Former Gov. Jeb Bush to speak on Building Florida’s Future at ULI Florida Summit

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (May 10, 2012) – Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will deliver the keynote address at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Florida Summit on June 7 and 8, a conference that will also feature four Florida mayors discussing challenges and opportunities for the state as its economy recovers.

The Summit provides an opportunity to connect with top Florida decision-makers and real estate experts to learn about best practices and what’s working as the industry moves to create and sustain thriving communities.

Keynote speaker Bush will discuss building Florida’s future. In 2005, ULI business leaders from across the state gathered, under Bush’s oversight, to discuss the future of regional collaboration and how it could fortify Florida’s economic vitality. Seven years later, Bush returns to talk about progress made and to discuss potential next steps.

One of the Summit’s general sessions will feature Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez, with ULI global Chairman Peter Rummell as the moderator. This panel of forward-thinking mayors will discuss how to ensure that the state’s urban regions can flourish.

And to add an entrepreneurial flavor to the conference, the Summit will feature a real estate-related “Shark Tank” event, in which students from three Florida universities present real-world projects to a panel of finance experts, who will weigh in on how marketable the ideas are, and whether they would consider investing in the ideas.

More than 40 speakers and panelists will lead the discussion through a combination of mobile workshops, panels, special interest tours and networking events. The Summit, the first statewide event of its kind for ULI in Florida, will also feature eight breakout sessions, with topics including:

Thursday, June 7 at 3 p.m.

• LIVE: New Models in Housing
• WORK: Blending Sustainability, Business and Retail
• MOVE: The Transition of Transit: Macro to Micro
• INVEST: Shark Tank

Friday, June 8 at 10:30 a.m.

• LIVE: The New Deal: Fundamentals Beyond Financing

• WORK: Resorts in Florida... Jobs, Economic Development and Land Use

• MOVE: Florida by Air and Sea: Future of Florida's Seaports, Airports, and Railway Development

• INVEST: Investment Vehicles of the Future

The summit will take place at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort, 501 Fifth Ave. NE in downtown St. Petersburg on June 7 and 8. For the full conference schedule, list of speakers, and to register, visit www.ulifloridasummit.org.

About the Urban Land Institute:

The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a global nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in sustaining and creating thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. ULI sponsors educational forums and events such as trends conferences, transportation and housing programs, and project tours.