Pitbull Conference at Key Biscayne, Florida, March 25-27

Dealmaking, education, networking and entertainment will be the hallmark of the new conference under new owners Private Lender Law and Jonathan L. Hornik, Esq.

Jonathan L. Hornik, Esq., and Private Lender Law, the practice group of LaRocca Hornik Rosen & Greenberg (LHR&G), are unveiling new additions to the 57th edition of Pitbull Conference, the largest private lending conference in the country.

The must-attend event is redesigned to center and prioritize networking, education and entertainment.

“The redesign of the conference agenda comes from feedback from a lot of people in the space — private lenders, sponsors, brokers and real estate investors — those who want to do business,” Hornik said. “To do that, you have to create the right environment. People come to conferences to meet others who will help and improve their business opportunities, and the only way they’ll meet them is if they’re all in the same place at the same time. We want to fill the conference hall with people who want to make deals.”

To that end, Hornik shared that two exclusive networking sessions were added to this year’s program.

“We’ve added two exclusive networking sessions,” Hornik said, “so for those who are there to do business, you’ll do business.”

Hornik also said that this year’s educational opportunities — another area in which Pitbull Conference is regarded as a paramount private lending industry event — are the best yet. In particular, Harry Markopolos, the forensic accounting investigator who uncovered Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, will speak at the conference and talk about fraud in the industry. Chris Porter, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, will provide a state-of-the-market presentation, and there will be marquee panels on capital markets, direct lending, and service spaces.

“Attendees can expect to meet and learn from top professionals in the private lending space,” Hornik said, “including aggregators, investors, originators, direct lenders, service providers, borrowers and brokers. Everybody attending is looking to see what’s going on in the space and open their eyes to new possibilities. When you’re talking to like-minded colleagues within your space, you can learn, and that’s the point.”

After Pitbull Conference wraps up each day, Hornik said there will be plenty of opportunities to network and continue conversations at cocktail parties and an all-inclusive afterparty at El Tucán in Miami.

“Every Pitbull Conference focuses on relationships through entertainment, and that will be front and center as well,” Hornik said. “There will be a bunch of opportunities to dine and break bread with your colleagues throughout the weekend.”

While the conference has historically traveled to different locales throughout the U.S., Hornik said that Pitbull Conference is returning to Florida because of the state’s active private lending market.

Florida is a state where there are a lot of deals to be done, so we selected it strategically,” Hornik said. “There are a lot of transactions in Florida, and the state is currently undergoing a housing shortage, which creates opportunities for those who attend Pitbull Conference. There’s a lot of private lending action in this region.”

Hornik and Private Lender Law acquired Pitbull Conference and the National Private Lenders Association (NPLA) in late 2022. Pitbull’s founder, Leonard Rosen, also founded the NPLA, through which members collaborate and exchange ideas and information on the role of private lending in successful real estate opportunities both in the U.S. and abroad. Hornik said the NPLA will play a substantial role in the 57th Pitbull Conference.

“The NPLA membership will be active, both from a panel standpoint as well as in presentations,” he said. “The NPLA and Pitbull Conference will continue to work together in lockstep to provide both the top association and top conference for the private lending space.”

When discussing how the acquisitions play into this year’s programming, Hornik emphasized the value that Pitbull Conference has brought to him and to Private Lender Law.

“There’s no better success story than Private Lender Law attending Pitbull,” he said. “I’ve been going for over a decade, and every meaningful business relationship I have today has come from it, and that’s really where tradition lies. It brings people together to do business together.”

“I’m grateful to Pitbull Conference for helping us build Private Lender Law into the U.S. private lending industry’s largest full-service law firm,” Hornik added, “and I will continue to make sure this environment exists so that others can benefit the way we have. We will succeed in our mission if attendees do a ton of business at the show.”

The conference will take place March 25-27, 2023, at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, Florida. For more information, and to register, visit PitbullConference.com.

Photo Credit: Pitbull Conference

Spread the love!