Bridgeside Point I Celebrates New Ownership and Management with a Meet-and-Greet Happy Hour
In early November, when the air was crisp, but the sun was still shining, Collaborative Real Estate and The University Financing Foundation (TUFF) hosted a special meet-and-greet happy hour for the Bridgeside Point I tenants on the fifth floor. As the new building owners and management team, we wanted to introduce ourselves and celebrate the exciting changes happening and to come.
We commemorated the occasion with a tasteful catered event, complete with live music, light hors d'oeuvres, and a champagne toast for our amazing tenants, where Kevin Byrne, President and Chief Executive Officer of TUFF, gave a quick speech directed toward our community members.
“We hosted this event to have an opportunity to get to know about you and your needs, so we (TUFF and Collaborative Real Estate) can personalize the attention that you all need to have a successful career both in this building and outside – that’s what our goal is. ”
He went on to speak about the history of TUFF, mentioning that 40 years ago the board visualized a very personalized and detailed approach to facility development and ownership and would have never envisioned two things:
The Braves would win two championships
The impact we would have at the personal level
“Tonight we’re here to celebrate the past and future,” continued Byrne. He then introduced the two TUFF board members that were present, Tom Hall and David McKenney, as well as the two that weren’t able to attend the festivities, Thomas Ventulett and A.J. Robinson.
Byrne then stated, “We want to ensure this facility becomes a successful economic venture, but also a beacon of economic development and improving lives in the city of Pittsburgh. So let’s celebrate this important investment that we made in the facility – and in you.” He ended the toast by everyone raising a glass to the next 40 years and the impact everyone was making.
Over 100 people dropped by and mingled with one another, chatting with familiar faces and making new connections with others. A particularly strong attendance came from Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) students from University of Pittsburgh (UPitt), who were in between classes and enjoyed a much-need break.
True to form, we were also curious about uncovering our community more – their interests, career goals, aspirations, current projects, recent discoveries – you name it and we want to know about it! At this particular event, we asked attendees what was one technology that would help them in their field of study or career.
From more traditional tech items like iPads and laptops, to newer innovations like virtual reality (VR) and 3D printers, many of their answers were repetitive. For instance, 32 percent of our community members said VR would be their choice of technology. Not far behind were iPads (23%) and 3D printers (21%). More than just numbers, what this data represents to us is that our community shares similar interests and needs. While their work or study may be vastly different from others, there is still a common thread among them – especially in the realm of tech.