LAS VEGAS – Amid the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas strip, the National Apartment Association kicked off its annual education conference and exhibition at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Tuesday. According to NAA President Douglas Culkin, this year the event brings together a record-breaking 9,000 multifamily professionals for a week of learning and networking. The conference showcased an expanded educational “Game Changer” series. The six star-studded sessions focused on topics from technology and leadership to business acumen and industry knowledge. Featured experts included Robin Chase, the founder and former CEO of Zipcar, Buzzcar, and GoLoco, and Richard Karlgaard, angel investor and bestselling author and publisher of Forbes Magazine. In addition, the conference boasted over sixty industry-focused workshops and breakout sessions. Attendees heard from experts on everything from sub-market trends and digital marketing best practices to revenue management and prospect conversion. This year, NAA’s conference app allowed attendees to create customized schedules, including the ability to select from a variety of industry tracks. Opening Highlights Thursday morning’s general session opened by revealing the new NAA logo and tagline. The new NAA tagline, “We Lead the Way Home,” was selected for its representation of the industry and mission of its professionals: To create a sense of community among residents and professionals alike. Opening remarks also focused on the continued support of the NAA Education Institute, which according to its website, the committee identified several key areas impacting the apartment industry. These included recruitment, training, leadership development, succession and retention of talent. During the opening session, NAA launched its NAAEI Now capital campaign, which will aim to raise $7.5 million over a multi-year plan to meet these needs. During the launch, conference attendees were invited to contribute to the campaign via text message donation....

Each May, hundreds of professionals who use Yardi products as part of their daily work gather in Washington, D.C., for the company’s annual East Coast Advanced Solutions Conference – better known as YASC. The three day event, filled with opportunities to learn how to better utilize your company’s existing Yardi technology or enhance your software platform with complementary products, is held at the Washington Hilton. This year’s event is set for May 19-21. The 2015 schedule will include expert panel discussions, open laboratory opportunities, and over 200 in-depth classroom sessions. An early bird registration rate is now available, but will end on February 5. Register at this link. A general schedule of events can be found here. YASC attendees typically vary in professional specialty, but real estate professionals who benefit from the conference include executives, marketers, IT and finance professionals, trainers, and site level property managers. Whether you use Yardi to do your job or manage employees who do, there will be myriad benefits to attendance at YASC. The Washington Hilton is a centrally located hotel, and clients typically enjoy dining and sightseeing in Washington in addition to attending the conference and earning continuing education credits. For clients who normally attend the Fall YASC session, Yardi’s West Coast conference for 2015 is set for Anaheim, Calif., from Oct....