FAA Conference Draws Highest Attendance in Five Years

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By Bobby Davis, Editor

    A brightening economic outlook in the apartment industry, renewed commitment by management companies to support the Conference, a balanced educational program, and an exciting new hotel brought FAA members out in large numbers on October 26-28. More than 650 apartment industry professionals attended the meeting and gave it rave reviews. As Glenn Evers of MAA in Jacksonville said, "I loved the conference. The new location was awesome! I am thrilled we had an increase in participation and as always, it’s great to catch up with old friends. It was a fantastic conference!"

       Several management companies sent large numbers of employees to FAA. We were very excited to get an amazing 94 attendees from Concord Management thanks to the efforts of Carey Bradburn. Greystar sent its usual large contingent with 58, followed by WRH with 31, PCMG with 30, and Riverstone with 23. We are grateful that our member companies see the value of the conference for their personnel.

     The conference area of the Hilton Orlando enabled our seminars and trade show to be in close proximity, and the rooms and meeting spaces were of high quality. The Hilton’s food in its two signature restaurants was excellent, by all accounts. And the pool area, where we had the Exhibitor Wind Down on Thursday evening, enabled members to enjoy the balmy weather in a very pleasant location. Several suppliers had cabanas where attendees could sample wine with casual conversation.

    The first day of the conference was devoted to APAC events. FAA Government Affairs Director Chip Tatum prepared exhaustively to get the golf tournament, Casino Night, and the new Silent Auction off the ground. The golf tournament had languished for a few years, but Chip worked to connect management company members with supplier representatives and provide some fun enhancements to the event, which resulted in over 100 players this year. Everyone loved the rather difficult Falcon’s Fire course.

      Thanks to Lori Trainer of Concord Management and Pete Regules of CORT, Casino Night was once again a fun and profitable event. Volunteers from several sponsors and supplier companies made the casino games popular, while several others dealt blackjack and poker.

       Finally, the Silent Auction got off to a good start, though we aim to get more items in future years. Many attendees bid on special items such as a Nook E-Reader, a Tim Tebow painting with university seal, a Keurig coffee maker, a fancy wine gift basket, lunch or dinner with several prominent apartment executives, golf for four at Falcon’s Fire, and yes, a kitchen sink.

   The Opening General Session on Thursday morning kicked the conference off with a bang, as attendees came to hear former Olympic skier Cary Mullen speak about his life and career and the life lessons he has learned from a life lived on the edge. Many people found him tremendously inspiring. The House of Floors video and the induction of the late Doug McGrath as this year’s Hall of Fame inductee further pulled their heartstrings. Doug was an early leader of the Central Florida Multi-Housing Association and FAA and one of the all-time great characters of our group. Former colleague Nan Cavarretta and stepson Noel Myatt of MyRentComps gave emotional encomiums to Doug.

      Becky Dotson of MAA in Gainesville said of the House of Floors video: "The House of Floors video hit home more than I can express. I encouraged them to post it online so that we could share it with our friends and co-workers. They posted it on their website via YouTube and I have shown it to everyone! They have all been just as inspired and touched by it."

      The Conference Committee brought back old favorite Jackie Ramstedt and a host of new speakers this year. Jackie’s seminars often resemble revival meetings, and the crowd response could be heard clearly in the seminar next door. She combines excellent professional insight and advice with irrepressible enthusiasm and humor that is hard to resist. Attorney Robin Hein came from Atlanta to talk about Fair Housing as it applies to ADA accessibility and found an audience eager to learn. Dr. Randy Anderson, a professor from the University of Central Florida, brought a grand market overview to developments in the multifamily industry, delivered with humor and down-to-earth examples. Although some felt his presentation was a bit high-level, the audience asked a lot of questions and seemed to relish the give and take with Dr. Anderson.

      NAA veteran Sue Weston spoke at the conference for the first time and did an excellent job discussing the nuances of moving up the corporate ladder. As Katie Wrenn of Milestone Management in Jacksonville said, "Sue was fabulous! She is a dynamic speaker who captures the audience with great information! She gave a lot of great information about what it takes to be a great, well rounded supervisor."

  Closing keynote speaker David Glickman had people laughing uproariously on Friday afternoon. A businessman and professional comedian who also owns comedy clubs, David was an unexpected find this year.

   As always, the Trade Show brought together our suppliers in one extravaganza. We filled 157 booths and gave everyone many opportunities to do business and cement relationships. Much cash and door prizes were given away as well. Although there were many outstanding exhibitors, the attendees elected CORT as Best Double-Booth and Americapes Services as best Single Booth. And suppliers and management had numerous opportunities to spend quality time outside the Trade Show.

    As Whitney Brown of Kevco Floors in Pensacola said, "I thought the socials planned around the educational opportunities offered a good amount of time to wind down between the events and allowed the registrants to meet people that they wouldn't normally have the opportunity to get to know during the classes and the trade show. I particularly enjoyed the Little Dog Party. It was the best networking opportunity I had. I was able to meet some key players in the industry and hear their thoughts."

   Said Dana Caudell of Madison Apartment Group in Orlando, "Our suppliers are the backbone of our industry and they are considered an extension of our onsite teams. The FAA Conference provides the platform for management to walk through and see some amazing new products, meet up with old friends and hopefully build some long-term business relationships. I was struck by a quote from General George S. Patton that I took away from my LYCEUM course: "Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."

     The Closing Celebration involves conducting some necessary business (installing new officers, recognizing Lyceum graduates and the Volunteers of the Year) and socializing and humor, this year provided by President Kellie Jackson of Milestone Management and PSC Chair Melisa Richie of For Rent. These two riffed on the script for the evening in an ongoing comedy act. Finally, of course, the grand cash prizes were given away, with Katie Wrenn winning the grand prize. Many people then went to the Little Dog Party for a relaxing final social.

     Finally, we must recognize our Platinum Sponsors, five companies that contributed $10,000 each, and the Silver Sponsors, who contributed $4000. These companies committed early and in a big way, enabling FAA to move forward with its ambitious conference plans. They also provide volunteers at many events to help with all the little things that go into making the conference work, such as meeting registration, handing out and collecting forms and giveaway cards, helping with Casino Night and other events. Please remember them as you do business in the coming year.

Platinum Sponsors:

Apartment Finder

Apartment Guide

For Rent Media Solutions

House Floors, Inc.

Windsor Redevelopment Corporation

Silver Sponsors:

Mac-Gray

Sherwin Williams