Conferences have become a booming business. Every year 1.8 million trade shows, conventions, expos, and other related meetings take place in the U.S. alone.  A recent study observed the economic significance of meetings to the U.S. economy and the figures are staggering: 1.7 million jobs, $262 billion in spending, $60 billion in contribution to GDP, $60 billion in labor revenue, $14.3 billion in federal tax revenue, and $11.3 billion on state and local tax revenue. As we welcome our guests to the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference, beginning next week in Washington, D.C. it’s worth asking: As an attendee, are you getting the most out of the conference experience? Before booking, make sure that you know why you’re attending and think strategically about how you’ll maximize the experience. The most common reasons are networking, finding leads, learning, and building your brand. The next thing to be considered is the administrative part. The sooner you book, the less you pay for plane tickets and hotel room, and if you start really early, chances are that you will find accommodation at the event hotel or within walking distance, thus avoiding hidden travel costs and inconveniences. You might even want to get there a day early, annulling jet lag and giving you time to explore. Before you leave for the trip, join the event’s social network and/or email list. Stock up on business cards and plan how to organize the ones you will collect. Know what season to expect and dress and pack accordingly. Comfortable shoes are a must, as are the portable battery packs for your mobile phone and chargers for all your devices. A personal Wi-Fi hotspot is priceless in a location where the devices outnumber the attendees. Make sure you stay hydrated, watch what you...

At a time when commercial real estate faces fierce competition for the best and brightest, forward-thinking companies understand that diversity is vital to their success. “They need smart, talented people, because this industry isn’t getting younger; it’s getting older,” argues Gregg McCort, executive director of Project REAP, a real estate training program for minority professionals. Nevertheless, characteristics that marked commercial real estate for much of its history—it is largely family owned, male and white—pose deeply embedded challenges to change. Project REAP estimates that members of minority groups—among them African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans—account for only about 1 percent of commercial real estate professionals nationwide. Further complicating efforts to broaden the industry’s talent pool, job reductions during the Great Recession decreased opportunities across the board and caused promising candidates of every background to set their sights on other careers. Educational programs are providing avenues for talented minority professionals to enter the industry. Project REAP—the acronym stands for Real Estate Associates Program—sponsors a number of training programs that each draw several dozen young minority professionals. So far, it has organized sessions in New York City, Cleveland and Los Angeles, and a debut program in Dallas is on the radar for 2014. Backed by a broad coalition of companies and industry associations, the program attracts a variety of professional backgrounds and often those with advanced degrees. University programs, too, are important conduits. At the University of Southern California, the Ross Minority Program in Real Estate trains participants to work in development in underserved communities. More than 700 people have completed the program since 1993, which is expanding into San Diego this fall, and its alumni are having an impact on their communities. Vanessa Delgado, for instance, heads the development team at Los Angeles-based Primestor Development Inc., which specializes...

The National Apartment Association’s Education Institute Capital Campaign announced a $500,000 contribution from Yardi Systems this week. “Yardi has a strong commitment to the industry and our future work force,” said NAAEI President Bill Wollinger, CAPS, SHCM, President, WinnResidential, Boston. “We thank the entire Yardi team for the confidence they have placed in NAAEI in helping us to achieve the goals of the Institute.” The NAA’s Education Institute is the professional development arm of the association. Goals of the program include increasing awareness of apartment careers, creation and maintenance of a comprehensive managerial development program; providng a recruitment pipeline for the multifamily industry; and advocacy of Skill Standards for Leasing, Maintenance and Management careers. “NAAEI’s continued commitment to education is important to the future of this industry.  It will help us improve professionalism and the quality of service provided to the multifamily industry,” said Anant Yardi, President & CEO, Yardi Systems. “We are pleased to be able to support NAAEI in this quest and pledge our continued support.” The contribution brings Yardi’s total investment in NAAEI to $800,000. The company contributed $300,000 in 2007....