Opening Keynote: GGP CEO Kevin McCrain

GGP CEO Kevin McCain on the company's recent rebrand, retail trends, and plans for 2026

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  Kevin McCrain

  Kevin McCrain is the Chief Executive Officer at GGP, bringing extensive leadership experience and a deep understanding of the real estate and retail sectors to his role. Before transitioning to the U.S. retail business, Kevin served as a Managing Partner in Brookfield’s Real Estate Group, where he oversaw retail investments across various real estate fund strategies and managed BPY’s portfolios.Since joining the organization in 2010, Kevin has held several roles within the organization, working out of the New York, London, and Chicago offices. Prior to his current position, he was appointed Global Head of Retail, where he led the retail and entertainment business. Throughout his career, Kevin has played a key role in major acquisitions and dispositions, including Center Parcs, Gazeley, IDI, Student Roost, and IFC Seoul. He also served on the board of several Brookfield portfolio companies, including Center Parcs, IFC Seoul, Student Roost, and JCPenney.Kevin earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and holds a bachelor’s degree from Sacred Heart University.

  GGP

  Chief Executive Officer

  Discussing Brookfield rebrand, retail trends for the year

  Kevin McCrain

  Chief Executive Officer

  GGP

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  Nikelle Meade

  Nikelle represents clients in all aspects of local government and real estate with an emphasis in land use and real estate development, public- private partnerships, procurement, and governmental affairs. Her work includes zoning, permitting, land use planning, development application processing and representation before local city councils, business development, relationship management, economic development, zoning boards of adjustment, planning commissions, local governing bodies and state and local agencies. In short, she helps clients navigate real estate development projects through governmental approvals.She also has vast experience in commercial transactions including purchases and sales, leases, public financing and general contracts. Before joining Husch Blackwell, Nikelle was a partner at Brown McCarroll. Nikelle is a member of the firm’s Executive Board.

  Husch Blackwell

  Partner

  Moderator

  Nikelle Meade

  Partner

  Husch Blackwell

Stadiums, Evolving Neighborhoods, and the changing retail and entertainment experience

Hear how Chicagoland is cultivating new experiences to work, live, and play

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  Shannon Sterne

  Shannon Sterne is an Associate and Design Leader at Aria with 20 years of experience leading the design of entertainment, hospitality, and retail environments for national brands and independent operators. Her work centers on experience-driven destinations where brand identity, guest engagement, and operational performance come together to create places that are compelling, high-performing, and positioned for long-term success. She has led projects for concepts including PopStroke, Flight Club, and Supercharged, along with restaurant environments for a range of national and emerging brands. Shannon guides multidisciplinary teams from concept through execution, aligning design vision with business goals to deliver environments that are design-forward, strategically grounded, and aligned with the guest experience. Shannon also serves as a firm leader in shaping Aria’s growth strategy, with a focus on entertainment, hospitality, and restaurant sectors. She is a key leader in the firm’s strategic business development framework, helping define market approach, strengthen partnerships, and guide how new opportunities are pursued across the business.

  Aria Group Architecture + Design

  Associate & Design Leader

  Clients include Topgolf, Flight Club, Dave & Busters, and more

  Shannon Sterne

  Associate & Design Leader

  Aria Group Architecture + Design

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  Scott McCubbrey

  Scott McCubbrey is a Managing Director at Marquee Development, where he leads the retail and leasing strategy across the company’s portfolio and provides executive oversight of day-to-day development activities. Scott was instrumental in structuring the joint venture partnership and investment in the Berkley Riverfront project alongside the Kansas City Current and Palmer Square Real Estate Management. In addition, Scott works closely with senior leadership to drive new business opportunities and advance Marquee’s strategic growth. With 19 years of experience in the real estate industry, Scott previously served as Senior Vice President of Development at Brookfield Properties, where he oversaw retail development for the East Region portfolio and the company’s luxury assets. He was directly responsible for some of Brookfield’s most prominent retail projects, including 685 Fifth Avenue and 730 Fifth Avenue in New York City, The Shops at La Cantera in San Antonio, The Grand Canal Shoppes in Las Vegas, and Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. Scott started his career at Rushmore Properties, a boutique private real estate investment firm in Chicago. Scott holds a BA in Finance from Michigan State University.

  Marquee Development

  Managing Director

  Discussing the latest projects for the Cubs, Stars, and More

  Scott McCubbrey

  Managing Director

  Marquee Development

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  Molly Phelan

  Molly is a partner in the Chicago Office of Siegel Jennings, a national property tax law firm. As a litigator and trusted advisor, she collaborates with Owners, Asset Managers, Acquisition teams and Tax Departments to identify, create and execute property tax reduction strategies. She becomes a member of her clients’ management team. Her goal is to maximize and protect the full potential of real estate assets, minimize related tax liabilities, and resolve disputes with tax authorities and government entities. Molly’s client experience ranges from family owned 1031 portfolios to national commercial investment funds, including special use properties such as hospital campuses to multi-million-dollar manufacturing facilities. Her comprehensive understanding of the commercial real estate market was developed in part through her time as a real estate broker in the Chicago area prior to starting her legal career. Molly regularly represents clients in hearings before review boards, local assessors’ offices, the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, and the circuit courts.

  Siegel Jennings

  Partner

  Molly Phelan

  Partner

  Siegel Jennings

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  Andrew Totten

  Andrew (Andy) Totten brings over 30 years of experience in the A/E/C industry, including more than 25 years with McHugh Construction. As Executive Vice President of Sports and Entertainment, Andy is widely recognized for his visionary leadership and creative problem-solving on complex, high-profile projects across Chicago. Andy has led transformative work on two of the city's most iconic destinations: the United Center and Navy Pier. His long-standing involvement at the United Center includes executive level guidance of numerous ongoing construction upgrades and expansions, most notably the recently launched 1901 Project, a multi-phase initiative focused on enhancing the fan experience and modernizing facility infrastructure. Simultaneously, Andy has been instrumental in shaping the comprehensive Navy Pier campus redevelopment, guiding the execution of projects such as the Sable at Navy Pier hotel, the Centennial Wheel, Offshore Rooftop Venue, the newly opened FlyOver attraction, and several public realm improvements that have redefined the visitor experience. Andy’s ability to manage complex stakeholder interests and deliver forward-thinking, high-impact results has made him a trusted partner to clients and a respected leader in the industry. His deep relationships and successful delivery of major, repeat work at both the United Center and Navy Pier are testaments to his commitment to excellence, innovation, and client service.

  McHugh Construction

  Executive Vice President

  Discussing 1901 Project and other sports and stadium work

  Andrew Totten

  Executive Vice President

  McHugh Construction

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  Grace Rappe

  Grace Rappe leads the Chicago studio for HDR architecture. Her portfolio spans architecture and landscape architecture projects across retail, mixed-use, education, and civic sectors in both public and private contexts, including the Wrigley Field improvements—projects that reflect hometown pride and have helped shape Chicago and the surrounding region. She has a particular interest in how public-private partnership and interdisciplinary collaboration can help create meaningful spaces and experiences that often defy traditional building or landscape typologies. A long-time Chicago resident, Grace is active with both the local industry and the greater community. She has previously served on the board of directors for the Magnificent Mile Association, Chicago Gateway Green Association, and the Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation.

  HDR

  Managing Principal

  Grace Rappe

  Managing Principal

  HDR

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  Steve Eskildsen

  Steve Eskildsen leads Mortenson’s business development strategy for Chicago, Illinois and Northern Indiana and drives the vision for the success and growth of the Chicago office. He identifies and develops new business opportunities as well as grows relationships with key customers and partners. Steve has been with Mortenson since the onset of his career. He has led both private and public projects across various market sectors including higher education, healthcare, manufacturing, sports + entertainment, institutional, office, and data centers. Steve is passionate about positioning Mortenson as a long-term partner and has been instrumental in developing meaningful relationships with customers across the region. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from North Dakota State University. He is an active member of the American Heart Association, Executives’ Club of Chicago, Chicago Building Congress, and Construction Owners Association of America.

  Mortenson

  Director Of Business Development

  Moderator

  Steve Eskildsen

  Director Of Business Development

  Mortenson

Unpacking the Evolving Retail Experience

What's in store for owners, shoppers, and everyone in between in 2026?

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  Brad Joseph

  Principal

  Core Acquisitions

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  John Vance

  Principal

  Stone Real Estate

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  Deena Zimmerman

  Principal

  BaumRealty

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  Tom Walsh

  SVP, Leasing

  Abbell Associates

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  Nick Legatos

  Nick has represented clients in commercial real estate deals and financing transactions for more than 20 years. Nick counsels institutional and entrepreneurial developers, investors, and owners—including industrial, hotel, mixed-use, multifamily, and retail property owners and developers, among others—throughout the country in the areas of acquisition, development, disposition, debt and equity financing, joint ventures, and leasing. Nick has assisted with numerous joint ventures throughout the country involving an aggregate value of more than $1 billion. In addition, he frequently works with owners in the drafting and negotiation of complex leases, declarations, development agreements, and reciprocal easement agreements. Nick represents banks and other lenders in various complex finance and loan transactions. He has extensive experience representing lenders in mortgage lending with respect to industrial, mixed-use, multifamily, and retail properties. Nick also has significant experience in connection with a variety of healthcare facility-related loans, such as revolving lines of credit, term loans, and loans bridging to HUD loans involving HUD intercreditor arrangements. These loans have supported senior housing, skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, memory care, acute care, and other similar facilities typically secured by real estate, Medicaid, Medicare, and other governmental receivables and business assets. Nick also represents financial institutions, receivers, servicers, and borrowers in all aspects of complex distressed property situations and workouts involving hundreds of millions of dollars of loans and property and has negotiated agreements addressing such workouts. Additionally, Nick’s practice has had a particular focus toward the hospitality industry. Nick has structured and negotiated numerous hotel acquisitions, dispositions, financings, joint ventures, and developments involving hotels located throughout the country. Nick assists cannabis companies including multi-state operators, state-licensed cultivators, distributors, and dispensaries in the emerging and highly regulated cannabis industry with respect to various complex real estate and corporate transactions, acquisitions, sales, joint ventures, cross border issues, formation, and regulatory compliance. Known as a trusted advisor, Nick builds long-term business relationships with clients and is often the first outside counsel called in any legal situation. In 2023, he joined Husch Blackwell out of enthusiasm for the firm’s deep bench across a wide variety of practice areas. Nick regularly serves clients whose needs go beyond transactions, and he values having a full-service law firm where he can readily connect clients with talented colleagues.

  Husch Blackwell

  Partner

  Moderator

  Nick Legatos

  Partner

  Husch Blackwell

The Next Generation of Sports CRE Development: Partnerships, Technology, and Operational Excellence

Driving fan experience, revenue growth, and mixed-use destination evolution

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  Julie Giese

  Julie Giese is President of the Chicago Street Course, spearheading a bold initiative to bring NASCAR racing to downtown Chicago in July 2023. Prior to her role in Chicago, Giese served as President of Phoenix Raceway, a role she held since 2018, overseeing the promotion and operation of the modernized facility that is a top motorsports and entertainment destination in the Phoenix market. Previously, Giese oversaw the marketing efforts for NASCAR’s 13 race track properties in her role as NASCAR Vice President, Track Marketing. She also previously served as the Managing Director of Business Operations for International Speedway Corporation’s (ISC) Design & Development, leading the coordination between ISC’s 13 race tracks, internal corporate departments and the Design & Development team on the Company’s significant capital investment and redevelopment projects. In January 2017, she began her tireless work on the design and project management of the $178 million modernization project at Phoenix Raceway. Joining ISC in 2001, Giese has taken on roles with increasing responsibility, from Director of Public Relations at Watkins Glen International to Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Daytona International Speedway where she spent 12 years overseeing all aspects of consumer marketing, branding, creative, advertising, digital, public relations and event entertainment for the “World Center of Racing”. Giese played a leading role in the redevelopment of the Speedway, managing the marketing and branding of the project as well its opening in 2016. In 2019, Giese was recognized as a Forbes Women in Sports to Watch, SportsBusiness Journal Game Changer, AZ Business Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Arizona and is also a 2019 Cynopsis Top Woman in Sports recipient. Giese, a native of Wisconsin, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Marketing Communications.

  NASCAR's Chicago Street Course

  President

  Julie Giese

  President

  NASCAR's Chicago Street Course

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  Adam Grossman

  Adam is leveraging his years as a sports industry expertise to work with clients on partnership strategy, commercialization, fan engagement, product development and data analytics as the hief Analytics Officer (CAO) of Seregh and President of ROAR, a Seregh Company. He was the CEO and sole founder of Block Six Analytics (B6A) where he led revenue generation, investment capital acquisition, new product development, and human capital management. B6A was acquired by Excel Sports Management after securing Fortune 500 companies, international sports properties, and global media entities as clients. He is also a lecturer for Northwestern University's Masters of Sports Administration where he developed the course "Entrepreneurship in Sports” and co-developed “Sports Management Analytics”. He is the co-author of The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders For A High-Performance Industry” which was the featured book at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and chapters in multiple other publications. His work has been featured in publications including Forbes, The Washington Post, CNN, The Chicago Tribune, Sportico, Sports Illustrated, Adweek, NPR, and WWD.

  Seregh Development Company

  Chief Analytics Officer

  Data and sports team collaboration

  Adam Grossman

  Chief Analytics Officer

  Seregh Development Company

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  Alex Teodosi

  VP, Corporate Partnerships

  Chicago Sky

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  Dan Lehv

  President, Chicago Steel

  Vice President of Affiliates, Chicago Blackhawks

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  Aidan Mongan

  Aidan is the Director of Strategic Alliances covering Chip Manufacturers, Server OEMs, and Active Networking Vendors. He has over 30 years of Selling and Implementing Enterprise Software systems from Databases, Master Data Management, Application to Application Integration , Enterprise Search , ERP , CRM , IOT as well as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Joined WESCO in 2021 after being responsible for North American Channels Sales from Software AG. Prior to Software AG he was responsible for Global Channel Sales for the Information Management brand at IBM.

  Anixter

  Director of Strategic Alliances

  Technology, Operations, and Procurement

  Aidan Mongan

  Director of Strategic Alliances

  Anixter

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  Matt Frank

  Matt Frank has a bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Illinois Springfield. Matt worked as a Planner for the DuPage Community Development Department for three years. Matt has spent the last twenty-five years at the Village of Schaumburg. Matt’s role as Director for Economic Development requires that he serve as the liaison to the business community and attract business. Matt has been key in the creation of the Golden Corridor Advanced Manufacturing Partnership who works with employers and schools to identify workforce needs and support efforts to enhance recruitment and training of students. Matt also helped create Next Level Northwest which is an accelerator business program. During his time with Schaumburg, Matt has been involved with a variety of development projects including Amada, Career Education Corporation, Catamaran, Chick-fil-A, Experior, Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, Season’s 52, Streets of Woodfield, Sunstar, Whole Foods, Woodfield Mall and Zurich. Matt was instrumental in the creation of the 1,000-acre North Schaumburg TIF District that included negotiating development agreements with Sunstar, Zurich, Motorola, and Urban Street Group. Matt is a member of the American Planning Association, American Institute of Certified Planners, Lambda Alpha International, and International Council of Shopping Centers. Matt also serves on the Board of Directors for the Schaumburg Business Association, the Schaumburg Park Foundation, GCAMP and The Backyard Experience.

  Village of Schaumburg

  Director of Economic Development

  Moderator

  Matt Frank

  Director of Economic Development

  Village of Schaumburg

Opening Remarks

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  Tom Dailly

  Tom Dailly was sworn in as Schaumburg's sixth Village President in May 2019, after serving as Village Trustee from 1988-2009 and again from 2014-2019. He was re-elected Village President in April 2023 and is now serving in his second term. He is also currently President of the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) and serves on the Executive Board. He represents the village with the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC), serves as President of the Joint Action Water Agency (JAWA) and is a member of the Illinois Municipal League (IML). Mayor Dailly also sits on the Meet Chicago Northwest Board, the IFPIF(IL Firefighters Pension Investment Fund), and serves as the village's Liquor Commissioner. As a 40-year resident of Schaumburg, Dailly’s goal has remained focused on helping the Schaumburg community become the best place to live, work, play and raise a family. As a longtime Village Trustee and someone who has served on multiple village committees and commissions, Dailly saw first and many of the developments that have shaped Schaumburg's progress over the past several decades, including the acquisition of the Schaumburg Regional Airport, the construction of Wintrust Ball Field, the opening of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center and the ongoing redevelopment of the former Motorola Solutions campus in the 90 North District. Dailly’s continued love for Schaumburg fuels his passion to maintain the high quality of life that Schaumburg residents have come to enjoy.

  Village of Schaumburg

  Mayor

  Tom Dailly

  Mayor

  Village of Schaumburg