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Speakers and Panels

The Changing Landscape of Construction & Design: Key Trends Driving the Industry

Strategic Building: Innovation, Resilience & Community-Centric Design in Today’s Market

Aaron Knight

Aaron Knight

SVP Development

QuadReal

Merrill Fung

Merrill Fung

VP, Architecture & Design

Cadillac Fairview

Ryan Ng

Ryan Ng

Partner

Hazelview Investments

Jeff Wilkinson

Jeff Wilkinson

President

CB Wilkinson

Chris Atkins

Chris Atkins

Senior Director, Development

First Capital REIT

Steve Orchard
Moderator

Steve Orchard

VP

BPA

Steve Orchard

Moderator

BPA

Steve has 22 years of mechanical engineering consulting experience and an in-depth perspective on the

buildings industry. He has worked on a broad range of projects including commercial office buildings, datacentres, athletic venues, retail developments, and food service establishments. As Partner-in-Charge on many large development projects, he provides design solutions that align with the project’s vision and

goals to optimize the successful completion of the project. Steve is a licensed engineer with the Professional Engineers of Ontario in 2011, which validates that he has the necessary knowledge and practical skills in this field.

He is LEED accredited which demonstrates his practical knowledge focused on sustainability and how to lead a building design to achieve LEED certification. Steve provides holistic sustainable strategies for

reducing energy and carbon with the building’s mechanical design. He also has experience with zero carbon and net-zero building design, and WELL standards and certification.

Steve leads the development of our firm’s BIM standards that optimize space usage and assist all disciplines in coordinating their services for the building design. He has a solid track record for keeping a project on schedule and on budget.

He has a strong technical background and offers innovative and practical solutions to design challenges, including the original development of central heat pump chillers, hot and cold thermal storage, compartmentalized VAV air conditioning systems, and office underfloor air distribution.

Toronto's Evolving Development Scene: Deal Opportunities, Distress, Costs and Approvals

Navigating High Fees, Deal Flow & Approval Challenges in Toronto

Allison Gilks

Allison Gilks

VP, Development

Slate Asset Management

Meghan Wong

Meghan Wong

VP Development

Spanier Group

Vincci Wilson

Vincci Wilson

VP Development

Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT

Bryan Gelman

Bryan Gelman

Co-founder & President

Albert Gelman

Adam Slavens
Moderator

Adam Slavens

Partner

Torys LLP

Allison Gilks

VP, Development

Slate Asset Management

Allison joined Slate in 2022. She is involved in all aspects of Slate’s development projects, including acquisitions, project management, construction, and close out.

Prior to Slate, Allison formed part of the Toronto North capital markets team at CBRE Limited. She worked through industrial sales and leasing strategies, investment sales, and development site transactions.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph with a major in Real Estate and Housing.

Vincci Wilson

VP Development

Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT

Vincci Wilson is a seasoned real estate development professional who has led the delivery of over 3.7 million square feet of commercial, residential, mixed-use, healthcare, and transit-oriented projects across Canada. Her portfolio spans master-planned communities, municipal infrastructure projects, and complex, multi-stakeholder developments.

As Vice President of Development at Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT, Vincci is responsible for leading the development and construction of healthcare infrastructure across Canada – these include medical outpatient buildings, ambulatory surgical facilities, and associated research and life science facilities. Vincci earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Ted Rogers School of Management at TMU, specializing in Retail and Commercial Development. During her MBA, Vincci was selected to receive the Forward 50 Leadership Award and was an Ambassador for the Women of Distinction in her program. Vincci was also a recipient of the Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women (TCREW) Scholarship and Mentorship in 2011, being recognized by the industry as a young leader early in her career. Vincci is currently a member of the Board for Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women (TCREW) and was recently recognized by Urban Land Institute (ULI) as a WLI Champion for 2025.

Opening Remarks

Ian Hunt

Ian Hunt

SVP

CBRE

Why You Should Attend This 2025 Toronto Construction and Development Summit

What You'll Learn: 

  • Development fees was the majority of talk last year, how are these high fees continuing to negatively impact new starts?

  • In a tight capital market, how can developers position themselves for success? What opportunities still exist despite the challenges?

  • What are the biggest roadblocks preventing developers from breaking ground on new projects?

  • What emerging trends are shaping property development, and how are they impacting design and construction strategies?

  • The condo market is still largely stalled, what will be the best course of action to absorb almost 40k units in this asset class?

  • Which areas in the Toronto region are seeing the most development activity today?

  • How do projects that emphasize on cultivating community outperform their competitors in today's market?

  • How can developers strike a balance between innovation, cutting-edge design, and the realities of budget, timelines, and market demand?

How You'll Do More Business:

Learn how Toronto’s construction and development market has evolved in the last year and what trends are shaping these changes. You’ll also hear from top owners and developers as they discuss changing market dynamics. You’ll gain insights into the emerging design and tech that are must-haves in your projects. As well as strategies for how to attract, retain and satisfy tenants.

Why You Should Attend: 

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! 

For questions regarding content, speaking, and sponsorship opportunities, please email our Bisnow Event Producer, Joshua Piquion, at Joshua.Piquion@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact janet.fernandez@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event. 

Agenda

Time Activity
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast & Networking
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
The Changing Landscape of Construction & Design: Key Trends Driving the Industry

1.) Learn what trends are shaping how development teams approach design on new projects.
2.) Learn what challenges teams have to navigate to deliver projects on time.

1:45 PM
2:00 PM
Networking Break
2:00 PM
2:45 PM
Toronto's Evolving Development Scene: Deal Opportunities, Costs and Approvals

1.) Understand how developers are assessing the current market environment for new and existing projects .
2.) Analyze how developers are navigating the high levels are bureaucracy and costs.

2:45 PM
3:00 PM
Post-Event Networking

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