Earn board certification and receive CEU credits when you attend The South Florida Cooperator’s Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo on Wednesday, December 4th at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. The expo will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Best of all, the Expo is not only educational, it’s free! You also have a unique opportunity to meet with more than 275 exhibitors representing every aspect of the co-op, condo and HOA industry featuring everything from asbestos abatement to window replacement.

Learning and More

Board members should plan to arrive early for a full day of learning. Seminars that will offer CEU credit and/or board certification will be identified in the program listing.

First on the schedule is Attorney Eric Glazer of Glazer & Associates, P.A., who will start the day off at 8:00 a.m. with his Condo Craze & HOA-hosted board certification course. This free course has been modified to certify both condominium and HOA directors. Attendees are invited to come learn all about budgets, meetings, foreclosures, reserves, financial reporting, access to records, board member liability and lots more.

At the end of this course all attendees will receive a course outline and a certificate suitable for framing. Directors will have the opportunity to receive board certification as required by the Florida Legislature. This seminar is custom-built to help anyone involved—or even just interested—in the administration of a residential building or homeowners association.

Be there at 10:30 a.m. when Associa presents “Watch Your Wallet–Protecting Funds, Preventing Fraud.” In this seminar, come learn from a panel of expert property managers what every board can do to safeguard community funds and head off fraud and financial mismanagement. Experts will discuss transparency, oversight, smart budgeting and establishing checks and balances to protect an association’s financial good health.

Up next at 11:45 a.m., join the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff when they present “Critical Documents—A Primer on Governing Documents.” Attendees will learn what you absolutely must know about your community's governing documents; provisions for maintenance, alterations, use restrictions and screening, as well as the key differences between the declaration, bylaws and house rules, the impact of recent statutory changes, and vital updates to save you money and avoid legal hassles.

At 1 p.m., the seminar presented by SNAP Collections, "Show Me the Money—Managing the Collections Process for HOAs,” will offer CEU credits for eligible property managers.

As many professionals know, collecting arrears is always a challenge for association boards. Attendees will learn how to draft an effective collections policy and best practices to maximize recovery. This seminar will answer all your questions and help your community gain a financial foothold and stay in the black. Come to this seminar and leave with newfound knowledge as well as educational credits.

Collections and arrears are only one financial aspect that’s important in managing an association, another important aspect is knowing how to value your property for insurance coverage and cost. Alan James Insurance Company will discuss this in-depth with a seminar from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Participants will learn how their boards can position their community favorably when it comes to insurance coverage. Learn who selects your insurance valuation and how to connect with experts to get the most accurate appraisal. Panelists will also review market value vs. replacement costs, coverage value assessments, co-insurance, penalties, and provide some case studies of claim examples. Come away from this seminar with a new understanding of a complex subject.

Learn all about condominium elections in the last seminar of the day hosted by The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. From 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. join DBPR officials who will discuss everything you need to know about the HOA/condo elections process, including Florida laws and regulations, the petition process, eligibility, campaigning, and the mechanics of the election itself. This seminar will recognize common problems seen by election regulators and give advice on how to avoid them.

Advice from Professionals

And that’s not all. In addition to valuable networking and educational opportunities, The South Florida Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo will provide free advice booths staffed by experts and professionals from a broad array of industries including attorneys, property managers, building operation specialists, insurance and financial professionals. The advice booths run from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The experts will be waiting to answer any and all HOA-and building-related questions face-to-face. If you have questions about your association's finances, polices, or day-to-day management, you can stop by one of the booths for answers. How's that for instant gratification?

“The express purpose of the South Florida Expo is to help attendees make useful, productive connections, gain valuable information, and network with their peers,” says Cooperator president Yale Robbins.

So if you’re a decision-maker for a condo, homeowners association, or co-op community—or even if you just call one home—and you have a pressing legal issue or an important project waiting in the wings, you owe it to yourself and your community to drop by the Expo and experience what it has to offer. It would take months to meet with the same number of vendors and professionals a typical Expo attendee will interact with in one day on the show floor.

Go Home a Winner!

You can be a winner in more ways than one. The Expo will also feature dozens of raffles and giveaways throughout the day—including the Grand Prize Reserve Fund giveaway courtesy of The South Florida Cooperatorand Yale Robbins Publications, LLC. One attendee at the show will be drawn at random to win a $2,500 contribution to their building or association's reserve fund. The winner will be drawn after the registration has closed, and a check for the winnings will be made to the winner's association, care of their management company. Only board members qualify to enter the reserve fund drawing, and attendance at the Expo is required for eligibility. For complete details on how to enter the reserve fund drawing, visit the Expo website at www.fl-expo.com.

So come to the Expo for your chance to win, network with industry pros, get board certified, earn CEU credit and learn something new. What could be better than that? Register for free admission at www.fl-expo.com.