March and April AREW luncheons offer strategies for the times

A hallmark of AREW events is that they feature top speakers who share important information as well as opportunities for great networking. Earlier this month, AREW and Crain's New York Business presented, "Where is the Bottom? The Future of the New York Economy," featuring one of New York's leading journalists and commentators on business and political issues as guest speaker, Greg David, editorial director of Crain's New York Business. David provided a New York City-centric view of how this economic turndown differs from those that came before and will result in a greatly changed city, predominantly because of what he predicts will be the permanent loss of a large number of jobs, and the substantial income they generate, on Wall Street. In addition to his recommendation to fuel economic recovery and growth by diversifying the city's economy, David cited three situations to watch to help determine where the bottom of the city's economy might be. The first was whether Forest City Ratner will be able to finance Atlantic Yards; the second whether Related's Hudson Yards project will falter; and, third, whether his friend Mike, who moved from Merrill Lynch to work for a hedge fund, will be able to keep his job as economic developments in banking and finance continue to unfold. Our March luncheon, on Tuesday the March 3rd, will feature Anthony Malkin, president of Wien & Walkin LLC and W&M Properties and vice-chairman, Wien & Malkin Securities, in a program entitled "Been There. Done That. Life Lessons from the Early '90s and Today's Economy." Malkin will provide his perspective on current market conditions vs. previous recessions and what we can learn from the past to help sustain our companies and careers in today's turbulent economic times. At the April 7th luncheon, AREW and The New York Observer will present the 2009 Powerful Women in Real Estate panel. Attendees will hear some of real estate's most successful and influential women provide insights into their specific market segments as well as strategies for surviving 2009 and beyond. All of AREW's events are open to the industry at large. Our luncheons are conveniently held at Club 101, 101 Park Ave. and 40th St., and begin with an hour of networking among our diversified membership. You are certainly invited to attend and learn more about AREW at www.arew.org. Jennifer McCool is the 2008-09 AREW President, New York, N.Y.