The Long Island City Partnership, along with co-hosts Modern Spaces and the Queens Courier, will present the first-ever LIC Summit, LIC Now: Perspectives and Prospects, on June 17th at the Museum of the Moving Image, followed by a party at Kaufman Astoria Studios. The conference will highlight LIC’s booming real estate market, unique infrastructure, vibrant arts, cultural, television and film communities, thriving industrial sector, and future as a technology hub, among other topics – from the perspective of borough and city-wide industry and civic leaders.
“An authentic, mixed-use ‘city within the City,’ LIC is undergoing a period of explosive transformation, much of it thirty years in the making,” said Elizabeth Lusskin, President of the Long Island City Partnership. “LIC includes industrial, commercial, residential, tech and cultural uses, all located on the multiple transportation systems that connect the region. It remains an essential economic driver, major cultural center and source of middle class jobs to local workers, goods and services to NYC, and significant affordable housing both existing and new.”
“Long Island City is experiencing an explosive change right now and is a huge economic driver for not only Western Queens, but the city as a whole,” said Eric Benaim, CEO and President of Modern Spaces, one of New York’s leading brokerage firms. “This summit was created to address the ongoing and emerging trends and needs of this transformative neighborhood.”
More creative companies, food manufacturers and corporations are doing business in Long Island City, and there has been a significant increase in the neighborhood’s residents. “The Queens Courier recognizes the power and growth of Long Island City and even publishes a monthly magazine, LIC Courier Magazine, dedicated to the neighborhood,” said Joshua Schneps, Publisher of the Queens Courier.
Moderated by experts and leaders in their industries, the conference will feature panels on: Television & Film, Commercial & Industrial Real Estate, LIC as a Tech
District, Residential Real Estate, Arts & Culture, and Services and Amenities.
The daylong event – starting at 8:00 AM – will be held at the Museum at 36-01 35th Avenue, and be followed by a cocktail reception at 4:30 PM at Kaufman Astoria Studios.
New York City Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen will deliver the keynote address. Featured speakers will include Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and New York City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, as well as:
· Eric Benaim, Modern Spaces
· Suri Bieler, Electic/Encore Props, Inc.
· Seth Bornstein, Queens Economic Development Corp.
· Jonathan Bowles, Center for an Urban Future
· Gianna Cerbone-Teoli, Manducatis Rustica
· Carol Conslato, Con Edison
· Carol Cuddy, Film and Television Producer
· Jenny Dixon, The Noguchi Museum
· Cathy Dove, Cornell NYC Tech
· Justin Elghanayan, Rockrose Development Corp.
· Tom Finkelpearl, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
· Lisa Gneo, Z Hotel
· Orestes Gonzalez, OG DESIGN LAB LLC
· Carl Goodman, Museum of the Moving Image
· Ben Guttmann, Digital Natives Group
· Dalila Hall, NYC Department of Transportation
· Jukay Hsu, Coalition For Queens
· Gary Kesner, Silvercup Studios
· Kyle Kimball, NYC Economic Development Corp.
· Amir Korangy, The Real Deal
· Sheila Lewandowski, The Chocolate Factory Theater
· Cynthia Lopez, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
· Frank “Turtle” Raffaele, COFFEED
· Jeffrey Rosenblum, Acumen Capital Partners
· Hal Rosenbluth, Kaufman Astoria Studios
· Jack Rossi, JetBlue Airways Corp.
· Joshua Schneps, LIC Flea & Food, Astoria Flea & Food, Schneps Communications
· Jane Schulman, LaGuardia Community College
· Caryn A. Schwab, Mount Sinai Queens
· Kevin P. Singleton, TF Cornerstone
· Steven Spinola, The Real Estate Board of New York
· Alan Suna, Silvercup Studios
· Joseph Tazewell, Empire State Development
· Carl Weisbrod, NYC Department of City Planning, NYC Planning Commission
· Gretchen Werwaiss, Werwaiss & Co., Inc.
· Evelyn Wolff, Selfhelp Community Services
· Kathy Wylde, Partnership for New York City
For more information on the schedule, additional speakers and to register, visit the summit’s website at http://summit.licpartnership.org
