2001 IRES World Congress
 

The first IRES World Congress took place in July 2001 at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, forty miles south of Anchorage. The congress was a great success. Highlights included keynote addresses by Andrew Baum, University of Reading, Jon H. Zehner, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Karl-Werner Schulte, President of IRES and Jim Gottstein, Law Offices of James B. Gottstein. There were 138 delegates that attended the meeting from 14 countries. A total of 72 papers were given in 19 paper sessions while 10 panel sessions comprised of 40 panelists rounded out the schedule. Additionally, Art Schwartz arranged some fantastic social events including 2 award luncheons, an Alaskan Mountaintop dinner .

IRES would like to thank the sponsors of the event. These included: the RICS Research Foundation, European Business School, Deutsche Immobilien Datenbank, MCB Press and Taurean Valuation Services.  A special issue of the Journal of Property Investment & Finance was edited by Programme Chair Elaine Worzala.

2001 IRES world congress

North to Alaska

by

Art Schwartz, University of South Florida
ARES-IRES Meeting Planner & IRES President

The ultimate incredible scenery, including World Class Water, liquid and frozen, is found in the 49th state, The Last Frontier, Alaska. This beautiful state is the site of the International Real Estate Society's first Summer Meeting, July 25-28, 2001, at the Westin Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska.

 

Located just forty miles south of Anchorage International Airport, this deluxe hotel is surrounded by forests and the majestic snow covered peaks of the Chugach Mountains. In winter, it is the site of Alaska's best ski resort. The recently constructed hotel features all first class amenities in a pristine setting. The special IRES room rate of $179/night is a great bargain considering that this is high tourist season in Alaska. I strongly urge you to reserve your room by fall, 2000, by calling 800-775-6656 or by faxing 907-754-2290. Anchorage may be fully booked in July so procrastinators may find very limited, very expensive availability.

 

Air reservations should be made early as well and it may be possible to use frequent flyer miles for a free ticket if you book about 11 months in advance. We will be offering specially priced cruise packages from Vancouver, B.C., through the Inside Passage to Seward for attendees. We are working with an Anchorage based destination management company to offer you a large variety of competitvely priced Alaska adventures and these will be announced soon.

 

Hertz is the official IRES rental car company. Call 800-654-2240 and be sure to mention Meeting number CV02EL0001. Be sure to book your rental call well in advance as the supply is tight in Alaska in July.

 

We will be meeting when Alaska's weather is delightful and when the sun sets for only a few hours. Expect pleasant high temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s at the hotel with lows around 50. Golf tee times as late as 10 PM can be arranged at the hotel's golf course that is located in Anchorage. We are planning a whirlwind of interesting activities for the meeting including a mountaintop Alaska buffet dinner and a possible glacier viewing dinner cruise. Many other events may be included as well.

 

Your drive from the airport via the Seward Highway features incredible views along the Turnagain Arm fjord. You'll shoot a roll of film prior to arriving at the hotel. Spectacular Portage Glacier is only eleven miles south of the hotel. Nearby Whittier and Seward offer day cruises to the Kenai Fjords National Park where glaciers descend from mountaintops to the sea and wildlife abound. Salmon and halibut fishing is available from those towns as well as further down the Kenai Peninsula and at lodges in various locales. Be sure to visit the scenic town of Homer at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. Huge halibut are caught there.

 

Mount McKinley will possibly be visible from Anchorage. It is in Denali National Park, a four hour drive north of Anchorage. This is a very busy park in midsummer and I encourage you to consider less popular but equally scenic destinations such as Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Katmai National Park. The latter is accessible only by plane, making it much less crowded. Explorers seeking the unusual can fly across the Arctic Circle to Barrow, the northernmost point in the USA, or to Kotzebue and Nome on the Bering Sea. The Top of the World Hotel in Barrow features Arctic Oceanfront rooms and is adjacent to Pepe's Restaurant, the northernmost Mexican restaurant in the world. Alaska Airlines has inexpensive packages to these destinations.

 

If you really want the ultimate adventure, drive the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks across the Arctic Circle to the North Slope (most rental car contracts forbid driving this road, but I've done it). Stop off in Fairbanks and play the world's northernmost golf course, located just north of Fairbanks. The course will give you are certificate suitable for framing and prominent display. Obtain a copy of the Alaska Vacation Planner for more information on Alaska at the website: www.avp.travelaslaska.com.

 

Program Chair, Elaine Worzala of Colorado State University, has already begun to assemble an extensive program of papers and panels. The meeting will have broad participation from around the world by members of the constituent societies of IRES. You can help Elaine arrange this meeting by indicating your participation interest ASAP. Elaine's email address is: elaine.worzala@colostate.edu. She welcomes early paper submissions and panel suggestions and she can arrange early acceptance letters if necessary for funding. Please include your registration fee of $350 for academics, $550 for professional participants with your submission. There is a $125 spousal registration fee as well, if registering by April 1, 2001. Given all the events that are included in the registration fee, these fees are an exceptional value.

 

For more information, visit our web site at http://www.ucd.ie/~gsb/ires.

 

Potential event sponsors are most welcome and are strongly urged to contact Elaine or myself. Because this meeting is during Alaska's high tourist season, our timeline is much more extended and we need early indications of interest to gauge room demand, plan our budget, and to plan our event requirements. Your help will be most appreciated.

 

I hope that you can join us in Alaska and we welcome any suggestions.