Southern California Development, Construction & Design Conference

Tue May 19, 2026

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Southern California Development, Construction & Design Conference

Unifying the Forces Behind SoCal’s Built Environment: Creative Planning, Project Strategy & Building Excellence

To be hosted in Downtown Los Angeles

Tuesday May 19 2026 @ 8:00 AM PDT

$112.00

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Speakers and Panels

Designing for a New Era

Innovation, Technology & Future-Forward Architecture

Donna Clandening

VP, US West Regional Director of Growth, AECOM

Marin Gertler

With over 20 years of experience spanning architecture, real estate development, and urban placemaking, Gertler brings a holistic design approach to the firm, balancing cultural context with client goals. His career includes significant leadership roles at CREARE Collaborative, IQHQ, and Gensler, where he led transformative projects across California, including award-winning technology and life science campuses, urban mixed-use districts, retail, and hospitality environments. “Carrier Johnson + Culture has a deep legacy of weaving community narratives into design, and I’m excited to help expand that vision,” said Gertler. “My goal is to bring hybrid thinking to every project—combining cultural empathy with technical excellence and always designing with flexibility for the future.” Gertler’s portfolio includes projects such as One Paseo, a mixed-use benchmark in San Diego that has become a resilient model for post-pandemic urban design, and the Research and Development District (RaDD) along San Diego’s waterfront, where his leadership redefined the public realm to attract top-tier retail tenants and foster community connection. At CJ+C, Gertler will serve as a catalyst for cultivating talent, facilitate internal design reviews, and elevate the firm’s external reputation through thought leadership and design intelligence. His approach focuses on fostering bold experimentation, continuous learning, collaboration, and creating inspiring, enduring spaces. “We’re thrilled to welcome Marin to Carrier Johnson + Culture,” said Ray Varela, NCARB, Co-President and Design Principal at CJ+C. “His background bridges architecture and real estate development, which is exactly the kind of leadership we need as we guide our clients through today’s evolving landscape. Marin’s experience in mixed-use, life science, and community-focused design will help us expand the way we think about flexibility, resilience, and long-term value in every project.” Beyond practice, Gertler is an active voice in the industry. He served on the Executive Board of the Downtown San Diego Partnership and has held leadership roles with the Urban Land Institute (ULI). His accolades include the Global ULI 40 Under 40 award, AIA San Diego’s Young Architect of the Year, and Mentor of the Year Honoree recognition from the San Diego Business Journal. Gertler holds both a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He has also shared his expertise as an adjunct professor at the New School of Architecture and as a lecturer for USD and UCSD’s graduate real estate development programs.

Carrier Johnson + Culture

Chief Design Officer

Marin Gertler

Chief Design Officer, Carrier Johnson + Culture

Betty Duffy

AVP, Macerich

Ben Stapleton

Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council, California

Cy Eaton

Associate Director, HLB Lightning Designs

Construction Execution in a Challenging Market

Costs, Labor, Supply Chain, Risk Mitigation & Project Delivery Strategies

Tom Veje

EVP, Real Estate Development & Construction, Caruso

Joseph Ferrell

CEO, BECI

Moderator

Brenda Radmacher

Partner, Seyfarth

Why You Won't Want To Miss This Conference:

What You'll Learn:

Development & Capital Markets

What trends are developers forecasting across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and surrounding markets?
How are interest rates and inflation shaping underwriting, pro formas, and deal flow?
Which asset classes are attracting the most capital and where is demand shifting?
How are lenders evaluating risk in today’s economic climate?
What financing models are emerging? JV structures, mezzanine, PACE, private credit?

Design & Technology

How is AI transforming design workflows, building operations, and long-term planning?
What role does BIM, digital twins, and data analytics play in optimizing projects?
How are smart building technologies reshaping tenant expectations and leasing strategies?
How can flexible-use design mitigate market volatility across CRE sectors?
Which amenities add the most value in today’s competitive environment?

Construction Trends & Risk Mitigation

How are GCs and developers navigating material shortages and long lead times?
How are teams addressing labor shortages through training, partnerships & tech adoption?
What strategies reduce cost overruns, schedule delays, and project risk?
How are modular, prefab, and hybrid construction methods changing SoCal project delivery?
What are lenders and investors requiring around construction risk management?

Urban Policy, Planning & Regulation

Which policy shifts and permitting changes are most affecting timelines and budgets?
How can density be increased without displacing communities or straining infrastructure?
How adaptive reuse regulations are evolving and how they apply to CRE redevelopment.

Sustainability & Resilience

How are electrification and decarbonization mandates impacting design + construction costs?
Which green building standards are emerging as must-haves for investors and tenants?
How can resilience strategies be incorporated economically into new developments?
How can urban density be balanced with open space, mobility, and community needs?

How You'll Do More Business From Attending This CRE Event: Join leading developers, architects, general contractors, engineers, and CRE leaders as they come together for the SoCal Development, Construction & Design Conference. Discover how Southern California’s top CRE teams are navigating policy challenges, pushing ahead amid cost pressures, implementing groundbreaking design strategies, and leveraging new technology to deliver resilient, future-ready projects. Gain insights across the full project lifecycle, from early design vision to development feasibility to construction delivery, across all major asset classes including multifamily, office, industrial, retail, life sciences, mixed-use, hospitality and more. Meet leaders from Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and surrounding cities.

Why You Should Attend This Session: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than us.

Who You'll Network With At This Discussion: Owners, Developers, Investors, Architects, Construction, Designers, Brokers, Lawyers, Financial Institutions & Government Officials.

For questions, recommendations, comments or press inquiries please email our event producer, Samantha D'Angelo at samantha.dangelo@bisnow.com.

Venue

Venue TBA, Downtown Los Angeles

Agenda

Time	Activity
8:00 AM 9:00 AM	Networking, Coffee & Breakfast
9:00 AM 9:45 AM	Construction Execution in a Challenging Market Costs, Labor, Supply Chain, Risk Mitigation & Project Delivery Strategies
9:45 AM 10:00 AM	Networking Break
10:00 AM 10:45 AM	Designing for a New Era Innovation, Technology & Future-Forward Architecture
10:45 AM 11:30 AM	The Southern California Development Pipeline & Investment Outlook Forecasting Trends, Capital Markets Shifts & The Future of CRE Projects
11:30 AM 12:00 PM	More Networking!