More than 2,000 people flooded the aisles of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center to meet with more than 310 exhibitors at The South Florida Cooperator’s Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo on December 4th.

This popular trade show, now in its second year, is fast becoming known as the premier event for bringing a wealth of networking opportunities, education, and innovation to South Florida’s condo, HOA and co-op decision makers.

Running a successful condominium or cooperative community is quite a challenge. The South Florida Expo makes that tough job so much easier by assembling representatives from every corner of the condo and HOA service industry.

Attendees navigated the convention center floor searching for exhibitors that had just the right product and service for their community, waited in line at the free advice booths to have their questions answered by legal, financial and management experts, and as a bonus picked up a few free gifts and raffle prizes along the way.

The Expo is a one-stop shop for the products and services community associations need, said Henry Robbins, executive vice president of Yale Robbins, Inc., which publishes The South Florida Cooperator and produces the Expo. “If your condo or community association is in the market for a new CPA or landscaping firm, or if you had a question about how you can cut down on electricity or maintenance costs, you came to the Expo to meet prospective vendors face-to-face, all in one day at one convenient location,” Robbins said.

The attendees wholeheartedly agree. “There was plenty of info available to find vendors and contractors. I had my questions answered without having to make a service call,” said Edward from Fort Lauderdale.

“Every kind of vendor and service provider is here,” added Carolyn Hanratty, a board member from Coral Gables. “I spend so much of my time as a board member researching. Today, I just walked up and down the aisles and got every question answered. Everyone on my board should come.”

The More You Know...

It wasn’t just all meeting and greeting, though. Attendees were there to learn new things, earn continuing education unit credits and get board certified under Florida law.

A highlight of the day for many were the educational seminars that attracted a standing-room-only crowd with nearly 700 people attending. “The three seminars I attended I learned so much,” said Kathleen, a board member from Fort Lauderdale.

The instructional offerings started early with a pre-show seminar which provided board certification, presented by Condo Craze and HOAs’ Attorney Eric Glazer, Esq. from Glazer & Associates, P.A. Since Florida law now provides that board members become certified within 90 days of being elected to the board, this first seminar provided an easy solution to becoming certified.

The second session called “Watch Your Wallet—Protecting Funds, Preventing Fraud” was presented by Associa/Association Services of Florida. Management professionals Marc Rodriguez and Joanne Willoughby discussed the best ways for boards to safeguard their community’s financial well-being. Rodriguez and Willoughby discussed transparency, oversight, smart budgeting and how to establish proper checks and balances.

Kenneth Direktor, Esq. from the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff hosted the next seminar entitled “Critical Documents—A Primer on Governing Documents.” Attendees were eligible for CEU credit at this session where Direktor provided an overview of a community's governing documents. He discussed provisions for maintenance, alterations, use restrictions and screening, as well as the key differences between the declaration, bylaws and house rules. The session also examined the impact of recent statutory and legislative changes to Florida law.

Every board has people that owe them money and this next CEU course filled them in on how to get it. "Show Me The Money: Managing the Collections Process for HOAs,” hosted by Mitch Drimmer of SNAP Collections offered attendees an opportunity to gain valuable information on drafting an effective collections policy. Drimmer also reviewed the best practices to maximize recovery of delinquencies so associations can stay solvent.

The next CEU credit seminar—“Valuing Your Property for Coverage & Cost” was presented by Alan James Insurance. Presenter Alan Chesler spoke about the valuation process for community associations in line with insurance coverage. Other issues discussed included replacement costs, coverage value, assessments, co-insurance and penalties. Case examples were provided.

The final seminar of the day, which also provided CEU credits for attendees, was hosted by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. This seminar discussed everything every board or association member should know about condominium elections. Instructor Lazaro Gonzalez walked attendees through the entire election process including Florida laws and regulations, the petition process, eligibility, and the mechanics of the election itself.

Winner, Winner

One of the main reasons that board members cited for attending the expo is an opportunity to win a fantastic grand prize. The South Florida Cooperator, courtesy of Yale Robbins Publications, LLC, will award one lucky board member in attendance with a $2,500 contribution to their association’s reserve fund. A winner will be announced later in the year. The trade show also featured well over three dozen door prizes that some very lucky attendees won, including restaurant and retailer gift cards, gift baskets, a set of patio furniture, iPads and Kindles, flat screen televisions, and other promotions.

“The Expo is exciting and provides a great opportunity to learn, grow and meet with experts,” says Robbins. “Everyone has a great day.”

We'll Be Back Next Year!

Many of the attendees vowed to return in 2014. “It was my first show and it was very informative. I will attend next year,” said David, who lives in Hollywood.

So mark your calendar today for the next South Florida Cooperator's Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo, which will return to the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center on December 11, 2014. Make your plans to attend.

Liam P. Cusack is associate editor at The South Florida Cooperator.