At Thursday's REBNY banquet, Michael Fascitelli (at left), CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, chats with John Salustri, content director for ALM's Real Estate Media Group.

NEW YORK CITY-A buzz of anticipation for opportunities to come in 2011 filled the air at the New York Hilton's Mercury Ballroom Thursday evening as more than 2,000 industry members gathered for the Real Estate Board of New York's 115th annual banquet.

Along with showcasing a more upbeat mood, the event marked a first: the screening of a video titled "New York is Real Estate" and featuring a host of local luminaries discussing the city's pre-eminence as the world's financial capital and the need to incentivize new construction to help keep it that way. "Investment in New York real estate is investment in our country's future," said REBNY chairman Mary Ann Tighe in the video, which also is available on the association's website.

In addition to breaking bread and an epic round of schmoozing, attendees also honored this year's REBNY award winners. Leslie Wohlman Himmel of Himmel + Meringoff Properties received the Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award, while Newmark Knight Frank's Jeffrey Gural was the 2011 recipient of the Harry B. Helmsley Distinguished New Yorker Award. The Louis Smadbeck Broker Recognition Award went to Andrew J. Singer of the Singer & Bassuk Organization, and Cushman & Wakefield's Frank Freda was honored as the George M. Brooker Management Executive of the Year. Leonard Boxer of law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan was bestowed with the Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award, while this year's Young Real Estate Man of the Year was David A. Brause of Brause Realty.

Frank Freda of Cushman & Wakefield accepts the George M. Brooker Management Executive of the Year award at Thursday’s REBNY banquet.

Outside the ballroom, a placard-carrying crowd of demonstrators briefly protested REBNY's support of the Committee to Save New York. They handed out fliers asserting that the policies endorsed by CSNY would create tax breaks for wealthy New Yorkers at the expense of essential services.