Colliers International | Pittsburgh connected with more than 1,300 colleagues representing Colliers offices from across the globe at The Colliers National Meeting 2012, held October 3^rd – 5^th at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California.  Colliers International colleagues participated in a series of networking and business development workshops, educational sessions, and service line and practice group meetings, prompting us all to “Think Bigger” through Bigger Ideas | Bigger Connections | Bigger Deals, and learn more about “15 x 15” goals for 2015 – a roadmap for the future, while sharing our core values of service, expertise, community and fun, which are the foundation of our success.

Top producers within the Colliers family were inaugurated into the “Everest Club.”  Paul Horan, Patrick Sentner SIOR, and Bill Leone SIOR, Founding Principal’s and John Bilyak SIOR, CCIM, Principal, at Colliers International | Pittsburgh were recognized among the top producers honored. The Everest Award achievement is bestowed upon the top 10% of all Colliers International agents in the U.S. and recognizes top producers in each market based on performance in 2012.

“We are constantly impressed by the number of senior level industry leaders in the Colliers system,” said Patrick Sentner SIOR a Founding Principal at Colliers International | Pittsburgh. “Our ability to serve our clients both locally and nationally is enhanced greatly by being part of Colliers”.

Colliers colleagues connected poolside and received a big surprise by skydivers who landed with the help of Red Bull branded parachutes, for a welcome reception kicking off the official opening of the 2012 National Meeting. At the Colliers Exchange, a showcase that promotes face-to-face networking with colleagues, strategic partners and sponsors, Lisa Mikolay, Office Manager, and Sara Boehm, Administrative Assistant of Colliers International | Pittsburgh assisted Colliers Midwest Group marketing professionals with the “Rising to the top in the Midwest” booth, which won the booth of the year award, complementing the “Think Bigger“ theme and focus of the keynote address by Ed Viesturs, Foremost High-Altitude Mountaineer. Based on his best-selling autobiography “No Shortcuts to the Top” Viesturs presented a keynote address detailing his pursuit to conquer monumental challenges by overcoming obstacles and succeeding through teamwork, perseverance and risk management. Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, he is one of fewer than 20 people and the only American to summit the world’s 14 tallest 8,000-meter-high peaks, and one of only five to have climbed them without supplemental oxygen. Non-climbers may know him best as the star of the 1996 IMAX movie about Mount Everest, which he has climbed seven times.

In the spirit of fun, Colliers hosted a morning 5K Walk/Run along the beautiful Embarcadero where the ocean and city meet. Participants circled the marina located behind the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel through a pristine park along the San Diego Bay, and cruised past harbor boats docked near Seaport Village. Gregg Broujos, Managing Director & Founding Principal at Colliers International | Pittsburgh participated in the event, which provided a great workout for a great cause. Proceeds from the Colliers 5K Walk/Run event benefitted the Fisher House Foundation a national nonprofit that provides a “home away from home” for military families to be close to a loved one who is hospitalized for illness or injury. Broujos also participated in the Making Strides against Breast Cancer 5K Walk on Pittsburgh’s North Shore on October 6^th, following the Colliers National Meeting 2012.

Throughout the week, team members connected with dinners in the Gaslamp Quarter, and also enjoyed an evening for dinner and drinks, along with live music aboard the flight deck of the USS Midway, a legendary aircraft carrier turned moored museum on the water. Colliers attendees aboard the USS Midway were welcomed with beautiful waterfront views and experienced top-deck tours of 20 small aircraft, a virtual reality aircraft simulator, an up-close look at restored WWII naval aircraft as well as audio tours and interactive exhibits. The USS Midway was the longest-serving naval aircraft carrier of the twentieth century. Commissioned in 1942, it served our country for 47 years, and was the first-ever warship too large to transit the Panama Canal.

Special thanks to Colliers International for organizing this wonderful event, as well as the San Diego Colliers office for being the host city for the National Meeting 2012.  San Diego offers a wonderful mix of colorful neighborhoods centered around a thriving urban center, and boasts a picturesque coastline with miles of beautiful beaches, thousands of restaurants, along with dozens of museums/art galleries and nearly 100 golf courses. San Diego is also a gateway to Mexico, with access to northern border and coastal towns of Tijuana, Ensenada and Rosarito.