Special Keynote with Smashburger & Tom's Watch Bar Founder

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  Tom Ryan

  Tom is an amalgam of many things. He is a food scientist, earning Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees in Flavor and Fragrance Chemistry from Michigan State University. During his Doctoral studies, he became intrigued with Marketing and Consumer Research, which set him on the career path of a lifetime. Taking Development positions at Procter and Gamble and Pillsbury, Tom recognized the power of combining strong technical knowledge with great consumer insights. He spent hours chasing and evaluating restaurant trends, searching for the next "big idea" to bring to grocery shelves. Along the way, he fell in love with restaurants, menu innovations, and the plethora of creativity he saw in the emerging restaurant landscape. Tom joined Pizza Hut in the late 1980's and quickly brought his first round of iconic products to the marketplace. The Lover's Line, Breadsticks and Chicken Wings, Sicilian Pizza, and Stuffed Crust Pizza all came from Tom and the teams he led. Tom joined McDonalds in the late 90's, and held Menu Development, CMO, and Worldwide Chief Concept Officer titles. At McDonalds, Tom brought McFlurries, The Dollar Menu, and McGriddles to the marketplace, here and around the world. In 2003, Tom joined Quiznos as Chief Branding Officer, and brought record setting new sandwiches to the marketplace, like Steakhouse Beef Dip and the Prime Rib Sub. In 2007, Tom created Smashburger which became an industry icon for quality, growth, and business acumen, twice named by Forbes as "America's Most Promising Company". Tom was named one of Gourmet Magazines' " 25 Top Food Entrepreneurs of the Last 25 Years" list. Smashburger was acquired as a strategic growth concept by JFC, a Manila-based restaurant powerhouse in 2018. Tom’s namesake concept, Toms Urban, opened at LA Live, in the heart of resurgent LA in 2014. Later that same year, Tom's Urban opened on the strip Las Vegas, followed by three new restaurants around the country. The Toms team is currently reconcepting to Toms Watch Bar, a premium viewing sports experience. Tom currently holds the title of Global Taste Advisor to Jollibee Food Corporation, focusing on optimizing concept and menu elements.

  Smashburger & Tom's Watch Bar

  Co-Founder

  Keynote

  Tom Ryan

  Co-Founder

  Smashburger & Tom's Watch Bar

Transforming Downtown: The Impact of Sports-Centric Redevelopment

Revitalizing Denver Through Strategic Urban Development

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  Kevin Preblud

  As the COO of EXDO, Kevin brings over thirty years of operational management and financial expertise to the company. He has worked in a variety of industries including recycling, banking, real estate and several service-related companies. Kevin currently manages the day-to-day operations of EXDO’s real estate and service holdings which includes commercial, industrial, multi-family and retail properties with over 65 properties and in excess of 400 tenants. After graduating from the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, Kevin began full-time work as a fourth-generation member of his family’s recycling business where he had worked part-time throughout his teenage years. He was principally involved in the merger that saw the company evolve from a family-operated regional recycler to the largest independent recycling company in the nation with over 600 employees and 25 facilities. Kevin remained with the company as Executive Vice President until 1989. From there he moved to Los Angeles, California where he became a partner in a secondary fibre brokerage firm which marketed material to paper manufacturers throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia. Additionally, Kevin was also the Executive Director of Recycled Fiber for PaperExchange.com, at the time, the pioneering and leading e-commerce provider for the Paper Industry during the run up of the dot.com craze. In October of 2005, Kevin’s company expanded its activities to include commercial janitorial and cleaning services. Eventually, Service Solutions transitioned completely out of secondary fibre brokerage, and today employs over 125 people with a strong focus in multi-family properties, with over 7,000 units in its customer portfolio. Service Solutions recently became a part of the EXDO family of companies. In 2015 Kevin was hired as the COO/CFO for EXDO and is now a full partner. Kevin currently sits on the board of directors for First American State Bank, a position he has held for over 15 years. Previously, Kevin also served on the boards of Graland Country Day School, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and We Don’t Waste, the latter two as Chairperson. Kevin is an enthusiastic world traveler which allows him to see the world through the lens of his camera, which as an amateur photographer, is rarely not by his side. Kevin was also a pioneer and likely too early to the marketplace, as the founder of the online news site, indenvertimes.com. INDT was an earnest attempt in 2009 to save the core personnel of the Rocky Mountain News which was shutdown by Scripps-Howard. Ultimately INDT didn’t gain the traction needed in the marketplace for support of online news, but as time has proven, the concept was correct, the timing was simply too early, however the silver-lining was a connecting with Andrew Feinstein thru DenverStiffs.com. Kevin is a fourth generation Denver native and has two grown children, Anna and Joe.

  EXDO Group

  COO

  Kevin Preblud

  COO

  EXDO Group

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  Matt Bell

  As Senior Vice President of Venue Operations, Matt Bell oversees the day to day event scheduling and venue operations for Ball Arena, Paramount Theatre and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. His role also includes servicing the operational needs of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Rapids as well as all of the entertainment events performing at all of the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) Denver venues. Bell joined KSE in 2012 as the Executive Director of Venue Booking and was responsible for the scheduling of all events in the KSE Denver venues and was later promoted to Vice President of Venue Booking for the KSE Denver venues in 2017 and has represented KSE on the Denver Sports Commission Advisory Board since 2015, the Visit Denver Board since 2022 and the Colorado Business Roundtable Board since 2023. Prior to joining KSE, Bell served as the Vice President of Venue Programming for the now Amerant Bank Arena with the NHL Florida Panthers and prior to that served in various venue programming capacities at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey scheduling events at the now closed Giants Stadium and IZOD Center. A native of Ohio and a graduate of Penn State University, Bell resides in Denver with his family.

  Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

  SVP, Venue Operations

  Matt Bell

  SVP, Venue Operations

  Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

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  Bill Johnson

  Bill Johnson is the design principal for HOK’s Denver office and is a recognized leader in the design of sports and entertainment facilities. Over the course of his 35-year career, Bill has applied his expertise and design sensitivity to a wide variety of project types striving to create spaces that are good neighbors, innovation drivers and great urban places. He is passionate about blurring the boundaries between sport and culture and communicating how architecture can elevate the human experience. His approach is defined by his ability to design award-winning buildings that contribute to the vitality of the broader community.

  HOK

  Senior Principal

  Bill Johnson

  Senior Principal

  HOK

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  Sadie Cline

  Sometimes there is not much of a difference between running an Ironman triathlon and designing a building. Both require time and detail to cross the finish line. Sadie Cline brings that same commitment as a leader in ZGF’s Denver office. Sadie finds inspiration in the design process to create enriching environments for people while simultaneously enhancing a client’s culture. From the first few clicks on the computer screen to construction, she works with every stakeholder across an organization to bring their vision to life.

  ZGF Architects

  Principal

  Sadie Cline

  Principal

  ZGF Architects

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  Brad Wentz

  Brad Wentz brings more than four decades of experience to his role as Construction Executive with Turner Construction Company, consistently delivering projects on time and within budget—critical for sports and entertainment projects where opening day is non-negotiable. Throughout his career, Brad has managed the planning and execution of over 20 million square feet of commercial projects, with a combined value exceeding $3.6 billion. His ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with clients, architects, engineers, and subcontractors has been key to his success. As the nation's top Sports & Entertainment builder, Turner Construction has delivered 25+ major venues across the United States. In Colorado, Turner has partnered with Denver Broncos, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the City and County of Denver, and others to build Empower Field at Mile High, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Meow Wolf, as well as 50+ renovation projects enhancing Denver's major venues.

  Turner Construction

  Construction Executive

  Brad Wentz

  Construction Executive

  Turner Construction

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  Kevin Kelley

  Kevin Kelley advises clients on the development, operation, and renovation of sports facilities; structuring complex mixed-use and re-use development projects; and the acquisition, development, financing, operation, and disposition of multi-family, industrial, office, and retail properties, hotels and resorts and self-storage facilities. His clients include developers, investors, owners, public entities, and REITs. Concentrations Arena, ballpark, stadia and practice facility development, operation, and renovation (NBA, MLB, MiLB, NFL, and NWSL), including non-relocation and community benefit agreements. Sports entertainment district development and operation Mixed use, master planned developments, and redevelopments, including entitlements and condominiums and common interest communities Resort development and operations, including branded condo-hotels Acquisition, financing, operation, and disposition of self-storage portfolios

  Greenberg Traurig

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Kevin Kelley

  Shareholder

  Greenberg Traurig

Crafting Unforgettable Experiences

Growth Opportunities in Entertainment, Retail, and Dining

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  Rhys Duggan

  Rhys Duggan has been a real estate investor/developer since 1996. Mr. Duggan has served in senior level commercial development roles in Vancouver, B.C., Denver and Nassau, Bahamas. He is currently a Principal and President & CEO of Revesco Properties, a boutique real estate development and investment firm with offices in Denver, CO and Vancouver, B.C. He began his career in West Vancouver B.C. as the Assistant to the Mayor, learning the intricacies of the public permitting and entitlement processes. He then transitioned to the private sector with a large private landowner and developer, The Larco Group of Companies, as a project manager specializing in the development of urban mixed use properties. In 1998, he moved to Denver where he was a Principal with Southwestern Investment Group, LLC, a privately held company specializing in the development of grocery anchored retail centers and master planned residential communities. From 2006 to 2011, Mr. Duggan served as President and CEO of The New Providence Development Company, the largest private landholder in Nassau. In this role, Mr. Duggan oversaw the master planning and development of the Company’s 2,500 acre landholding, as well as the day-to day operations of the Company’s numerous business units. Through his leadership of Revesco Properties he continues to develop and invest in retail, residential, office and mixed use projects, with a focus on the Denver, Vancouver, Phoenix, Houston and Salt Lake City markets. In the Denver market, he is a Principal in, and the Managing Member of the consortium that purchased Elitch Gardens in June, 2015. Rhys currently splits his time between Vancouver and his Denver residence in Lower Highlands.

  Revesco Properties

  President & CEO

  Rhys Duggan

  President & CEO

  Revesco Properties

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  Brad Buchanan

  Brad Buchanan, CEO of the National Western Center Authority, is a dynamic leader in the Rocky Mountain region, with roots in entrepreneurship, city planning, design, development, agriculture and community building. Appointed in 2018, he is responsible for implementing the vision of the National Western Center. When complete, the 250-acre campus in north Denver will be a year-round, global destination for culture, entertainment, education and agribusiness innovation. After earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Brad began his career as an architect in Denver, and started his own architecture firm in 1987. Over 25 years he expanded it to include design-build services and real estate development — focusing on mixed-use, urban infill projects, including some affordable housing developments. In 2011 he joined RNL Design (now Stantec) as principal. In 2014 during Denver’s historic post-recession building boom, Mayor Michael B. Hancock appointed Brad executive director of Denver Community Planning and Development. Under Brad’s leadership, city planners engaged more than 20,000 residents in drafting Denveright — an ambitious 20-year plan for land use, mobility, parks and recreation. Also during his tenure, Brad and his team streamlined and modernized city permitting — eliminating backlogs and improving the customer experience for projects of all sizes. Brad has been deeply involved in the community his entire career. As an architect he served as chair of the Denver Planning Board, the Landmark Preservation Commission and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s board. He participated in creating the original Blueprint Denver land use and transportation plan, as well as the city’s innovative, form-based zoning code. In 1999 he founded Freedom by Design, a community service program to provide pro bono design and construction services to the low-income disabled community; today there are 60 chapters nationwide. Brad has agricultural roots. He and his wife, Margaret, and their grown children Grace and Will own and operate Flying B Bar Ranch in Strasburg, Colorado where they raise Wagyu-Angus grass-fed cattle. Flying B Bar employs regenerative agriculture, a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds and enhances the ecosystem. Brad is a member of the board of directors of the American Grassfed Association.

  CEO, National Western Center Authority

  Head of Denver Community Planning and Development

  Brad Buchanan

  Head of Denver Community Planning and Development

  CEO, National Western Center Authority

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  Janice Sinden

  Janice Sinden joined the Denver Center for the Performing Arts as President & CEO in 2016. Over the past 43 years, the organization has grown to become one of the largest non-profit theatre organizations in the country, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals and innovative multimedia plays. This fourth-generation Coloradan has had her eye on the future of her state for decades and now leads the 300 artisans and administrators of one of the nation’s largest non-profit theatre organizations. Janice’s diverse career has allowed her to support rich cultural experiences, access to education and community involvement. She previously served as Chief of Staff for Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock where she managed 60 appointees, 26 departments and the day-to-day complexities of running a major metropolitan city. She served as Executive Director of Colorado Concern, Manager of Community Relations / Corporate Communications for Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, and worked for U.S. Senator Wayne Allard in both Washington, D.C. and Colorado. She currently serves on the boards of M.D.C. Holdings/Richmond American Homes, Citizens for Arts to Zoo, VISIT Denver, Colorado Inclusive Economy, Denver Judicial Commission and the Denver Preschool Program.  She is also a member of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Performing Arts Centers Consortium, Theatre Communications Group, Women Corporate Directors and National Western Stock Show. Previously, she was appointed by Governors Owens and Ritter to serve on the Colorado Creative Industries Council. Janice has been recognized by Denver Business Journal as an Outstanding Woman in Business, 5280 magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in Denver, by the Colorado Women’s Foundation as one of the 25 most influential women in Colorado, by the Girl Scouts of Colorado as a Woman of Distinction, and by the University of Northern Colorado Department of Political Science and International Affairs as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, by Titan100 as one of Colorado’s top CEOs and Pro15 as Alumni of the Plains.

  Denver Center for the Performing Arts

  President & CEO

  Janice Sinden

  President & CEO

  Denver Center for the Performing Arts

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  Melyssa Hartzell

  Melyssa Hartzell, a Principal at Martin/Martin, Inc. (370+ employee-owned full-service survey, civil and structural engineering firm based in Lakewood, Colorado with 9 offices across the Nation), brings extensive experience in project management in civil engineering, focusing on land development, site development, and urban infrastructure projects. Her expertise spans street layout and roadway design, site grading, wastewater and waterline systems, and comprehensive drainage and erosion control reporting. Over her 17-year career, she has built a strong track record working with Colorado municipalities, gaining in-depth knowledge of entitlement processes and regulations. In addition, Melyssa has cultivated close relationships with architects, developers, and key stakeholders within the sports community, positioning her as a go-to professional for successful project execution in high-profile, complex developments. Notable projects include: Colorado State University (CSU) Canvas Football Stadium, National Western CSU SPUR, Ball Arena Redevelopment, Denver Broncos Training Center, University of Colorado Boulder Potts and Prentup Fields, Colorado Rockies Coors Field and East Plaza, Victory Crossing, and multiple golf courses and recreation centers.

  Martin/Martin, Inc.

  Principal

  Melyssa Hartzell

  Principal

  Martin/Martin, Inc.

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  Chris Shears

  Throughout his career, Chris has been deeply involved in all phases of master planning and architectural design, building strong client relationships and leading major projects such as the new KSE-Ball Arena Redevelopment and The River Mile. A recognized leader in shaping urban policy, Chris has guided his firm toward creating equitable, transformative projects that positively impact cities and communities. Before founding SAR+, he championed urban density and played a key role in revitalizing Denver’s LoDo district. In 1997, he designed Palace Lofts, the area’s first new residential loft, igniting a movement for urban living that continues today.

  SAR+ Architects

  Principal, Architect

  Chris Shears

  Principal, Architect

  SAR+ Architects

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  Mark Faul

  Mark Faul is the vice president of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company’s Denver, Colorado office. He has over 33 years of construction experience, all with Whiting-Turner. Mark opened the Colorado office in 2002 and has been instrumental in the development of several diverse construction markets including higher education, healthcare, science + technology, mission critical, retail, industrial, and office buildings. The company does work in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Design-Build, CM at Risk, and Design-Bid-Build delivery methods. Since 2002, the Whiting-Turner Colorado office has grown from approximately $3.5 million annually to approximately $200 million annually in the Colorado market. Mark’s passion is the development of the Whiting-Turner people working out of the Colorado office and ensuring that their clients are delighted. Mark is member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Denver Partnership, HCC, and the Regis Jesuit High School Capital Projects Committee. Mark is also committed to supporting Colorado Village Collaborative, Earthlinks, and the Colorado Epilepsy Foundation.

  Whiting-Turner

  Vice President

  Moderator

  Mark Faul

  Vice President

  Whiting-Turner

Opening Remarks

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  Ryan Randel

  Ryan has over 18 years of history and experience in the building materials and construction industry. Ryan has more than a decade of experience in marketing, sales and installation training of various building envelope products/systems. His day to day functions include aligning, educating and selling through architectural project managers, architectural specifiers, industry consultants, general contractors, distributors and select trade subcontractors with the focus of delivering high quality projects to building owners, developers and communities. Ryan is a Colorado native who grew up on Front Range, enjoying Colorado's outdoors by snowmobiling the Rocky Mountains, playing baseball, football and variety of other outdoor hobbies. Ryan currently serves as a program advisor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business for the Customer Experience program.

  Siplast

  Territory Manager- CO,WY

  Ryan Randel

  Territory Manager- CO,WY

  Siplast