Alabama’s commercial real estate industry is looking to go higher during 2016.

Whether it’s higher sales, higher paying tech jobs or a higher sense of well being, the CRE industry can expect to level up over the next 12 months, following the Alabama Center for Real Estate‘s 16th annual Commercial Real Estate Conference & Expo.

ACREcon 2016 will take place on Jan. 29 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center in Birmingham.

The Alabama Center for Real Estate hosts the conference in Birmingham each year. To learn more about the conference, click here.

For a full list of ACREcon speakers, click here. 

To register for ACREcon 2016, click here. 

The conference will be headlined by five main speakers, ranging from the commercial real estate outlook to Alabama’s initiative to bring more tech jobs to the state.

Below is a list of the current speakers lined up for ACREcon 2016.

Christopher Lee: Lee brings with him over 30 years of experience within the real estate industry. Lee’s background, which includes diversified experience in real estate development, land-use economics, strategic planning, investment analysis, workouts, mergers/acquisitions, compensation, finance and performance benchmarking, enables him to contribute an interdisciplinary approach to the overall process of analyzing trends within the commercial real estate industry and guiding real estate organizations and project teams. Mr. Lee is a frequent contributor to national journals and a keynote speaker at conferences. He authored a 2012 book “Transformational Leadership in the New Age of Real Estate” as well as “From Good to Great to Best-in-Class, A Real Estate Leaders’s Guide to Optimal Performance.”

Greg Knighton – Economic Development Partnership of Alabama

Greg Knighton: The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama is at the forefront for developing a non-manufacturing strategy to further diversify the state’s economy. The growth and investment in automotive, aerospace and other industries are critical to Alabama, but the assets within those industries and throughout the state present other opportunities. One of those opportunities in Information Technology, specifically focused on software publishers and computer systems design.

Lauren Wallace: The WELL Building Standard® is an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being. WELL is administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI), a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment. WELL is third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which administers LEED certification and LEED professional credentialing.

David Skinner: Skinner, Alabama’s best-in-class commercial real estate instructor, will facilitate the afternoon session covering areas of finance, accounting, marketing and law that permeate today’s commercial real estate environment. Skinner received his undergraduate degree from Tulane University and his J.D. summa cum laude from The University of Alabama School of Law where he was in the top 1 percent of his class, was Order of the Coif and published in, and a member of, the Alabama Law Review. Skinner practices law full time, serves as a mediator, special master and expert witness in real property matters. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America ®, Super Lawyers in Alabama and Top Lawyers in Birmingham; his firm is one of only six Birmingham law firms listed in Best Law Firms® as a “Tier 1″ real estate litigation law firm. He has authored numerous articles, pamphlets and books including “Gambling with Remedies: Rent Acceleration in Alabama,” 45 Ala. L. Rev. 275 (1993); Alabama Residential, Commercial & Mineral Lease Law, (Michie, 1997; Supp. Lexis Law Pub. 1998 & 1999). Skinner is the lecturer of real property law at the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) where he was an inaugural member of the Center’s Leadership Council and now serves as a senior member. Skinner has years of service on the Alabama Law Institute’s Real Estate Study Committee.

Debbie Phillips: In today’s hyper competitive market, the most distinguishable asset is your personal brand. Companies are known more by the talent within the organization than a specific type of property or service that is provided by that company. This informative session will offer strategies for increasing market share, penetrating a target audience and enhancing your personal brand. Using your signature strengths and staying in your “genius zone” will accelerate your revenue, build your profitability and help you avoid the “brain drain” that can be costly in both tangible and intangible ways. Phillips will share a proven framework along with solutions that have created world-class organizations and allowed individuals to develop their “sweet-spot” that pays huge dividends both personally and professionally.

The Alabama Center for Real Estate‘s core purpose is to advance the real estate industry in Alabama by providing relevant resources in the areas of research, education and outreach.