guests are delighted by every aspect of their TEG experience. In his 20-year career, he has worked primarily in investing and creating value in multiple industries. His experience in content creation and working with retail teams in leadership catalyzes TEG to deliver increasingly groundbreaking experiences. He and his wife and their 7 children live in Nashville Tennessee.

Michael Counts is an entrepreneur, theatrical designer, stage director, and visual artist, who has been focused on creating large-scale immersive attractions and experiences for the last 20 years. He is one of the early pioneers of immersive art and entertainment and has been called a “mad genius” and “a master of immersive theater” by the New York Times and “one of the most fertile imaginations working in New York City, today” by Time Out New York Magazine. His work, in a wide range of formats, has been leveraged by real estate developers including Two Trees Management (the developers of the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY – where Counts was given 40,000 sq/ft of prime retail to create the first cultural attraction in an area now known for its creative and cultural vibrancy), Tavistock (the developers of Lake Nona, in Orlando, Florida – where Counts created a first-of-its-kind ever changing permanent public art installation), and Simon Properties (the owners of The Shops at Clearfork, where Counts placed a monumental artwork of a longtime friend and collaborator, Tom Fruin), among many others. He is the creator of The Ride New York, a leading attraction that has been running in NY’s Times Square since 2010, The Paradiso Escape Room properties that were acquired by Escape Entertainment in early 2018, and his upcoming project, The August Moon Drive-In, is scheduled to open next year in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (with multiple other letters of intent in his hands for consideration).  He has worked with brands and entertainment properties including The Walking Dead, the Blue Man Group, ReedPop, Coca Cola, Disney Theme Parks, Metlife, Amgen, Omnicom, The Baltimore Orioles, Michael Kors and a wide range of international advertising agencies and media companies.

Michael A. Culpepper is a Managing Partner with Venture Realty Group, a real estate development company in Virginia Beach, Va.  Venture is the contemporary re-branding of two companies formerly known as Ellis-Gibson Development Group and Commercial Real Estate Services, which have developed projects in Coastal Virginia for over 30 years.  Together, the group has developed 6 million square feet of projects worth more than $600 million in the region.  Projects include retail, office, multifamily and entertainment development. Venture and partner Pharrell Williams are currently developing a mixed-use development at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront known as “The Wave.”  The project features a state-of-the-art music venue, competition-level surf park, experiential retail, office and multifamily uses.  The project has attracted attention from around the world for its unique vision, amenities and—of course—Pharrell. Mike coordinates deal-formation, land use entitlement and pre-development services for Venture.  He joined the team in 2008 as in-house attorney.  He previously worked as a real estate attorney at Williams Mullen where he handled all facets of land use and real estate transactions.   Mike graduated from the College of William and Mary and the University of Richmond School of Law.  He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife and son.

Andrew Darrow is an executive leader, strategist, advisor and dealmaker for entertainment properties, brands, content and programming. Most recently, Darrow served as Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer for The Void where he developed the company's strategic business plan and led its meteoric growth to the top of the location-based VR industry. At The Void, he led the company's deal for Disney properties including Star Wars and drove its location rollout success. Prior to The Void, Darrow served as Executive Vice President of KidZania, leading its global business and international expansion from startup to world leader across 22 countries creating more than $8 billion in value. KidZania is now the world's most successful location-based experiential edutainment company. Previously, Darrow led the Music and Entertainment division for Octagon Worldwide cross-marketing world-class entertainment properties and personalities with corporate brands. As Vice President of NBC Enterprises, Darrow directed and oversaw the commercialization of NBC's entertainment and news content for use in strategic ventures and consumer products including home entertainment, licensing, merchandising, gaming, music and publishing. At acclaimed television and motion picture production company, Broadway Video, Darrow devised company strategy and drove content commercialization across all business segments with a focus on Saturday Night Live where he also produced the classic SNL: 25 Years of Music. Darrow has held executive positions as an entertainment attorney, an Artist & Repertoire executive at MCA Records, and an artist manager at Overland Management where he guided the careers of music artists including Talking Heads, Eurythmics, the B-52s and the Ramones. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Saudi Entertainment Ventures, the Public Investment Fund's entertainment development and investment company. He is also sits on the Advisory Board for Urban Legacies Ltd. Darrow began his career as a concert and personal appearances agent at ICM.

Edward de Avila has over 25 years of real estate experience spanning development, planning, entitlements, leasing, community relations, government relations, and design and construction management. Mr. de Avila has addressed the challenges of creating value in existing urban districts, crafting notable street front and mixed-use destinations. He has served as a catalyst for change providing insight and guidance to frame strategies and perspectives that inspired creative thinking and innovative solutions. Mr. de Avila was previously the Managing Director responsible for all planning, design, and procurement of mixed-use retail at Union Point in metropolitan Boston, a proposed development comprising 8 million square feet, and 4,000 residential units. In his former role with Madison Marquette, Mr. de Avila focused on delivering the District Wharf, a $1.2B regional destination on Washington, D.C.’s Southwest waterfront. He managed the successful entitlements for the redevelopment of White Flint Mall into a pedestrian friendly, higher density development in Bethesda, MD, consisting of 5.2 million square feet. Mr. de Avila worked on the remerchandising of the preeminent South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA. Previously, he led the effort to gain approval of a $56MM TIF, creating over $200MM of new development and repurposing of various buildings at the exemplary Country Club Plaza’s 15-city block district, as well as achieving approval of a $295 MM TIF on behalf of AMC Entertainment assembling 8-city blocks of redevelopment in downtown Kansas City, MO. He was responsible for retail, food and beverage and entertainment components in Phase I of Reston Town Center, Reston, VA; one of the earliest examples of successful new urbanism and collection of national street front tenants. Mr. de Avila is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, member of ULI and ICSC, and has served on numerous councils, boards, and technical assistance panels. He is passionate about creating the culture of place through customized place strategies.

With more than 25 years experience in the field, Paul Dergarabedian is the movie industry’s most recognized and widely quoted authority for media-based information and analysis. In his role as Senior Media Analyst for Comscore, Paul provides expert analysis on results that come from Comscore’s real-time movie and television measurement services. Considered one of the industry’s most accomplished experts, Paul founded Media By Numbers, which later became a division of Hollywood.com, where he served as President of the box office division. In addition to weekly credits across the Web and in print, he is regularly featured on television and radio programs. Paul has also appeared in movie-related documentaries including This Film Is Not Yet Rated, The Blockbuster Imperative and The Award Show Awards Show. When he’s not busy providing industry analysis and giving interviews, Paul can be found at home in Glendale, California, listening to his vast collection of vinyl records on his vintage sound system or driving high-performance vehicles around his local track.

CEO Randy DeWitt founded Front Burner Restaurants in 1994. Over the past 25 years, he’s led the group in creating over 15 unique, trend-setting restaurant brands. The company now operates over 100 locations, led by prominent growth from: Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines and Velvet Taco. In addition to these thriving concepts, Randy is the responsible for the launch of The Ranch at Las Colinas, Twin Peaks, Mexican Sugar, Ida Claire, and The Keeper. Randy recruited top executive talent to manage the Front Burner portfolio as he and his business partner Jack Gibbons set their sights on their newest endeavor, the Food Hall Co. Founded in 2017, the Food Hall Co. is the premier food hall development company in North America. Its success was quickly realized by the wildly popular, Legacy Hall, in Plano, Texas. Randy and Jack see a bright future ahead as they look to their next project in Nashville, and more locations yet to be announced. A restaurant industry visionary, Randy is always looking to the future. His knack for innovation allows him to create hospitality experiences that consumers are going to want, before they even know it themselves.

Based in South Florida, Mr. Dowd runs a successful commercial real estate development and consulting firm. Previously he ran Boca Raton, FL based Encore Capital Management’s national retail development platform with projects including the Margaritaville Resort Orlando, Beachwalk Retail in Jacksonville and the redevelopment of the Plantation Fashion Mall in the Ft Lauderdale area. Prior to Encore, he was Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions for The Goodman Company based in West Palm Beach, Florida for 18 years. While at The Goodman Company he was responsible for all facets of the company’s development program throughout the Southeast US, Mid-Atlantic States and in Florida, including the negotiation and acquisition of land, overseeing the entitlement and construction process, and securing anchor tenant leases. John has been personally involved in the development of 5.2 million square feet of shopping center and mixed-use developments. John attended UCLA and is a graduate of Colorado State University.

Considered a leading expert on retail and the shopping center industry, Nick Egelanian introduced the concepts of “Commodity and Specialty Retail” and “Department Store Deconstruction”, as the author of the retail chapter of the Urban Land Institute's widely-used Professional Real Estate Development, 3rd Edition text and handbook in 2012. As President of SiteWorks, Nick has advised a wide array of retail clients including Cadillac Fairview, Amtrak, Madison Marquette Stuart Weitzman, Balducci’s, Jos. A. Bank, and Lane Bryant. Prior to forming SiteWorks in 1992, Mr. Egelanian served as Vice President of Real Estate and New Store Development for retail chains Crown Books and Zany Brainy. He recently competed a 2 ½ year assignment as the chief retail strategist to Sagamore Development Company, the owner of 300 + acres waterfront acres in Baltimore, MD that will house Under Armour’s new 4 million square foot headquarters and up to 1.5 million square feet of retail in a 20 million square foot mixed-use development. Mr. Egelanian is an active speaker around the world and has written numerous articles on retail and the shopping center industry. He is a frequent contributor to industry publications, including Retail Dive, Shopping Centers Today, Chain Store Age, Shopping Center Business, and the ULI’s Urban Land Magazine. Nick acts as an Adjunct Professor in University of Maryland’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in College Park, MD and acts as a faculty member at the ICSC’s Riordan School. He earned his Doctor of Law degree (J.D.) at the George Washington University in 1982 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Maryland in 1979.

As President of Eimer Design, Ed oversees quality control, design and client relations. Ed also happens to be the creative force behind each project. He combines imagination with a commitment to constantly improving Eimer Design’s services and finished products. Ed’s role is to understand the Client’s needs on a business level and help transform it into physical space solutions with the Studio Team. He is personally responsible for creative solutions, design critiques, budget analysis and maintaining Client satisfaction. Ed has a unique ability to conceptualize design solutions that integrate with both the Client’s needs and budgets. His balance of pragmatism and creativity is best displayed in the early stages of project conceptualization, where he leads the design team’s development of initial design solutions and strategies. His extensive understanding of a wide variety of building and space types, systems, Code manipulation strategies and development factors for rehabilitation and new construction allows the Eimer Design team to quickly evaluate strategies and refine a focus that leads to success.
Ed graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Spring Garden College in 1991, earned his professional Architectural Registration in 2000 and received his NCARB National Architectural Certification in 2010. Ed currently holds professional licenses in 9 States. In 2012, Ed launched Eimer Design with a focus on hospitality, retail and food & beverage design. Since that time, Ed has grown the Studio from a four-person team to a full capacity 15-person design studio with a diverse range of projects across the U.S. Under Ed’s direction, Eimer Design has become a national leader in food hall planning and design strategies and are currently working on 16 food hall projects from Denver to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Todd English is a renowned chef, restaurateur, author, entrepreneur, and television personality. English is a four-time James Beard Award winner and inductee into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who in Food and Beverage in America." Todd has authored six critically acclaimed cookbooks, has also created the record-breaking housewares line, The Todd English Collection now available on EVINE Live, and hosted the Emmy-nominated and James Beard award winning PBS travel series Food Trip with Todd English. Todd English Enterprises includes over twenty innovative restaurants spanning the country and abroad, and is most well-known for his Mediterranean restaurant Olives. Other concepts include Figs with 2 Boston locations, Laguardia Airport, and Kuwait; the Todd English Food Hall in New York, Dubai and Manila; Tuscany; Bonfire; Todd English P.U.B.; and bluezoo. A dedicated philanthropist, Todd is involved with several local and national charities including Big Brother, Share Our Strength, The Food Bank of NYC, Family Reach, No Kid Go Hungry, and is an honorary board member at Bakes for Breast Cancer. Todd also established The Wendy English Breast Cancer Research Foundation in honor of his sister.

Stephen Goglia joined Craveable Hospitality Group, LLC in late 2011 and currently holds the title of President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining CHG, he held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer for BowlmorLanes/Strike Holdings, LLC based in New York City. He joined the team in 2001 and developed eight multi-faceted bowling/arcade/entertainment properties throughout the United States. In addition, he developed and opened various lounge and nightclub concepts which included; Pressure, Lucid, Carnival, Luna Park, Tribeca Loft and Inferno. This also included the development of a 90,000 square foot entertainment center in the heart of Times Square. Prior to his service at Strike Holdings, he was a consultant for various clients while working with National Restaurant Consultants, a company he founded. From 1996 to 2000, he was a joint venture partner with PF ChangsChina Bistro Inc., locating, acquiring, and developing, opening and operating restaurants throughout the east coast. Prior to joining PF Changs, he held the position of Director of Operations for Buffets Inc., overseeing the daily operations of the company’s east coast restaurants. Mr. Goglia has held various positions with Host International, W.R. Grace Inc., the Restaurant Enterprise Group, The ReiseOrganization and the Marriott Corporation. Mr. Goglia graduated in 1983 from Florida International University in Miami, Florida with a degree in hospitality management. He is also a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

Gregg M. Goodman is Founding Principal of GMGoodman Advisors, a boutique consulting firm specializing in helping landlords and tenants integrate entertainment and new technologies into physical spaces utilizing the unique set of skills and relationships built over the last 30 years. He previously served as the long time president of Simon’s the Mills. In this capacity he led the strategic growth and merchandising of the mills as the leaders in location based entertainment integrated with retail. This included world class brands such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds, as well as aquariums and other unique destination driven concepts. He is an industry leader in development and merchandising of retail/entertainment real estate projects with leadership on many of the largest projects of this kind in the US, Canada and Spain over the last two decades such as Sawgrass Mills and Universal Citywalk Hollywood. Mr. Goodman graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. degree in Speech Communication.

Steve Graham brings together a rare combination of expertise in architecture, construction, development and leasing. His career has embraced all of these talents and interests resulting in development experience focused on the largest and most-complicated commercial development challenges. Before launching Stellar Development Steve spent the previous 10 years as the Vice President for Destination Development for RED Development. Steve contributed greatly to the leasing, development and strategy behind some of RED’s biggest shopping centers, including The Legends Outlets of Kansas City, The Promenade at Chenal and The Legends at Sparks Marina. Steve’s success lies in forging strong relationships with everyone from anchor tenants to community leaders, and from his wealth of knowledge of public financing structures and how to create successful public/private partnerships. Steve received a BS in engineering and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin and his Masters in Architecture from the University of Kansas. Steve is well known in the destination attraction industry and is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars related to tourism-driven retail development.

Eric Hohmann is a co-founder and President of Rootstock Markets. Rootstock is America’s preeminent developer of artisan food market halls. The founders have unparalleled experience in multi-tenant market conception, design and curation; deep food and beverage operational experience; and multi-faceted retail place-making, These projects include the Market Hall at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, the Oxbow Public Market in Napa, and Blue Jacket Brewery and Restaurant in Washington DC. The company’s premise is simple but powerful: when designed, curated and executed with care and attention to every detail, artisan craft food markets are the new retail anchors, invigorating and enlivening the cities and communities where they are located. Eric also co-founded Bond Street Advisors, the leading owner/manager of convenience retail centers in the Southeastern US. Prior to founding Bond Street Advisors, Eric was President of Madison Marquette, a private, fully integrated real estate investment management and operating company providing a comprehensive set of services to institutional investors in retail, mixed-use and office assets in top-tier markets across the United States.

Mr. Hunden and his Chicago-based firm offer extensive experience in the economics and strategy of developing transformative real estate projects. He has provided economic development, finance, feasibility, impact, developer selection and planning expertise for more than 550 projects and studies over the past 20+ years, totaling more than $3.5 billion in developed real estate. The firm completes approximately 50 assignments per year with its 12-person professional staff. His expertise has helped communities and developers understand, develop and successfully open catalytic economic development projects, including entertainment districts, sports facilities, arenas, performing arts centers, conference and convention centers, and compelling hotels across the country. He has worked on a number of compelling development projects, such as the expansion of Navy Pier and the Chicago Riverwalk, the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, the Ark Encounter in Kentucky, the District in San Juan, an NFL Stadium & Convention Center in San Diego, and transformative projects like Hance Park and Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix.. Hunden’s background in economic development, tourism development and destination development combine to make him a unique resource for communities and developers looking to advance their destinations and projects in a feasible and viable way.

Brett Hutchens President and managing Partner of Casto Southeast Realty Services is in charge of mixed use and entertainment development for the Company. Casto is in the top 10 of the largest privately held development companies in the United States with a portfolio of over 23 million square feet of retail property and 7,000 apartments. He has over 30 years experience in commercial real estate development and has been with Casto for 17 years. Hutchens practiced commercial law in Cincinnati, Ohio for several years prior to entering the commercial retail development business in the mid-1980's. He has been directly responsible for the development of 12,000,000 square feet of commercial retail and entertainment properties in seven different states. Accomplishments include power centers, multifamily residential as well as suburban and urban mixed use redevelopment projects. Brett has been a three time presenter on mixed-use projects at regional and national programs for Urban Land Institute. In addition to his business activities, Brett is a past Chairman and 35 year Board Member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals which benefits 170 Children’s Hospitals throughout the US and Canada and has raised over $7 billion dollars since its inception. Brett also serves as a Board Member of All Star Children’s Foundation which, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is creating new paradigms in pediatric brain trauma research.

Vince Kadlubek is a Co-founder and the CEO of Meow Wolf, an art collective that has transformed into a remarkable, award winning Arts Production Company. After leading Meow Wolf to win the inaugural startup competition from Creative Startups, Kadlubek created the business plan for Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return and led the team towards its completion. Since opening, Kadlubek has continued being the force of vision for the company, thinking about radical ways to subvert current business paradigms while building integral systems that have been tried and true. Vince is most interested in co-creating alternative realities and bringing unique, indescribable, transformative immersive art experiences to the world.

Kyle Kavanaugh is the Founder and CEO of Main + Main Inc. He has been pairing restaurants and retailers with real estate since 1987. He is one of the most formidable Restaurant Site Selection Advisors in the Country. 1994, Kyle founded Main+Main Inc. to define his scope and to manifest his philosophy that partnership, coupled with industry knowledge, begets success. On that notion, he cultivated a team of leading agents in dynamic markets and set out to systematically extend the reach of retail real estate programs throughout North America. His work transcends borders. Today, Main+Main has gathered some of the highest-performing associates in the Country. It boasts an exclusive client list of 40+ established and nascent brands, predominantly in the Retail and Food & Beverage category. As the founding partner, Kyle is the primary guidance of the group and assists many of its clients with real estate expansion and development. You should take the time to meet with him.

Dave Kirchhoff is the CEO of iFLY Indoor Skydiving. Prior to joining iFLY, Dave served as CEO of Austin-based health food retailer Snap Kitchen and CEO of Weight Watchers International. Kirchhoff also held several other leadership positions within Weight Watchers, including COO for the European and Asian markets. In addition, he was part of the original management team of WeightWatchers.com, Inc., and ultimately became its CEO. Prior to Weight Watchers, Kirchhoff was the CFO of the Enthusiast Media Group of Primedia, Inc., Director of Corporate Strategy and Development for Pepsico, Inc., and a manager and consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Washington, D.C. Kirchhoff holds a B.S. in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from Duke University and an M.B.A. with high honors from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Weight Loss Boss: How to Finally Win at Losing and Take Charge in an Out-of-Control Food World (Rodale).

In her 30+ year career in marketing with Kemper Development Company Jennifer Leavitt has evolved the retail marketing landscape for The Bellevue Collection. As vice president of marketing, she has directed the branding, advertising, public relations and placemaking initiatives for the varied real estate assets within The Bellevue Collection. This prestigious 5.5 million sq. ft. mixed-use property, owned by Kemper Development Company, is home to over 200 retailers, a Dining District of 70 Restaurants and food specialty tenants, three luxury hotel brands, two cinemas, entertainment venues, upscale residential and 1.7 million sq. ft. of Class A office space. Leavitt’s leadership and creativity has cultivated significant community-building through large-scale, iconic events in addition to a variety of digital campaigns including a custom app developed for the growing Dining District. Leavitt is responsible for executing the developer’s vision through programming guest experiences and marketing with traditional and new media tools. Award-winning regional events include Snowflake Lane, drawing over 400,000 guests over thirty days with a nightly outdoor holiday show recognized by both national and local media as a “must do” experience. Featuring falling snow, music, lights and over 250 costumed performers, Snowflake Lane is a strong competitive differentiator in the shopping center and destination travel space. Additionally, Leavitt has developed and executed strategic inbound tourism programs, creating one of the top shopping/dining destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Her direction and vision for evolving the marketing initiative has contributed to the success of one of the top performing centers in the country. Leading a team of nine talented marketing professionals and strong vendor partners, Leavitt values innovative, creative collaboration and commitment to delivering memorable experiences.

Josh Levy, co-founding Principal of Waterstone Properties Group, Inc., is actively involved in all facets of the company including site acquisition, permitting, leasing and development, and marketing initiatives for Waterstone's 60+ property portfolio. Waterstone is the 2nd largest retail developer in New England and develops properties under the 'build to own’ model through land acquisition, new developments, project repositioning, financing, construction, leasing, management, and property acquisitions.  Waterstone’s portfolio of more than 7 million square feet of existing commercial space includes mixed-use properties, corporate headquarters buildings, multi-family, warehousing, healthcare facilities and retail shopping  centers representing more than 300 local and national tenants and a value of $1.5 billion.  Josh and his team at Waterstone take pride in maintaining longstanding relationships with their tenants and being an active participant in the surrounding communities. A graduate of Boston College, Josh holds a Bachelor of Science degree and has pursued continued real estate education throughout his career.  Josh is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, NH ICSC Next Generation Committee, Young President’s Organization, Boston College TREK, and most recently the Board of Advisors for Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Josh grew up in Falmouth, Cape Cod Massachusetts and enjoys spending time with his family and friends and traveling.

A senior executive with proven experience across operations, strategy, deal-making and production, Greg currently serves as CEO of OffShore Surf. Combining an authentic surfing experience with food, beverage and retail, OffShore Surf brings the sport and culture of surfing to everyone, everywhere. Powered by American Wave machines technology, OffShore Surf provides a wave type for every level of surfer within a flexible indoor footprint. OffShore Surf provides a highly repeatable, socially shareable entertainment experience with multiple revenue streams and a platform for events, contests and exhibitions. Previously Greg was SVP/ Head of the Location Based Entertainment group at 20th Century Fox, where he led global strategy, business and creative development for theme parks, resorts and live shows. Major projects he spearheaded at Fox include, the first 20th Century Fox World Theme Park - under construction in Malaysia, The Simpsons "SpringField Lands at Universal Studios, Avatar: Discover Pandora global exhibition, Ice Age: Live and Aliens: Descent VR attraction. Before Fox, Greg led the development of branded entertainment projects at BRC Imagination Arts for clients including Bacardi, GE, Pepsi, AmorePacific, Chevron, Abbey Road Studios, Guinness, Swarovski, GM, China Mobile and SyFy Channel and the USA Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai. An avid Spartan Racer, Greg never met an obstacle course he didn't love.

Joe is a 25+ year executive who has held C-level and board positions where he led and managed various public & private companies. Joe has experience in various industries that have encompassed hospitality, real estate, private equity, entertainment and technology. Joe has also been responsible for the design & development of award winning projects across the US. Joe holds a BS in Commerce, a Masters in Economics , as well as an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

A leader in the retail real estate industry, Tisha Maley is known for her innovative merchandising approaches, ability to identify and secure emerging fashion retailers, and value creation strategies. In 2013, she founded The Maley Co. to connect the next generation of retail brands with unique shopping environments and deliver valuable interactions with their core customers. Most recently, The Maley Co. led the retail leasing for Ponce City Market, one of the most ambitious adaptive reuse projects in the Southeast offering a distinctive shopping experience that did not previously exist in Atlanta. The Maley Co. also recently completed the repositioning of Shops Around Lenox an outdoor retail center located in Buckhead, Atlanta. Re-merchandising efforts netted new tenants such as West Elm, Flower Child, Soul Cycle, Draper James, Indochino and South Moon Under. Currently, The Maley Co. spearheads the retail lease-up of City Center at Bishop Ranch in San Francisco’s East Bay enclave of San Ramon. Designed by world-renowned Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the 300,000-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment destination is destined to reinvent the suburban shopping mall and become a model for livable communities. Additionally, The Maley Co. works on 900 North Michigan Shops in Chicago to reimagine and remerchandise this iconic asset. Previously, Tisha Maley spent 20 years at Simon Property Group, one of the largest REITs in the country, where she oversaw a portfolio of 1.7 million square feet of retail space in Atlanta and Charlotte leasing signature properties such as Lenox Square Mall, Phipps Plaza and Southpark Mall. Tisha was consistently ranked as one of the top performing leasing representatives at Simon.

Mr. Martinez has more than thirty years of experience as a leader of governmental and private organizations. Throughout his career, he has focused on the creation and operation of experience-based projects that simultaneously incorporate multiple property types while enhancing the connections and interactions among users, their community and the places they share. He has extensive international experience in senior management positions in the United States, Brazil and Argentina, as well as start-ups in the former Soviet Union and consultancies in Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Martinez is the Leader of the Cuestamoras – Urbana Partners Alliance. During his career he held senior executive positions including Managing Director of Tishman Speyer Properties, Executive Vice President of American Skiing Company and President of Development at Great Wolf Resorts. Mr. Martinez studied architecture at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He holds a Post- Graduate Diploma in Urban Development Planning from University College, London and a MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a former Consulting Associate Professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering and has lectured on real estate development and entrepreneurship in the US and abroad.

IJM Enterprises is a privately owned Los Angeles based consulting company specializing in movie theatre leasing and development. IJM Enterprises clients include developers, real estate investors, and institutional clients. Over the last 25 years IJM has represented over 200 clients and has been responsible for guiding the development and evaluation of 300+ theatre locations which contain 3,000+ screens and 12,000,000+ square feet. Ira Jay Mitchell is the executive-in-charge of consulting assignments which include the strategic evaluation, negotiation, and development/redevelopment planning for the theatre anchor in retail projects. Mr. Mitchell has been a member of ICSC for 42 years and is an active participant in Urban Land Institute. He is a cum laude graduate of The Wharton School of Finance/University of Pennsylvania and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Doug Pearl is the National Vice President of Architect & Placemaking for Regency Centers, a real estate investment trust with 426 shopping centers, and a market cap of 16 billion. In this capacity Doug manages the design and design teams for new ground-up and redevelopment projects for Regency’s 19 regional offices, and is currently working on projects totaling over $500 million in development. Doug has more than 20 years of experience planning and designing retail, and mixed-use centers. He has worked on notable projects including the renovation of Radio City Music Hall, La Floresta retail center and the award winning Santiago Street Lofts. Prior to joining Regency Centers Doug worked for the University of Southern California’s Real Estate Development & Capital Construction Department. At USC he managed the design and planning for more than $950 million in capital projects including The Village at USC. Prior to joining USC in 2011, Doug was the Founder and President of Urban Design Studios Inc., providing design, planning and management for retail, mixed-use and residential developments. His clients included Lennar Urban, UDR Apartment REIT, Fritz Duda Retail, among others. Doug earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and art from Lehigh University and earned a Master’s in Architecture from the University of South Florida. Doug's passion for design does not stop at work. He and his wife spent the last several years designing their dream home where they enjoy time with their 12-year-old twins. When he’s not traveling for work, Doug is supporting causes related to children in need, education and animal welfare.

A self professed serial entrepreneur whose first passion is design. Sumter spent 10 years in the fashion industry launching two brands. In 2012 he opted for a change of scenery. Inspired by the idea of re-imagining an american classic—the doughnut shop- he ventured into the Food and Beverage space where he took his knowledge of brand building and design and incorporated it into Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee. Sumter is the Founder and CEO of Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee. Sidecar was launched in April of 2013 in Costa Mesa, CA. Currently Sidecar has three locations in Southern California (OC, LA, and SD) and is currently in construction on their 4th location, which is set to open later this Spring. Sumter is interested in exploring the value of design within the food and beverage industry. He believes encounters with beauty can create a spark within the individual that can emotionally tie them to a certain brand/experience. These emotional connections create brand loyalty and drive business. Ultimately, Sumter believes that if we compromise our design we compromise our brand.

Jose Antonio Perez, Managing Director for Agave Holdings, LLC. He is responsible for the overall asset management of Agave Holdings portfolio, which includes overseeing day-to-day investment management, tenant relationship and retention, legal, leasing operations, budgeting, municipality relationships, loan management, property acquisition, lease compliance, transaction management and corporate governance. Agave Holdings, LLC is a privately owned, commercial real estate firm, specializing in the acquisition and development of generational commercial properties throughout the United States and Mexico. With offices in Miami and Mexico City, the firm currently owns and manages more than 4,000,000 sf of institutional, class-A office across the United States (1,000,000 sf) and Mexico (3,000,000 sf). Additionally, the firm owns and manages an ultra-luxury 93 room hotel and convention center in Tequila, Mexico. Mr. Perez move to Miami in 2009 to incorporate Agave Holdings, LLC to oversee the development of 396 Alhambra (a class A office building in Coral Gables), and completed the acquisitions of 303 West Madison in 2009 (a class A office building in Chicago), and Biscayne Bank Tower in Coconut Grove. Mr. Perez, together with Carlos Beckmann as co-developers managers, are in charge of the development of The Plaza Coral Gables, a Calliston/RTKL designed mixed-use project a 7 acre site with 800,00 square feet of net rentable area comprised of two office buildings, retail, multi-housing residential components, a 242 key hotel with 30,000 sq ft of meeting/event spaces with a 1 acre park, located in the heart of the Coral Gables business district. Prior to joining Agave Holdings, for eight years he served as corporate counsel for Grupo JB in Mexico City, after working five years as a partner in a boutique law firm, Camil Abogados, S.C., in Mexico City. Mr. Perez is a graduate of Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and holds an LLM in Business Law from University College London.

Lou is CFO and Head of Corporate Development at Two Bit Circus. When he is not quashing robot uprisings or risk-managing accidental violations of physics and occasional eyebrow injuries, he is supporting all aspects of the Circus troupe’s endeavors to amaze people and get them playing/interacting in meaningful ways. Prior to all this, Lou was CFO at GOOD (the “designy” social impact standard-bearer) and CEO of Mavent Inc (a fintech trailblazer that was sold to a public company). Other previous positions include Greenwich Capital Markets, Nomura Securities, Goldman Sachs & Co. and Deloitte & Touche, LLP. Lou serves on a number of non-profit boards promoting a diversity of interests, including early-childhood education, the arts and music, STEM education and vocational training to “at risk” youth. Lou holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Berkeley and earned his JD and MBA from NYU. He is a member of the California Bar Association.

John Plew is the CEO and co-founder of Concept Entertainment Group, a hospitality management company with offices in Portland, Oregon and Scottsdale, Arizona. The venture was started in 1981, and since then John has successfully developed and operated eight different concepts in the industry, a journey spanning some 37 years. John currently oversees the growth and management of Thirsty Lion Gastropub, a 9-unit concept with stores in Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas. Thirsty Lion was recently selected by FSR magazine as one of the 12 most successful emerging brands of 2018. John is also the owner of Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling Lounge, as well as the real estate firm Foresight Development, both of which are located in Portland. John believes great food, beverages and entertainment should be developed and emphasized in equal measure. Successfully combining these three qualities creates an outstanding experience for all.

Scott Pollack is a principal at Arrowstreet, a Boston-based architecture and design firm, and is responsible for some of the firm’s most complex commercial and mixed-use developments. With a particular interest in how people inhabit buildings and places, Scott excels at developing design solutions within challenging constraints. His deep understanding of how public policy impacts the built environment allows him to adeptly guide these projects through the planning and approvals process. Scott’s leadership has bolstered Arrowstreet’s planning and research initiatives, with an emphasis on smarter planning and design informed by data and analysis rather than tradition and anecdote. Scott approaches architecture as a way to meaningfully impact people’s lives, which is evident in both his design work and philanthropic involvement. His penchant for coloring outside the lines transcends his architectural work and can also be seen in his fine art and figure photography.

Ashley Robinson is a Senior Executive at EMERGING, a family of companies working in various industries related to restaurants and entertainment companies. EMERGING’s real estate arm, Emerging Concepts is currently expanding several Entertainment concepts such as Puttshack, AceBounce, Flight Club, Silverspot Cinemas, Levity Live/Improv, DIVERTsessions, Voicebox, FGL House, and more. As a thought leader with more than 17 years of experience, Ashley has worked across several segments including restaurant development, retail, real estate and shopping center development. Ashley has executed expansion strategies in every region of the country and has diverse experience as a Landlord/Developer, in-house Retailer, in-house Restauranteur and Broker. Ashley’s work at EMERGING has allowed her to utilize her experience in partnership with their data company, Acutely, using Big Data to change the way companies look at existing and future business.

Rolando B. Rodriguez is chairman, president and CEO of Marcus Theatres and executive vice president of The Marcus Corporation. In addition to leading the performance of the $450 million Marcus Theatres division with operations in eight states, Rodriguez also oversees the corporate-wide real estate and development strategy. Since joining Marcus Theatres, Rodriguez has led unprecedented growth and has helped to establish the division as an industry leader. Rodriguez understands how to deliver business results by transforming businesses so they succeed at the highest levels. Whether working as a senior leader with AMC Theatres for 30 years or as a CEO for Rave Cinemas, where he facilitated a turnaround and sale, Rodriguez has always prided himself on setting aspirational goals that can be achieved through inspirational leadership.This professional mission was equally evident when Rodriguez extended his career beyond theatre exhibition. While working as a vice president and regional general manager for Walmart, he implemented many innovative ideas throughout the United States – stretching the company’s comfort zone and producing amazing financial results. Rodriguez is strongly committed to taking a leadership position in industry focused organizations, to forward community causes, and to advance Hispanics, in all aspects of work and life. He was recently elected the Vice Chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), which is the 2nd highest position in the nation for this industry organization. For the past 20 years, he has served in various NATO leadership roles. As a key executive and Hispanic leader in Milwaukee, he has worked diligently to engage with others and to build a strong community. He currently serves on the Children’s Hospital Board of Directors, where he spearheads the annual Hollywood Movie Night to raise funds for CHW. In addition, he leads multiple Hispanic initiatives, including the creation of CineLatino, an annual Hispanic Film Festival. Recently, Rodriguez was recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal for his role in leading diversity. Other recognition over the years has included being honored as Man of the Year for 2015 by the Motion Picture Club, and being named the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee’s Executive of the Year in 2014. Rodriguez received his BA in business management from Eckerd College and an MBA in the executive fellows program at Rockhurst University.

Howard J. Samuels, founder of Samuels & Company, Inc., has over twenty-nine years of experience in all aspects of the real estate industry in various corporate and entrepreneurial positions with an emphasis in retail, entertainment, and mixed-use projects. Since 1998, the Company has been a full service provider of advisory, development and brokerage services. Samuels & Company, Inc., a Los Angeles based company, has provided these services to prominent clients nationwide and internationally. Currently, Samuels & Company, Inc. provides exclusive advisory and brokerage services as well as asset management services to Merlin Entertainments Group, the leading name in location based quality family entertainment in North America (see www.MerlinEntertainments.biz), and to iFLY/SkyVenture a growing new entertainment concept of indoor skydiving (see www.iFLYworld.com). Additionally, Samuels was the exclusive Advisor/Broker to AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) for its $2.5 billion mixed-use project called L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. Samuels & Company, Inc. was the Developer Partner for the leasing and development of Canyon Springs Marketplace in Riverside, California for the Construction Laborers Pension Trust of Southern California, which involved a 200,000 square foot community/power center anchored by Marshalls, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Cost Plus and Old Navy. Mr. Samuels earned his B.A., magna cum laude from University of California, Los Angeles and his M.A. in Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Finance from the University of Southern California. Mr. Samuels also studied at University of Hong Kong in Urban Economics/International Finance. Mr. Samuels’ extensive private real estate development experience is coupled with his experience in the public sector. Prior to his experience at K & F, Mr. Samuels served as an Economist for Mayor Bradley, as well as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Commission to Vitalize Fairfax. As a recipient of a Rotary International Fellowship, Mr. Samuels studied in Hong Kong and was a Financial Analyst assisting in the management of the North American Investment Program for the Hong Kong Land Company. Mr. Samuels has broad based community and civic affiliations in Los Angeles. Mr. Samuels served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Crippled Children’s Society; as well as a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Urban Planning Task Force to Rebuild LA.

George Sautter is Cineplex’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy. Appointed to the role in 2014, Mr. Sautter is responsible for Corporate Development, Corporate Strategy, Strategic Planning and Business Development. He previously served as the SVP of Merchandising and Strategic Planning where he led the company’s Food & Beverage and Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) business units as well as strategic planning across the organization. He recently led the company’s strategic entry into Amusement & Leisure overseeing the development of The Rec Room concept as well as M&A to build the Player One Amusement Group. Mr. Sautter has worked for more than 30 years in the motion picture theatre exhibition, retail, food service and hospitality & lodging industries. In addition to an extensive background in operations and finance, Mr. Sautter brings specific expertise in corporate strategy, strategic planning, M&A, valuation, brand development, strategic marketing and business development. Mr. Sautter previously held positions at Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Planet Hollywood International, National Amusements, Inc. and Cineplex Odeon Corporation. He was also a principal of the Pretium Company LLC from 2006-2011. He joined Cineplex in 2009. Mr. Sautter holds an MBA from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College with concentrations in Finance, Marketing and International Business, where he earned entrance into the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society and was awarded both the MBA Scholarship Award and the Financial Executives International Distinguished Scholar Medallion. He was also awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2013.

Trip Schneck is an industry-leading expert in specialty food, beverage (F&B) and entertainment procurement. In his current role at Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Schneck, along with his partner, Phil Colicchio, provides his expertise to our brokerage teams and other service lines to promote client-centric business development for existing developer, owner, investor, hotelier, resort and university clients around the country. Their strong relationships within both the F&B and entertainment communities serve as the currency that sets them apart in the era of newCommerce, and aid brokers as they assist their clients in building the right standout concept for their space. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakfefield, Mr. Schneck’s work at Colicchio Consulting has given him a proven track record in the F&B industry in identifying, evaluating, conceiving, selecting, and contracting with food and beverage providers for food halls, hotels and shopping centers among other concepts. Since 2015, he and his partner Phil Colicchio have been at the forefront of “The Food Hall Movement”’, advising property owners and universities on the critical need for intelligently programming communal spaces to include authentic food and beverage offerings, markets, beer gardens, rooftop experiences and thoughtfully curated Food Halls. Founded in 2008, Colicchio Consulting, LLC expanded in 2017 to include the development of intimate venues to meet the demand for experiencing live performance in familiar retail, hotel and Food Hall environments. Prior to Colicchio Consulting, Mr. Scheck was the co-founder of HotelMe.com, a verified online review platform that offers consumers trusted reviews from verified guests. He sold the company to Gannett in 2014. Mr. Schneck was also the president and co-founder of TIG Global. As president, he was responsible for the overall strategic direction, development, and operations of the company. He sold the company to MICROS in December 2009, which resulted in investors earning a 99% compounded IRR on their investment over an eight-year period. Mr. Schneck has served on the advisory board for Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research and is currently a board member at the School of Hotel Management at Auburn University.

Greg Silvers is President and CEO of EPR Properties, a specialty Real Estate Investment Trust that invests in select market segments requiring unique industry knowledge. Over the last twenty years, he has been a driving force in positioning EPR Properties as the industry’s foremost thought-leader in experiential real estate. EPR Properties has set the standard in financing for entertainment real estate, including megaplex theatres, family entertainment centers, and entertainment retail centers. Greg and his team have identified innovative new business opportunities and built expertise in new segments that aligned with the company’s core capabilities in the Entertainment vertical to expand into the Recreation space, including real estate investment in ski parks, water parks, and golf entertainment venues (i.e. Topgolf) with over $6.7 billion in total investments.

Sean Slater is a Principal at architecture firm, Retail Design Collaborative (RDC). Sean has extensive experience in the domestic retail market and will continue to further develop new business endeavors for RDC. Sean was recently honored with the Urban Land Institute’s prestigious Apgar Award for co-authoring “New Suburbanism: Reinventing Inner-Ring Suburbs” and his article “Crafting Authenticity” graced the cover of the magazine’s June/July 2015 print and web edition. Sean provides a distinct focus on design and design process at RDC. He is tasked with overseeing the creation of a robust design culture as well as organizing an externally-focused series of symposia regarding the evolution of retail and internally-focused design competitions to hone the staff’s skills in forward-thinking design. Sean is also involved with crafting the firm’s marketing message and delivering targeted business development toward the retail and mixed-use field. He is passionate about the future of experiential design and the challenges of the Internet age in retail and commercial development. A registered architect in numerous U.S. states including Texas, Illinois, Washington and California, Sean serves on the Urban Land Institute’s Entertainment Development Council and has spent time volunteering on various boards of directors from Berkeley to Austin. He is also active with the International Council of Shopping Centers and the American Institute of Architects. Sean received his Bachelor of Architecture from The University of Texas at Austin.

Sharmila brings over 22 years of experience designing hospitality and mixed-use projects, sensitively weaving together complementary aspects of hospitality, retail and entertainment in delivering world class destinations. Sharmila first joined JERDE in August of 1994 and served as project lead for Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in California and Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, among several other notable international projects. During her brief departure from the firm Sharmila founded Starq Design in 2015, and was also previously an Associate Vice President and Design Director at WATG. She has been the creative force behind numerous and significant projects throughout the U.S., Asia, Middle East and Africa. These have included urban master plans, mixed-use developments, integrated resorts, and urban hotels. In her current role at JERDE, Sharmila oversees the firm’s Orange County office and provides design leadership on a variety of projects.

As a 20-something bartender and waiter in the early 1990’s, Robert Thompson bounced from the US to the UK, gaining experience in restaurants and pubs where he sowed the seeds for his future passion. In 1997 at the age of 26, Robert opened his first restaurant, a dual concept called Buffalo Billiards & Havana Lounge in Nashville, launching what would become a lifelong career in hospitality. Punch Bowl Social was imagined by Robert Thompson after an extensive career of conceptualizing and operating both large-format eatertainment brand and independent boutique restaurants. Following the successful openings of nine different restaurant concepts, Robert began to actualize his vision for Punch Bowl Social early 2010 but it took three years of real estate searches, design iterations and funding discussions before the first location opened in Denver’s historic Baker neighborhood in November 2012. With lines around the block starting on day one, it was clear that Punch Bowl Social had struck a chord with young diners and drinkers seeking something authentic and out-of-the-ordinary. Since then, Robert and his team have opened 10 additional locations across the US and employ more than 1,600 team members. Each new Punch Bowl Social is designed specifically for the local market with an atmosphere that perfectly aligns with its brand personality. By the end of 2018, Punch Bowl Social will open another six new locations, in cities including Dallas, San Diego, Washington, DC and Chicago. In 2017, Ernst & Young recognized Robert’s contribution to the hospitality industry by naming him a recipient of the prestigious Entrepreneur of The Year® 2017 award in the Mountain Desert region. Punch Bowl Social has been honored by a number of awards and recognitions including Fast Company Magazine’s Most Innovative Companies in the World 2018, Nations Restaurant News’ 2018 Hot Concept, the 2017 & 2018 Inc. 5000 list of fasting-growing private companies in America, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2017 Next 20 Brands to Watch and as one of their 2015 Breakout Brands. Born in Mississippi, Robert still loves traveling, adding to his collection of tweed vests, going for long, mind-clearing runs and spending every free moment with his wife, Mia and their sons.

Chris Weilminster joined Urban Edge Properties in October 2018 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Weilminster has oversight of the Company’s day to day operations, as well as its overall leasing and redevelopment strategy. In addition, Mr. Weilminster will be responsible for identifying strategic acquisition opportunities and dispositions for the portfolio. Before joining Urban Edge Properties, Mr. Weilminster enjoyed over twenty-eight years of employment with Federal Realty Investment Trust, most recently as the Trust’s President of the Mixed-Use Division; responsible for directing the overall strategy and day to day operations and leasing of the Trust’s mixed-use portfolio.  He was also responsible for identifying hotel and office partners for Federal Realty's mixed-use projects. Mr. Weilminster completed graduate work in Real Estate Development at Johns Hopkins University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers. He has been a guest lecturer for real estate at several universities including Syracuse University, The University of Maryland and the University of Miami. Mr. Weilminster is an Advisory Board member for Neediest Kids, a program of the National Center for Children and Families and a member of the MRED+U Board at the University of Miami.

As a co-founder of iP2Entertainment, Joshua Wexler is charged with the creation of iconic and deeply memorable experiences that entertain, educate and inspire families from around the globe. In doing so, Mr. Wexler helps retail operators and developers activate and energize their spaces with branded out-of-home entertainment experiences that drive guest visitation. Over the last 20 years, Mr. Wexler has pioneered new technologies for entertainment and has created and produced a number of feature films, television shows, and theme-park attractions based on some of the biggest brand names in the world. Mr. Wexler also oversees Pure Imagination Studios, a strategic media and technology partner of iP2Entertainment. Pure Imagination focuses on next generation experiences and is currently rolling out extended reality experiences around the world, including the recently acclaimed Alien Descent VR. Mr. Wexler holds a B.A. degree in Film from New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.

J. Wickham Zimmerman is CEO and co-founder of Outside the Lines, Inc. (OTL) – a California-based specialty construction company that designs and builds spectacular water features, rockwork and themed environments for many of our state’s most loved public spaces, resorts and theme parks. A degreed civil engineer with a passion for business and law, Wick has spent the last 35 years building his own businesses or helping budding entrepreneurial companies manage their bottom lines while growing revenue and market share. His combined expertise in construction and financial management has allowed him to attain executive positions representing owners, general contractors and specialty contractors, including industry powerhouses such as ValleyCrest Companies and KHS&S Contractors. As OTL’s CEO, Wick defines the company’s strategic direction and directs its financial and operational systems, which have helped moved OTL from a single start-up to a multi-locational success with projects completed across the U.S. and throughout the World. OTL has been named four times in the past ten years to the prestigious Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies, a success he credits to the dedication of their massively talented employees. When he’s not guiding OTL’s future steps, Wick treasures time with his family and is actively involved in philanthropic activities in his community, including Taller San Jose in Santa Ana, California, an organization that helps disadvantaged youth escape poverty by providing training and job skills. He is also a 28-year pilot and holds an Airline Transport Pilot airman certificate and a C525S type rating and enjoys flying whenever he can. Wick also belongs to Pilots N Paws, which is a group that brings together those who rescue, shelter or foster animals, and volunteer pilots and plane owners willing to assist with the transportation of animals.