USI's New York Corporate Real Estate Roundtable.

Some of the brightest minds from the worlds of corporate real estate, business and economics recently converged at Manhattan's Rainbow Room for the United Systems Integrators (USI) day-long New York Corporate Real Estate Leadership Roundtable.

The event was assembled primarily by USI Vice Chairman Robert B. Emden, who heads up USI's New York office and tenant representation practice, USI Real Estate Advisors, LLC. USI unifies real estate management for its corporate clients with single-source, integrated design, construction and information management solutions to optimize cost savings.

Emden and USI Chairman & CEO, as well as the firm's founder, Ed McLaughlin, kicked off the day with a lively welcoming address to the many corporate real estate executives, USI clients, members of the brokerage, financial and legal communities and leading New York City commercial landlords who attended the event.

Stuart Varney, former host of CNBC's The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board with Stuart Varney and former co-host of CNN's MoneyLine News Hour, as well as a founder of CNN, provided an upbeat presentation that underscored the strengths of U.S. commerce despite the slow economic cycle of the past two years.

Varney cited the U.S. as a convergence point for all of the great ingenuity in the world, noting that the country, due to its mix of cultures, has produced more innovations that have benefited mankind than any other nation.

Lloyd Lynford, Founder & CEO of The REIS Report, gave a rousing presentation about the dichotomous nature of the current U.S. economy, such as "productivity is up, but hiring is down," and "unemployment statistics are improving but there is almost no new job creation."

Still, Lynford did project some good news for the real estate market: "Sublease space is diminishing because some companies are now growing again and taking their excess space off the market; construction in the office sector is under control; and 2004 will see the end of construction, some absorption and a slight uptrick in hiring, allowing vacancy rates to decline."

During "The CFO Perspective on Corporate Real Estate," Chris Davidson, Managing Director for USI's Consulting Services Group, John Maher, President of USI's Business Process Outsourcing, and Mary Driscoll and Don Durfee of CFO Enterprises, presented the findings of a joint USI/CFO national research study of 277 senior financial executives across more than 10 industries.

The research concluded that corporate real estate is a top cost driver for corporations nationwide, trailing only employee compensation and procurement. It also found that CFOs and other financial executives are in creasingly active in their companies' real estate decisions.

Most financial executives surveyed indicated that efficient management of real estate can dramatically reduce operating and occupancy costs, thereby improving the overall health of most corporations. Outsourcing real estate operations and implementing technology to manage all real estate holdings were seen as key to corporate solvency. Also participating in the panel was Arun Gore, CFO of T-Mobile, whose first-hand perspective illuminated the research presentation.

Three workshops underscoring several of USI's key missions were also conducted at the event.

In "Portfolio Cost Savings and Optimization Strategies, USI Vice President Terry Cooney was joined by real estate executives from American Express, ClearChannel Communications, Lehman Brothers and BISYS, who shared their techniques for effective corporate real estate management.

In "New Directions and Strategies in Real Estate Development," Michael Casolo, USI's Managing Director and Principal of Design & Construction, was joined by Kent Gregory, National Partner with McMahon Development, Kent Riddle, Executive Vice President of Workstage and Eileen McMorrow, Editor & Publisher of The McMorrow Report, a trends report for facilities, real estate and outsource management. The panel discussed various design efficiencies that can lead to optimal cost savings in corporate real estate management. Put plainly, cost savings begins with efficient design of facilities and work stations, without compromising aesthetics, which area key component of both employee recruitment and retention.

USI's Vice Chairman Robert B. Emden and Executive Managing Director James B. Emden led "Navigating the New York Real Estate Market: The Landlord's Perspective," in which prominent metro area landlords Leonard Stern, Chairman of Hartz Mountain, Steve Ross, Chairman of The Related Companies and William Macklowe, President of Macklowe Properties, examined the issues of Liberty Bonds for Midtown as well as Downtown Manhattan development projects, World Trade Center redevelopment, landlord and tenant incentives, Javits Convention Center expansion and the future of New York's City's real estate market.

Residential brokerage magnate Barbara Corcoran shared the secrets of her success in conquering the competitive world of New York real estate with simple lessons she learned from her mother, who raised 10 children. The most important of all: "Never Settling for Less," the title of Corcoran's presentation.

The day concluded with a keynote address from accomplished business executive Jean-Marie Messier of Messier Partners.

Messier has been a high-ranking civil servant in the French Ministry of Finance, where he worked to privatize several corporations, all of whom are now part of that country's top 20 corporations. He formed Vivendi Universal, where as chairman, he sought to converge wireless and broadband technologies to create a dominant media company.

Messier related how that vision was ahead of its time but stymied by the difficult global economic conditions following September 11. A bona-fide business success and a man known for his perspicacity, Messier shared with the audience his thoughts on future world commerce.