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Surf Park Real Estate Conference

Thu Jul 23, 2026

Coundown Until event

Surf Park Real Estate Conference

Riding the Next Wave: Exploring Surf-Anchored Development & Experience-Driven Destinations Nationally

To Be Hosted in Orange County, California

Thursday July 23 2026 @ 9:00 AM PDT

$105.00

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**Please note we have pricing tiers based on ticket availability. Ticket prices will increase once we sell out of the current pricing tier. We cannot redeem a lower price once the ticket prices have been raised.
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Bisnow presents a national deep dive into Surf Parks as an emerging experiential & lifestyle-driven real estate asset classes

From man-made surfing lagoons to full-scale surf-anchored mixed-use and hospitality destinations, developers and investors are riding a new wave of opportunity.

 

As demand grows for immersive, wellness-driven and adventure-based environments, surf parks are evolving into year-round community hubs and tourism engines. Surf Parks blend recreation, hospitality, retail, entertainment and placemaking into one footprint.

 

This event will explore how surf park projects are being financed, designed, engineered, constructed and operated, and panelists will share how next-generation wave technology, sustainability strategies and guest experience programming are shaping the future nationwide.

Speakers and Panels

Tom Lochtefeld

Tom Lochtefeld

CEO, Surf Loch
Brett Portera

Brett Portera

Founder & CEO, Crest Surf Clubs NY
Jon Corn

Jon Corn

CEO, N4FL Development
William Duncanson

William Duncanson

Founder & Partner, Neptune Beach Surf Club & ProSwell
Andrew Thatcher

Andrew Thatcher

VP, Endless Surf
Chris Gallardo

Chris Gallardo

Founder & CEO, Inland Surf Company & Alchemy Surf Park
Cate Thero

Cate Thero

CoFounder, Surf Park Management
Chance Gaul

Chance Gaul

Director of Operations, The Palm Spring Surf Club
David Bergman

David Bergman

VP, Preconstruction, Bergman KPRS

Why You Won't Want To Miss This Conference:

What You'll Learn About Surf-Park Destinations:

  • How surf parks are maturing from niche attractions into a recognized experiential real estate asset class, and where institutional and private capital is starting to allocate
  • What demand indicators developers and investors are using, including tourism draw, local population density, surfer participation rates and year-round visitation projections
  • How surf-anchored developments are being integrated into mixed-use, resort and master-planned communities as the primary traffic-driving amenity
  • How surf parks function as placemaking anchors and community hubs that serve both tourists and local users
  • Real-world funding and entitlement hurdles surf park developers face, and the approval, zoning and community buy-in strategies that are working
  • How to evaluate and compare major wave-generating technologies based on throughput, wave variety, energy usage, maintenance needs and guest experience outcomes
  • Key site selection criteria, including acreage requirements, utility loads, water sourcing, access, adjacency uses and ideal co-tenancy mixes
  • Construction and engineering realities behind man-made surf lagoons, including geotechnical needs, basin construction, lining systems and mechanical infrastructure
  • Delivery methods and risk-sharing approaches contractors are using to manage cost, schedule and performance in large-scale aquatic builds
  • Operational models for surf parks, from private club formats to ticketed public venues to resort-operated amenities, and how each impacts revenue predictability
  • Guest experience and programming design: How operators keep parks active year-round, and focus on community
  • Liability, safety and insurance frameworks specific to wave lagoons and aquatic adventure venues
  • Sustainability and environmental strategies, including closed-loop water systems, water recycling, energy efficiency and net-zero-use targets
  • Where technology and next-generation wave systems are heading, and how developers are future-proofing projects against rapid innovation in surf infrastructure

 

How You'll Do More Business From Attending This Real Estate Event: By attending this event, you’ll connect directly with developers, investors, operators and technology providers actively pursuing surf park and surf-anchored mixed-use projects across the country. You’ll identify new capital partners, specialty consultants and construction/design teams with experience in experiential and recreational assets. The event is designed to help you uncover live deal opportunities, understand financing and entitlement pathways, and position your firm within a fast-growing lifestyle and hospitality-driven asset class. You’ll leave with actionable relationships and market insight that can translate into new partnerships, projects and revenue streams!

 

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, Operators, Developers, Investors, Architects, Construction, Designers, Engineers, Brokers, Lawyers, Financial Institutions, Lenders, Consultants, Suppliers, & Economic development leaders. 

 

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

Venue

Venue TBA - Orange County, California

Agenda

Time Activity
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
Networking, Coffee & Breakfast
10:00 AM
10:50 AM
The Next Wave of Opportunity
Surf Parks as an Emerging Real Estate Asset Class: Demand, Capital Stacks, Funding Hurdles & National Investment Trends
10:50 AM
11:20 AM
Networking Break
11:20 AM
12:10 PM
Building The Break
Designing, Engineering & Operating Surf Park Destinations: Wave Technology, Construction Delivery, Guest Experience & Sustainable Operations
12:10 PM
1:00 PM
More Networking!

Interested in Sponsorship?

Contact avery.warren@bisnow.com to get information on sponsorship, pricing and availability at this event.

Sponsors

Want to get a recap of everything covered at the event?

Purchase the post-event summary and get the highlights sent to you in a post-event summary. Purchase here.