New York CREW Convention 2016 - Summary by Michelle Pink

Wednesday, Nov 9, 2016

Over the last decade I have attended various Real Estate Forums, courses, and networking events, but not one could compare to the experience I had at CREW Convention 2016 in New York City. The 2016 convention had the most engaging and prolific speakers I have ever had the opportunity to listen to. Participating in a convention that was designed for women, by women, was an unparalleled experience for me, with my background in Commercial Real Estate. As Amy Cuddy said at the convention, “Let’s teach our daughter’s to expand. To take up some space. To express their ideas. To show their strength.” The CREW Convention provides a platform for the future ladies of Commercial Real Estate to do all of the above: expand, take up space, share ideas and show our strength!

Listening to powerhouse speakers like Mary Ann TIghe (CEO of CBRE New York Tri-State Region), or learning the “power pose” from Amy Cuddy (Harvard Business School professor) are experiences that will be embedded in my memory forever. From the moment I landed I began a whirlwind of professional motivation for the three and a half days of convention activities. This year's convention was the largest ever, with 1,500 attendees in attendance from all over North America and across all disciplines of CRE.

In addition to the formal convention activities, some of the enjoyable moments were getting to know my fellow CREW Calgary members and CREW Canada members better. CREW Calgary had 16 members attend Convention this year with many attendees joining us from Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. There is plenty of time to get to know your fellow CREW members on a deeper level than the typical CREW event.

For me, CREW Convention 2016 would have been a mere dream if not for the support from CREW Calgary’s scholarship committee and the unwavering support of my company, AEC Property Tax Solutions. I feel both CREW and AEC have offered me the opportunity to expand professionally and this convention was just the beginning. As Sallie Krawcheck, former CEO of Merill Lynch, noted during her speech at convention, “If you invest in women, women invest in others and the economy grows.” Thank you for the investment, CREW Calgary and AEC Property Tax!