Executive Director’s Message by John E. Lafferty
And Now, for the Rest of the Story…
T
he late radio commentator Paul Harvey had finely-honed story-telling skills: setting the stage, engaging the listener, and telling the story, only to be interrupted by what we would call a commercial break. After the break, Harvey would complete the tale, often with a surprise ending and then close with his trademark, “and now you know the rest of the story.” And while I would not presume to share his story telling abilities, the dramatic style of his delivery, or the wit that was so often displayed, I can share with you the “rest of the story.”
The fact that this issue of Bay Sate Apartment Owner is dedicated to Expo 2011, the Rental Housing Association’s 2011 Fall Conference and Expo, is inescapable. Our president’s message offers a preview of the speakers and the content of their presentations. He also makes reference to our exhibitors, whose logos can be found on pages 10 and 11. The feature article profiles our speakers. In all, Expo 2011 is an impressive array of exhibitors and presenter enough to justify your investment in the event. But now, it is time for the rest of the story. There are two additional major benefits of Expo 2011 that we have not talked about: networking and recognition. Important contacts are made between the industry and affiliate
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Belmont, Massachusetts
Erland
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Building Solutions Through Commitment and Teamwork
Construction Professionals for Quality Residential Development For more information contact Jeffrey Ellowitz | 781.272.9440 | jellowitz@erland.com Erland Construction, Inc. | 83 Second Avenue | Burlington, Massachusetts 01803 | www.erland.com
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Second Quarter 2011
members during the tradeshow. To ensure maximum, sustained participation on the tradeshow floor by the industry members, the conference features both a continental breakfast there during the morning exhibition session, as well as a buffet lunch at the opening of the afternoon session. This affords both the industry and affiliates the opportunity to share informal conversation over a snack or light lunch, creating a positive, relaxed atmosphere conducive to developing and maintaining relationships. Following our keynote session, we celebrate the excellence in our industry by recognizing both corporate excellence with our Communities of Excellence Awards as well as the more personal Achievement Awards. The call for entries, which is available at www. gbreb.com/rha, highlights the five professional achievement award categories as well as the five categories for recognition as a Community of Excellence. All of the awards are presented immediately following the keynote to ensure the greatest possible recognition by the peers of those selected to win. And finally, we have the closing reception. After a day of networking, education, a tradeshow with industry leading exhibitors, an inspiring keynote address and a celebration of excellence, we all gather for our closing reception. New relationships are forged, old acquaintances are renewed, and the energy becomes palpable as we wind up one of the most productive days on our industry events calendar. So now you know the rest of the story. We hope you will become a part of the story at Expo 2011, the RHA Fall Conference and Expo, in September at the Hynes Convention Center. n John Lafferty is the executive director of the Rental Housing Association, a division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board.