More than 400 North American Real Estate investors and executives to attend

TORONTO, April 2, 2012 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) - CIBC will host its 17^th annual Real Estate Conference on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at the Fairmont Royal York.

The conference will feature three panel discussions that will focus on key issues facing the industry.

The Transaction Landscape Panel will look at recent and expected trends in commercial real estate related to property markets and in the corporate merger and acquisition arena. 
Moderators: CIBC's Scott Keyworth, Managing Director, Mergers & Acquistions, and Scott Antoniak, Executive Director, Canadian Real Estate Investment Banking.
Panelists: Blake Hutcheson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Properties Group Inc; Jon Love, Managing Partner, KingSett Capital Inc; Bruce Traversy, Principal, Dundee Realty Corporation; Bradley Trotter, Managing Director, GE Real Estate Capital; and Paul Zemla, Chief Investment Officer, Bentall Kennedy (Canada) LP.

The Issuers and Investors Panel will examine raising and investing in equity and debt securities in the real estate space.
Moderators: CIBC's Dan Nowlan, Managing Director & Co-Head, Equity Capital Markets and Jeff Appleby, Executive Director, Canadian Real Estate Investment Banking.
Panelists: Tom Farley, President & Global Chief Operating Officer, Brookfield Office Properties Inc; Tom Hofstedter, President & Chief Executive Officer, H&R REIT; Al Mawani, President & Chief Executive Officer, Calloway REIT; Dennis Mitchell, Chief Investment Officer, Sentry Investments; and John Murphy, Vice President, Cohen & Steers Capital Management Inc.

The Canada's Changing Urban Landscape Panel will discuss the transformation of Canada's largest cities as they continue to evolve to meet the wants and needs of their ever changing demographic profiles.
Moderators: CIBC's Allan Kimberley, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Canadian Real Estate Investment Banking and Alex Avery, Executive Director, Institutional Equity Research.
Panelists: John Campbell, President & Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation; Michael Emory, President & Chief Executive Officer, Allied Properties REIT; David Gerofsky, President & Chief Operating Officer, Great Gulf Homes Limited; Jane Marshall, Executive Vice President, Loblaw Properties Limited; Dori Segal, President & Chief Executive Officer, First Capital Realty Inc; and Ed Sonshine, Chief Executive Officer, RioCan REIT.

Avery Shenfeld, Chief Economist, CIBC World Markets Inc., will open the conference by providing insight into the Canadian/global economies and what it means for the North American Real Estate market.

The event is by invitation only. Media wishing to attend are required to register in advance by calling 416-304-5568 or 416-304-8456. More information on the conference, including an agenda and a list of presenting companies can be found at: http://conferences.cibcwm.com/login.asp?cid=REALESTATE2012 (password REIB12). A live audiocast will be available from this link on the day of the conference.

CIBC's wholesale banking business provides a range of integrated credit and capital markets products, investment banking, and merchant banking to clients in key financial markets in North America and around the world. We provide innovative capital solutions and advisory expertise across a wide range of industries as well as top-ranked research for our corporate, government and institutional clients.