Among the new media tools and topics we discussed at last year’s Multifamilypro’s Brainstorming Sessions, we talked about the new and potential opportunities in geolocation and geosocial marketing; both of which continue to get a lot of attention from forward thinking multifamily marketers. In 2012, there will be even more devices with built in GPS and  more apps than ever before with the ability to “geotag” content with the location where you created or posted it. The number of people using Location Based Services (LBS) like FourSquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places and TagWhat is increasing as are the number of “check ins” that they post to/from locations of all types, including our apartment communities.

Many people feel that geolocation has finally emerged as a real marketing opportunity. My friends and I use them regularly and I look forward to the special discounts and tips I receive almost every time I check in somewhere ( love my free chips and dip from Chili’s)! I believe that the Multifamily industry won’t be able to ignore geolocation as a marketing opportunity. Whether you have already tried some geoloaction marketing, simply “claimed your location,” or if you’re considering doing so it in the near future, it’s time now to start coming up with ideas and content to get your company or community started!

One of the concerns people have with geolocation marketing is privacy and the potential for brands to be seen as “cyber stalkers” for pushing messages that chase consumers around. The nice thing about geotagging, however, is that there are millions of pieces of content online right now that have geolocation information attached to them. Images are tagged with the exact GPS coordinates of where they were taken. Video can be linked to specific dates and events based on the metadata uploaded. This is offering a great opportunity for communities who take this content and create interesting visualizations around it.

Our residents are out there creating and sharing geotagged content already … what have tagged for your community?

See you in September!

Tami

This year’s Brainstorming theme is all about T.I.M.E. (Trends, Ideas, Momentum, Energy), and we know that there are a lot of you who have been waiting for a very long time to be able to attend our event and see for yourselves what thousands of MultifamilyPro’s have been raving about for all these years!

We’ve had contests before that allowed one or two lucky individuals to win free registration for Multifamilypro’s Brainstorming Sessions™, but this year feels like a good T.I.M.E. to pull out all the stops and award one WHOLE COMPANY the opportunity to send as many attendees as they wish, from 1, 10, 100 or 1,000 they will all attend  FREE!

Contest Rules

1. The goal is to present your case online via multiple social media outlets and get as many unique individuals as possible to like, comment, tweet, re-tweet, and otherwise endorse your campaign to win!  Post ,the reason why your company should win, on our wall,hash tag #mfbsconf ,blog or, You Tube channel .
2. To enter the contest, have as many members of your company Like , Post on our blog or tweet to us using hashtag #mfbsconf, then MENTIONING YOUR PARENT COMPANY BY NAME, Have each of your companies employees comment on the main post.  Communities or subsidiaries must post under the parent company name.
3. Each unique person who “LIKEs” Tweets on HashTag #mfsbconf , posts on the You Tube Channel or Blog the company’s main post or any comment on the post earns your company 1 POINT. Multiple comments by the same individual anywhere on your post will be counted only once throughout the contest.
4. Each unique person who COMMENTS on the main post earns your company 2 POINTS. Comments by the same individual anywhere/anytime on your post will be counted only once throughout the contest.
5. 5 BONUS PHOTO POINTS will be awarded for each comment  that links to a unique photograph on Facebook or any other photo hosting site (Flikr, Picassa, Photobucket, etc.) that’s tagged “Multifamilypro’s Brainstorming Sessions” and presents your company’s case visually. Each unique photograph will count only once.
6. 10 BONUS HOMEMADE VIDEO POINTS will be awarded for each comment on your  post linking to a unique homemade video hosted anywhere online that presents your company’s case and includes “Multifamilypro’s Brainstorming Sessions” in the video’s title, description, keywords, or tags. Each unique video will count only once .

About our blog

1. The goal is simple… just get as many individuals as possible post a comment that includes your company’s name somewhere on our Brainstorming Blog!  We’re counting the number of INDIVIDUALS and not the number of posts, so only one comment received from each person will count.
2. Be sure the individual includes your company name somewhere in the actual comment so we’ll know who gets the credit, and use only your parent company name and not a community or subsidiary name so there won’t be any confusion when the points are tallied.
3. Participants may comment on ANY post, anywhere on the blog, and the comment should be relevant to the post.
4. Each comment is worth ONE POINT to your company!

The contest begins NOW and will include all posts date/time stamped before midnight Eastern Time on Sunday, July 31, 2011.  The winner will be announced on our website and all Multifamilypro social media outlets on Friday, August 5, 2011

Contest Terms: Only Property Management firms are eligible to win.  Vendor/Service Provider employees may participate in comments that support the candidate company’s campaign, but are not eligible to participate as potential winners.  The winning Property Management Company will receive unlimited, complimentary Brainstorming registration for all individuals who are directly employed by the winning parent company (vendors and contractors excluded). Optional Brainstorming programs (Trends Lunch or OptSum add-ons) are not included.  Travel, lodging, and other expenses are the responsibility of the company or individual. Employees may register for either our Main Event or Executive Brainstorming Sessions, as appropriate to their position title/responsibility.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. For the full rules click here

Trends really come alive when you discuss them because that allows you to consider them from many angles, using them as shared input to invent new ideas, services and experiences for your customers. The main reason behind our original, trends-based approach to Brainstorming is that it enables you and your team to use the collective imaginations, points of view, and experiences of others to imagine new possibilities and opportunities that aren’t just fresh, but are also perfectly in line with today’s consumer attitudes and demands … something you can’t do as easily by just reading a book or a whitepaper, or even attending a seminar.

Our trends-based Brainstorming Sessions are designed to do two important things: transfer our highly-researched insights to a larger group of individuals with the goal of triggering new ideas; and get those individuals on the same page, giving them a common starting point. The latter is crucial, as most projects aimed at kick-starting innovation, new management strategies, future marketing and so on, require a truly shared understanding that’s rarely pursued in a structured way (if at all), or achieved successfully in other environments.

In other words, before business professionals can effectively engage in brainstorming and ideation sessions, they need something to work with, something to chew on. So what better input than information on what consumers really need, want, and do?

Last year at Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions we talked about the growing trend of Random Acts of Kindness. Secret deodorant  applied random acts of kindness as part of their marketing strategy to ‘Blow People Away’. When someone wrote on Secret’s Facebook wall that she couldn’t buy Secret in Spain, P&G weren’t able to just send her products from the US because of customs regulations. However, an agency executive took some to Italy on an unrelated trip and then mailed them to her from there. What are you doing to “Blow Your Residents Away?”

Why? Because we don’t have to call, text or even see people personally (oh what a hassle!), social networks’ allow us to easily broadcast information to a wide range of people without interrupting or intruding.

The 500 million active Facebook users share over 30 billion pieces of content per month. The average user has 130 friends. (Source: Facebook, February 2011.)

The explosion in both the incredible mass volume and reach of connections creates huge opportunities for our multifamily marketing efforts. We have make certain that we create interesting, meaningful, funny, uplifting moments that residents and their friends, family, followers and fans  love to share. Which means that what we do on a daily basis can now touch thousands, if not tens of thousands of people, rather than just that one  resident o prospect.

What are your thoughts?

We are moving into  interesting times when pricing and product differentiation becomes increasing difficult in certain marketplaces and advertising goes unnoticed, resident engagement becomes key in our multifamily success. We need to be creative and  turn to interactive  experiences to solidify resident relations. Since living spaces are often the result of emotions, maximizing a residents experience within  the community environment — whether at the apartment community itself or online — will increase positive feelings and loyalty at renewal time.

Do you have a strategy?

Someone asked me the other day why the Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions have a new theme each year and why we have created our own language. The answer is that because each event will bring together new people and fresh perspectives to create new possibilities for our future, it’s worthy of its own imaginative name and theme that will set it apart from other events.

The common language helps unite people who come from diverse backgrounds to Brainstorm together, many for the first time. Sure, we regularly take flak for our event names and themes and the language we use, but here’s why they work:

• Themes arouse curiosity, invoke interest, make people sit up and listen, and make them want to know more. A well-chosen name radiates the promise of a story … of something important; and if that name is unique (even if it’s unique in its silliness), who can resist the desire to find out more and not miss out?

• A specialized, common Language gives groups and teams something to rally behind more easily than everyday language. It also saves time in team interaction—members are able to instantly be on the same page. We want to make certain that The Brainstorming Sessions create a feeling of teamwork and great communication because that produces RESULTS!

• Themes and Language together allow us to Coin, Own, and Track. Combining a fresh theme and language allows us to coin something entirely new. It’s important to note that coining isn’t about ownership, or claiming you’re the first one to come up with an idea … at Brainstorming we try to look at everything as though we’re seeing it for the first time. Coining the new theme is also convenient in that it helps us track everything related to that theme including what leads up to and grows from it (for example, Googling the unique name/concept lets us see what others are communicating about about it; how they’re using the ‘theme’, language, or idea; and often allows us to watch ideas that originate at that themed event take on a life of their own).

See you in September!

Tami

Mark, I just can’t thank you enough for those amazing words about Brainstorming and OptSum!  I think it’s difficult for people who haven’t attended Brainstorming or OptSum to imagine what they’re going to experience—especially with both of these mind-blowing events going on simultaneously for the first time.  A testimonial from someone who “gets” what this is all about is such a great gift to us!  Thanks a million for sharing your thoughts with us and with anybody who still needs to realize that this is definitely something they can’t afford to miss.  We’ll miss you in September; but I know we’ll see you again soon!

Dear Brainstormers,

As you know, our event is specially designed to tackle the challenges that are most important to YOU.  You’ll have opportunities to propose your own topics at the event, but three of our sessions will include assigned challenges, which are determined by group response.  Please help us decide what those topics should be by taking just one minute to share the biggest challenge you’re facing via our online form at

http://brainstorming.multifamilypro.com/mainevent/challengesubmission/.

We can’t wait to see you in just a few short weeks!

Tami & Team Multifamilypro

Tagwhat was launched, allowing users to place digital tags anywhere on the Earth using augmented reality and location-based social networking technology. Read on this is NOT like other tags and location based services!

Users hold up their mobile device and geo-contextual tags from their pre-selected friends and community members become visible. Examples of things they can see include a discussion thread for a meet-up with friends or a coupon for a restaurant. Users can switch between the augmented reality view where tags are overlaid onto actual surroundings and the map mode. The information can also be accessed via a web browser, making it accessible to those without a smartphone.

Keynote

People are the Killer App: Lessons Learned from Creating Word of Mouth Movements

Authentic, sustainable word of mouth marketing is one of the truest forms of brand communication, and it can’t be manufactured or bought.  And yet, as more institutions dedicate marketing dollars to assemble word of mouth and buzz marketing programs, how can you build an effective, meaningful movement for your brand that will directly impact your bottom line?  How can you identify those brand advocates already speaking out on your behalf, and work with them to develop a natural two-way word of mouth program?

Geno Church from identity company Brains on Fire will explain how word of mouth marketing works and how it doesn’t, providing techniques on how you can start to identify movement-building opportunities for your brand, with authenticity and clear measurement results in mind.

He will highlight successful WOM case studies, including data from the just launched Best Buy Musical Instruments movement and the nationally-recognized Fiskars Brands ‘Fiskateers’ movement, as well as talk about ways to define ROI for your word of mouth marketing programs.

Geno Church - Word of Mouth Inspiration Officer, Brains on Fire
Geno was born and raised in the South and proudly calls Greenville , SC his home. He spent two years at Furman University and went on to the University of South Carolina to receive a degree in Advertising. In his 13+ years with Brains On Fire, Geno has helped build word of mouth into the identities of brands that include Fiskars Brands, the American Booksellers Association, Rawlings Sporting Goods, National Family Partnership, Earshot Independent Music Stores, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, and Rage Against the Haze (South Carolina’s youth led anti-tobacco movement). Geno is responsible for developing word of mouth, buzz, viral and evangelism strategies for Brains on Fire’s clients.
Geno has been repeatedly recognized as a thought leader in both the identity and word of mouth realms and has also received awards from numerous organizations, including the 2004 National ADDYs, where he received honors for his work with Rage Against the Haze. Rage also won a coveted gold Effie award in 2008 and a Wommie award in 2006 from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. The Fiskars Brand Ambassador movement, of which was Geno’s brainchild, was also recognized by ad:tech and the Forrester Groundswell awards in 2007. In addition, the children’s book he helped illustrate and create, The Red Ribbon Works, was used as a backdrop for President Clinton’s War on Drugs.
Geno has given presentations at numerous events, including the National Conference on Tobacco and Health, the American Public Health Association Exposition, several Word of Mouth Marketing Association conferences, Social Media 2007 in Atlanta and Customer Management World 2007 in Johannesburg , South Africa . He is a frequent contributor to the Brains on Fire blog, which is one of the top marketing and word of mouth blogs in the world and referenced industry wide on a weekly basis.
Geno is a co-author of the book Brains on Fire  published by Wiley Publishing in 2010.  Books will be sold at the event and Geno will remain for a booking signing after his keynote address.

Geno Church: Word of Mouth Inspiration Officer at Brains On Fire
Arbitrary Facts:
• USC grad
• Furman football fanatic
• Scored 50 points in a basketball game
• Played in a glam-rock band

Old-Fashioned Contacts:
864.676.9663
geno (at) brainsonfire.com
Brains on Fire  148 River Street, Suite 100 Greenville, SC 29601

Blog

Twitter

One of the fabulous benefits of attending Brainstorming 2010 is that by way of collective intelligence you’re going to hear the very hottest leasing, marketing, and management trends and ideas of the year.  Of course, we at Multifamilypro have a few tricks up our sleeves, but Brainstorming isn’t about us … that’s why we’re crowdsourcing the task of gathering together all the very best ideas to all of YOU.

We’ve set up a few different ways for you to share your ideas on what will be HOT (and not) for the rest of the year:

• Submit a video of yourself sharing a idea on 12seconds http://12seconds.tv

• Share an image that represents your idea on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/multifamilybrainstorming/

• Interview someone in your company on their idea and share the video on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mfbsconf

• Share and vote on idea using Uservoice: http://multifamilybrainstormingsessions.uservoice.com/forums/52841-general

• Think of other ways to make and share ideas, then challenge the rest of us to participate! Let us know by emailing Tami at MultifamilyPro.com and we’ll spread the word!

• Tweet your ideas or links to any content that you create or find, using hashtag #mfbsconf

Then, during our brainstorming event, we’ll mashup and share these ideas with everyone who attends!

Attendance at the Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions is not required to win!

AND, to make it even MORE fun, there are PRIZES involved!!!

We’ll be rewarding participants along the way for things like best video; best idea in a category; most innovative way of sharing your idea;  most visionary idea; most quality ideas and or/comments or retweets; and more!  Prizes will include complementary event registration plus two hotel nights, free Trends lunch tickets,  a collection of Multifamilypro books and special reports,$50 and $100 iTunes gift cards, and more! Prizes will be awarded once a month until October 30,2010, starting with  the month of May. Start posting your submissions today!

We hope you’ll join in the fun and ask your friends and peers to join us!

Official Rules

“Ideas, Ideas,Ideas! ” Promoted and Sponsored By Multifamilpro
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

Eligibility: The Contest is open to all multifamily professionals and organizations.

Entrants must be amateur artists and must not be at time of entry, during the Contest Period or at time of Grand Prize fulfillment and acceptance, a party to any agreement with any studio, production company or publishing company or any third party that might interfere with entrant’s participation in the Contest and /or acceptance of the Grand Prize awarded. Employees of Multifamilypro are not eligible.

By participating in this Contest, entrants: (a) agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the interpretations of these Official Rules by Multifamilypro and by the decisions of Multifamilypro, which are final in all matters relating to the Contest; (b) to release and hold harmless Multifamilypro and its agents, employees, officers, directors, successors and assigns, against any and all claims, injury or damage arising out of or relating to participation in this Contest and/or the use or misuse or redemption of a prize, and for any claims based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, trademark infringement or any other intellectual property related cause of action; and (c) acknowledge compliance with these Official Rules. Multifamilypro reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant who is under a third party agreement which Multifamilypro deems as contradictory to the amateur nature of this Contest.

Promoter and Sponsor: Multifamilypro, 3010 Regal Oaks Blvd., Palm Harbor, FL 34684

Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in the Contest constitutes a participant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein

Entry Period: The “Ideas,Ideas, Ideas!” (the “Contest”) commences at 12:00 PM (ET) on April15, 2010 and ends at 11:59 P.M. (ET) on October 28th, 2010 (the “Contest Period”). All entries must be received by 11:59 P.M. (ET) on the last day of each month during the contest period.

Contest Overview: The Contest is a contest wherein entrants create a video (the “Contest Video”), share  photos, post an idea on their blog  using the promotional links provided, accompanying their own video,photo or blog. Creating and submitting the Idea entry is the sole responsibility of the entrant according to the manner specified in paragraphs 6, 7 & 8 within.

To Enter: A Contest entry consists of: (1) a video submission that follows the prescribed promotional script.

Submissions that do not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered in the judging of this Contest. Your video must meet the requirements set forth in Sections 6 and 7 below.

7. Contest Terms of Submission: As conditions of entry into this Contest, and by uploading a Submission, each Entrant: WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT THE ENTRANT OWNS ALL RIGHTS TO THE SUBMISSION HE/SHE IS ENTERING IN THIS CONTEST, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE VIDEO RECORDING, AND THE PERFORMANCE CONTAINED IN EACH SUBMISSION; WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT THE ENTRANT IS THE INDIVIDUAL PICTURED AND HEARD IN THE SUBMISSION, OR, ALTERNATIVELY, THAT THE ENTRANT HAS OBTAINED PERMISSION
FROM EACH PERSON WHO APPEARS IN THE SUBMISSION TO GRANT THE RIGHTS TO THE SPONSOR DESCRIBED IN THESE RULES, AND CAN MAKE WRITTEN COPIES OF SUCH PERMISSIONS AVAILABLE TO THE SPONSOR UPON REQUEST; WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT HIS/HER SUBMISSION(S): (a) ARE ORIGINAL TO THE ENTRANT AND HAVE BEEN LEGALLY OBTAINED AND CREATED, (b) DO NOT INFRINGE THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, PRIVACY OR PUBLICITY RIGHTS OR ANY OTHER LEGAL OR MORAL RIGHTS OF ANY THIRD PARTY, OR VIOLATE APPLICABLE LAWS, REGULATIONS, OR NETWORK STANDARDS; (c) HAVE NOT BEEN ENTERED IN OR WON PREVIOUS CONTESTS OR AWARDS; AND (d) HAVE NOT BEEN PUBLISHED PREVIOUSLY IN ANY MEDIUM; Irrevocably grants to Sponsor and its affiliates, legal representatives, assigns, agents and licensees, the unconditional and perpetual right and permission to copyright (as appropriate), reproduce, encode, store, copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, publicly perform, adapt, exhibit and/or otherwise use or reuse (without limitation as to when or to the number of times used), the Entrant’s or any other party’s name, address, image, voice, likeness, statements, biographical material and Submission, including, but not limited to, the video or digital recording and performances contained in any of the above items (in each case, as submitted or as edited/modified in any way by the Sponsor, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion), as well as any additional photographic images, video images, portraits, interviews or other materials relating to the Entrant and arising out of his/her participation in this Contest (with or without using the Entrant’s (or any other party’s name) (collectively, the “Additional Materials”) in any media throughout the world for any purpose, without limitation, and without additional review, compensation (except if required by law), or approval from the Entrant or any other party. Entrant and all other parties, forever waive any rights of privacy, intellectual property rights, and any other legal or moral rights that may preclude the Sponsor’s use of the Entrant’s Submission or Additional Materials, or require the Entrant’s permission for Sponsor to use them for any purpose, and agree(s) to never sue or assert any claim against the Sponsor’s or the Sponsor’s use of Entrant’s Submission or the Additional Materials. Entrant and all other parties agree to indemnify and hold the Sponsor and its respective affiliates, officers, directors, agents, co-branders or other partners, and any of its employees (collectively, the “Promotion Indemnities”), harmless from any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) and liabilities (including settlements), brought or asserted by any third party against any of the Promotion Indemnities due to or arising out of the Entrant’s Submissions or the Additional Materials in this Promotion, or the Entrant’s conduct during and in connection with this Promotion, including but not limited to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights, right of publicity, right of privacy or defamation. Entrant and all other parties agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless Sponsor from any and all claims that any commercial, advertising, presentation, web content or any other material subsequently produced, presented, and/or prepared by or on behalf of Sponsor or the Sponsor infringes on the rights of Entrant’s work as contained in any Submission. Entrant and all other parties agree Sponsor or affiliates are in no way responsible for assisting in creating or uploading an entry for the Contest. Entrant and all other parties agree that Creating a Contest Video and the process of entering a Contest Video is the sole responsibility of the participant(s).
8. Submission Format and Content Requirements:

Technical Requirements

Video file(s) of any Contest Video entered in the Contest must be less than 2 minutes in length. See the YouTube User Terms of Use for additional technical details.

Additional Requirements

Your Submission may not contain, include or involve any of the following (as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion):

Obscene, profane, lewd, defamatory content, data or images unsuitable for broadcast.

Crude, vulgar or offensive pictures, depictions, images, language gang signs and/or symbols.

Gratuitous violence, gun or other imagery or gestures of weapons Threats of violence.

Nudity, explicit, graphic or sexual activity.

Commercial products such as clothing, toys, food and/or their trademarks, brands, logo or endorsements.

Hard liquor use or product images.

License plates, phone numbers, personal addresses (physical or email) or otherwise Website or web page links.

Illegal drug or alcohol use or abuse.

Derogatory characterizations of any handicap, disability, ethnic, racial, sexual or religious groups, humiliate other people (publicly or otherwise), any assault or threatening of others.

Trespass or the violation of other people’s rights or property. Illegal (discriminatory, harassing) or inappropriate activity, behavior or conduct (i.e, inflicting emotional distress).

Conduct or activities in violation of these Official Contest Rules.
Any other content, display, materials and/or images that is or could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Any third party materials (including but not limited to music) that may otherwise violate or infringe (or may infringe) any of the following:

Copyright, trademark, logo, mark that identifies a brand or other proprietary right of any person living or deceased (including but not limited to rights of privacy or publicity or portrayal in a false light) or entity, other than Multifamilypro or is otherwise objectionable, will not be considered and may disqualify the Entrant. Clothing worn in the video should not contain any visible logos, drawings, cartoons, phrases, trademarks or other third-party materials.

All Submissions must be suitable for broadcast as determined in the sole discretion of Sponsor.

Entrants may not copy or otherwise plagiarize the Submission from any source. No Submission shall contain any content or performance that has been broadcast or streamed, published or televised on television or other medium or as part of a recording of a motion picture film, television program or audio production or broadcast.

Sponsor has the sole discretion to determine whether a video qualifies as an Entry. Any Entry not in compliance with the above and does not meet the YouTube requirements will be disqualified.

Sponsor may modify or edit any materials related to a Contest entry or request entrants to do so, so that such materials meet such guidelines. Videos must be in keeping with Sponsor’s image and may not be offensive, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, nor can it defame or invade publicity rights or privacy rights of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or proprietary rights. In such an event, the video will not be posted to the Multifamilypro YouTube page and will be disqualified from the Contest.

All submissions will be reviewed for content before being published or judged; however, such review does not relieve Entrant from responsibility for compliance with the Official Rules. Submissions that do not comply with the Official Rules or that otherwise contain prohibited, or inappropriate content as determined by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, will be disqualified and will not be published or considered for a prize. Sponsor makes the final determination as to which Submissions are eligible to take part in this Contest and be considered for a prize.

9. Selection of Winners: There are two rounds of judging in this Contest: In Round One, a panel of Multifamilypro associates and/or affiliates (the “Judges”) selected at the Sponsor’s sole discretion will select 2 finalists. Judges will take into consideration results of any online ratings and comments but Judges will make the final decision for the finalists. Round One of judging will be completed on March 5, 2010. In Round Two, a panel of judges selected at the Sponsor’s sole discretion will select the prize winner. Again, Judges will take into consideration results of the online ratings and comments but Judges will make the final decision for the finalists.

Judging for the finalists will begin March 6, 2009 and be completed on March 16, 2010. The Judges’ decisions are final and binding in all respects.

10. Judging Criteria: Contest Video will be judged based on creativity, execution, and enthusiasm. The Judges reserve the right to extend the Contest Period or not to award a Prize if they determine, in their sole discretion, that too few entries were received for a given category.

11. Categories & Prizes: GRAND PRIZE: if the winner is already registered for Optimization Summit 2010 in Dallas, the winner will receive $500 cash. If the winner is not yet registered, he/she will receive free registration to the conference and free two nights standard lodging at the host hotel (Sheraton Dallas) (incidentals not included).

Verifiable retail value (VVRV) of the prize is approximately ($500).

12. Prize Winner Notification: A representative of Multifamilypro will announce the winner via Facebook, Twitter, OptimizationSummits.com, and Multifamilypro.com with the winning video posted in any/all of those online venues and at the event itself; as well as notifying the winner personally. If the potential Prize Winner cannot be reached via the contact channels provided upon entry or fails to claim his/her prize prior to March 22, 2010, an alternative Prize Winner will be
selected from among the remaining Eligible Entries received. In addition, Multifamilypro reserves the right to select alternative Prize Winner(s) in the event that the Prize Winner(s) fails to comply with these Official Rules.

13. Disputes: Entrant agrees that: (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, other than those concerning the administration of the Contest or the determination of winners, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved exclusively by the United States District Court or the appropriate Florida State Court located in Palm Harbor, FL; (iii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (iv) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages,
other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Promotion, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Florida, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Florida or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Florida.

14. General Terms: Noncompliance with any of these Official Rules may result in disqualification. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY A PRIZE WINNER OR ANY BEHAVIOR BY A PRIZE WINNER THAT WILL BRING SUCH
PRIZE WINNER OR MULTIFAMILYPRO INTO DISREPUTE (IN MULTIFAMILYPRO’S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN SUCH PRIZE WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS A PRIZE WINNER OF THE CONTEST AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS A PRIZE WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

Multifamilypro assumes no responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate entry information whether caused by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in this Contest. Multifamilypro is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or players on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site, or any combination thereof, or any incomplete, lost, late, delayed, misdirected or garbled votes or failure to receive votes, including, without limitation, any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this Contest or the voting rules to this Contest. Multifamilypro is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Contest, or in the announcement of the Prizes or Prize Winners. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including, without limitation, changes in Multifamilypro’s business, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Multifamilypro which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest (including, but not limited to, the online voting/comment process) or for any reason that Multifamiypro deems it necessary. Multifamilypro reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest, or the online voting/comment process and to determine the Prize Winners in its sole discretion. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, notice will be posted on www.OptmizationSummits.com, Twitter, Facebook, Multifamilypro.com and other Multifamilypro online points of presence, and the Prizes may be awarded to winners to be selected from among all Eligible Entries received up until and/or after (if applicable) the time of modification, cancellation or termination, or in a manner that is fair and equitable as determined by Multifamilypro. All interpretations of these Official Rules and decisions by Multifamilypro are final. No software-generated, robotic, programmed, script, macro or other automated online or text message entries are permitted and will result in disqualification of all such entries. Automated votes, or votes that have been tampered with or otherwise solicited improperly will result in disqualification of all such votes. Mulitfamilypro reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to have tampered with the entry process or the operation of this Contest; to be acting in violation of these Official Rules; or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person or to have provided inaccurate information on any legal documents submitted in connection with this Contest.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, MULTIFAMILYPRO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF INDIANA (STATE AND FEDERAL) SHALL HAVE SOLE JURISDICTION OF ANY CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE CONTEST AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF INDIANA SHALL GOVERN THE CONTEST. EACH ENTRANT WAIVES ANY AND ALL OBJECTIONS TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE IN THESE COURTS AND HEREBY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF THOSE COURTS.

Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Multifamilypro from any and all liability resulting or arising from the Contest, to release all rights to bring any claim, action or proceeding against Multifamilypro, and hereby acknowledge that Multifamilypro has neither made nor is in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the Prizes.

Entrants hereby agree to submit their entries under the following terms and conditions: (a) that Multifamilypro may use any ideas, concepts, material, in whole or in part, contained in an entry, (b) that all physical materials submitted become the property of Multifamilypro and will not be returned; (c) that all materials submitted are free from any lien or claim by anyone, including, but not limited to any union, guild or performance rights society; (d) entrants have obtained all rights, permissions and licenses necessary for Multifamilypro to use the entries for any purpose; (e) that no entry or any part thereof infringes any trademark or copyright or otherwise violates anyone’s right of privacy or publicity; and (f) entrants indemnify and hold harmless Multifamilypro and their respective entities, officers, directors, employees, agents, members, affiliated companies and subsidiaries from any claims, suits, losses damages and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that arise from any breach of the following conditions. Entrants agree to the foregoing and in addition agree to obtain, upon request of Multifamilypro any documentation and releases necessary to prove their unrestricted ownership in all materials contained in their Submission Material and Multifamilypro’s right to use such materials, in whole or in part, without limitation in all media and for any purpose whatsoever without compensation.

In case of a dispute over the identity of the entrant who submitted the winning Eligible Entry, the authorized account holder of the email address associated with that Eligible Entry will be deemed the entrant. The “authorized account holder” is deemed the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, service provider or other online organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. Said entrant must comply with these Official Rules and, at Multifamilypro’s sole discretion, may be required to provide proof or ownership of the email account.

15. Request for Name of Grand Prize Winner and Official Rules: For the name of the Prize Winners and/or Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Multifamilypro, 3013 Regal Oaks Blvd., Palm Harbor, FL 34684.

All requests for a copy of the Official Rules and the names of the Prize Winners must be made by May 30, 2010. Please note on the front left- hand corner of your outer envelope whether you are requesting “Official Rules” or the name of the “Prize Winners.”

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Brainstorming Tweet Spot Tuesday, November 17 – Friday, November 20, 2009 Click here
Sponsored by

Brand new at this year’s event and located in the hotel’s lobby area, the Tweet Spot will broadcast a continuous, big-screen display of the Brainstorming Twitter streams. It’s “Social Networking Central” at Brainstorming, providing a place to share thoughts, tips, ideas, and insights in person and online, with other Brainstorming followers while the event is underway. If you’d like to learn how to use Twitter more effectively, join our social networking experts at the Tweet Spot for one of the 15-minute educational sessions that will be held throughout the event to help you make better use of this exciting format!

Tuesday, November 17

• 2:00pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 3:00pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 4:00pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 5:00-6:00pm: Tweet Up – See who’s following who and maximize your online social network by mingling with the socialites of the multifamily-housing industry up-close and personal!

Wednesday, November 18
Tweet Spot Open from 7:30am-8:45am, 12:30pm-1:45pm and 5:30pm-8:00pm

• 8:00am: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 1:00pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 5:45pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)

Thursday, November 19

• 9:00am: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 10:00am: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 12:00pm: Twitter Power Users Demo (30-45 min overview)
• 2:00pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 4:00pm: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)
• 6:00pm: Tweet Up – Join all your new Twitter friends and maximize your online social network while mingling with the socialites of the multifamily-housing industry up-close and personal!

Friday, November 20

• 11:00am: Twitter 101 Demo (15 min overview)

Friday
November 20, 2009

Look Before You Leap
Presented by Doug Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP, SLE, Chief Learning Officer, and Senior VP, Multifamily Professional Services, CallSource and Nadeen Green, Senior Counsel, For Rent Media Solutions
9:00 – 10:30 am

There are lots of good reasons for our industry to embrace social media to connect with prospects and residents; but because social media is impacted by fair housing, it’s very important to look first before you leap! With discussions about model releases, endorsement releases, and more, presenters Doug Chasick and Nadeen Green will show you exactly where and how you need to look so you can make the leap with care and confidence, and land safely with success!

More Real Tools, Real Strategies, Real Results
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Moderated by Anne Sadovsky, CSP with Joe Bailey, President, Grace Hill, Inc.; Toni Blake, President, TotallyToni.com; Eve Bradford, Revenue Reviver, Excel Training, Design & Consulting, Inc.; Doug Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP, SLE, Chief Learning Officer, and Senior VP, Multifamily Professional Services, CallSource; Mark Cukro, President, Plus One Consulting, Inc.; Cheryl Donato, National Multifamily Trainer/Speaker, Apartment Performance Training Solutions (A.P.T.S.); Julie Marie Irvin, President, Keystone Resources; Joe Kaye, Director of Sales and Marketing, Direct Energy; Amy Kosnikowski, President, Quintessential Marketing & Training; Patty Morgan-Seager, President and Owner, Seager Marketing; Jackie Ramstedt, CAPS, CAM, CAS, Owner & CMO Chief Motivational Officer, Ramstedt Enterprises, Inc.; Wendy Walker, Owner and President, Wendy Rae Walker Associates Speaking & Training; and Additional Panelists To Be Announced

You probably know that there’s a whole galaxy of tools out there that would benefit you, your company, and community … but it can sometimes seem like there are as many of them as there are stars in a clear night sky, leaving you wondering which ones really work and searching for the solutions that are right for you. Well, you can finally stop wondering and searching, because this astounding session will bring them all within reach. Our panel of industry insiders has searched the known universe and identified the resources that today’s Multifamily Professional needs to achieve stellar success, and they’re bringing them all to Brainstorming! You’ll walk away with not just ideas, but the actual sources behind the tools, techniques, tips, products, services, and more that we’ll explore together, so you can put them into action immediately! The countdown begins on Friday morning, so be there and Blast Off from business as usual to Out Of This World Results!

Social Media in the Workplace: Risk, Liability, Policy, Management and Training presented by Jamie Gorski, Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing, The Bozzuto Group
Mike Whaling, President and Founder, 30 Lines
Allison Crabtree, Director of Marketing, Bell Partners
Mark Juleen, V.P., Director of Marketing, J.C. Hart Company, Inc.
Lisa Trosien, President, ApartmentExpert.com
Eric Brown, President, Urbane Apartments
10:30 am – 1:00 pm

Though most marketing, management and HR executives accept that social networking is key to improving their business and plan to increase its use to further corporate objectives, it’s natural to be concerned with the risks of entering such a dynamic atmosphere including such potential pitfalls as reputation mishaps or lost productivity. Join the discussion in this executive panel session designed to help you become more aware of the real issues and opportunities surrounding social media so that you can, in turn, craft policies that will work effectively within your corporate culture; avoid potential conflicts of interest and safeguard confidentiality; identify smart guidelines and management metrics; and train your team to effectively put social media to work for you proactively and competitively in the marketplace!

Best Practices in Affordable Housing
Rick Ellis, President, ELLIS Consulting Group, Inc.
Lia Nichole Smith, Director of Marketing and Training, SPM Property Management
10:30 am – 12:45 pm

Effectively optimizing the performance of affordable housing communities requires a solid knowledge of what works; so this session zeroes in on only proven strategies for success, including real-world lessons learned, and techniques for effectively handling the unique challenges affordable housing presents. You’ll learn the latest best practices for attracting qualified, low-income residents; managing tax credit certification and recertification; training your team to handle the unique intricacies; overcoming a “low rent” reputation; and much more. If you’re responsible for one or several affordable housing communities, this is one session you can’t afford to miss!

You’ll spend all day Wednesday Brainstorming with changing groups of multifamily professionals from coast to coast, and that’s how we multiply the power of our entire industry and the number of solutions that we can generate together.

On Friday at Brainstorming, the tables turn, offering a very special opportunity for you to Brainstorm with only members of your own team and address the issues and challenges that you’re facing together as a company, right now. You provide the Brainstormers, and we’ll provide a reserved table (or tables) staffed with expert Brainstorming Facilitators. Best of all, there’s No Additional Charge!

All you have to do is register your Brainstormers for the event, then drop us a line at info@multifamilypro.com to let us know that you’d like to participate in private Brainstorming Sessions with your own corporate team on Friday, and approximately how many members of your team will participate in this portion of the event. (We’ve found that around 5-7 Brainstormers per table works best, but we’re flexible!)

Then, prepare to kiss your team’s toughest challenges goodbye, because we’ll focus the massive power of Brainstorming on your needs! You and your team will walk away with targeted and ready-to-implement solutions that are unique to the needs of your company and communities!

*Please note that once you’ve reserved a private Brainstorming table for Friday and been assigned your Facilitator(s), advance notice is greatly appreciated should there be a change in your plans to participate in this portion of the event, as a courtesy to your assigned Facilitator(s). Thank you!

NOVEMBER 18-20, 2009  |  Hyatt Regency  |  Houston, TX Click here

NOVEMBER 18-20, 2009  |  Hyatt Regency  |  Houston, TX Click Here

Marketing Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sponsored By:

Implementing Social Media as Part of Your Strategic Marketing Plan, Presented by Lisa Trosien, President, ApartmentExpert.com and Mike Whaling, President and Founder, 30 Lines

Are you confident that Social Media Marketing is a necessary component of your marketing strategy? How do you ensure your decisions will provide measurable ROI? In the last 18 months, Social Media Marketing has generated a lot of attention and buzz in marketing circles. Mainstream media continues to point to unprecedented adoption rates for social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others, prompting businesses to not merely ask whether or not to adopt social media as part of the marketing mix, but to decide how they should adopt it. In this session, we will discuss how others are using social media and how they are tracking their ROI, and then work together to write a Strategic Marketing plan that you can take back to the office and get started.

Breakthrough Marketing – Presented by Tracey Hopkins, Owner / Chief Marketing Mechanic, Jumpstart Marketing and Jamie Gorski, Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing, The Bozzuto Group

In today’s multimedia world, we live in a constant fog of marketing messages; and only the brightest, freshest, most interesting and innovative efforts break through to capture the imagination and attention of residents and prospects. Today’s increasingly marketing-savvy consumers know exactly what their attention is worth; and they expect you to work for it as an indication that you’re serious about meeting their needs. This session takes a tour of the most innovative ways to command attention so you can jump-start your efforts, and shine beyond the fog of mediocre marketing, today!

Never Mind the Money … Show Me The Results! Presented by Todd Katler, Vice President, Level One, Inc.

What you spend on advertising is important, but the more critical factor to your success is what you get for what you spend; and that means you need to be as educated and careful in measuring results as you are in deciding where and how to advertise in the first place. This step-by-step workshop will teach you, very simply, to define and execute the best possible measures of your ad source spend. You’ll learn the pitfalls common in calculating cost per lead and cost per lease and how to avoid them, and walk away with new tools and skills for evaluating your advertising results as accurately and consistently as possible.

INTELLIGENT Marketing: Customer Service – Your Reason to RENT! Presented by Toni Blake, Owner, TotallyToni.com

Do you want to be … the best deal or the best place to live? Many in our industry have been distracted by the price war and lured into making their price the reason to rent! This seminar will show you an entire plan for focusing on being the “best place to live” not simply the best deal! Discover great new ad copy, marketing plans, focused laser outreach ideas, new technologies, creative resident referral and relations, innovative customer service programs developed with evidence based best practices and a renew plan that simply WORKS! You will hear specific detailed results in success stories from the companies who have already blazed this trail. Your results are based on your focus – what have you been watching? Come and let Toni Blake inspire you with INTELLIGENT Marketing!

Lights! Camera! Cell Phone! Sales! Presented by Mike D’Alba| Director of Mobile Media, For Rent Media Solutions™ and Melanie Stiles, Director of Marketing and Training, Milestone Management

Using video and digital cameras for immediate, on-demand images and cell phones for texting and email are second nature to today’s consumers, opening up many new opportunities for us to more effectively lease and market our communities; and there are big wins in store for those who get it right. This session will walk you through the many opportunities to use video, still images, and text communications to best advantage. You’ll walk away with innovative ways to capture the attention and imaginations of today’s renters; immediately satisfy their informational and visual needs; put your company and communities on today’s communications edge; and begin leasing more apartments as an immediate result!

Sharpen Your Marketing Skills – Presented by Greg Benson, Account Supervisor, Merrick Towle Communications

To keep a company and communities on top, today’s Marketing Professional faces an ever-changing spectrum of opportunities! The skills needed to turn those opportunities into profitable results, however, are solid fundamentals that simply need to be kept sharp! This session is designed to home in on the Essential Marketing Skill-Set, and help you hone those skills to a razor sharp competitive edge. We’ll discuss: the foundations of masterful marketing; tactical essentials; building in measurable goals; crafting effective messages with a cohesive design; aligning your plan with the strategic goals of your organization; keys to successful planning and execution; what makes an award-winning marketing presentation; capitalizing on integrated and multi-channel marketing opportunities; spotting and staying abreast of trends; marketing optimally online; effective analytics, and more, and walk away with the sharpened skill-set you need to maximize every marketing dollar!

Resident Referrals 2.0
Building Brand Evangelists – Presented by Amy Kosnikowski, Quintessential Marketing & Training; Ed Spiegel, Rentmineonline; and Robert Turnbull, Co-Founder, Rentwiki

People talk; they do it more effectively than ever, in real time … not just face-to-face, but in social media circles, online “apartment rating” sites, and more. Today we need to make certain they’re not only talking about us, but make certain they have the tools to use to spread the word with great things to say, if you aren’t using everything at your disposal then you’re missing out on one of the most powerful marketing opportunities available anywhere! The key is to turn the residents in your communities into absolute “Evangelists” by encouraging and empowering them to spread your message to the masses! Nothing convinces a potential resident to visit more readily than the word of a true convert to your community. We know that 70% of potential residents who have been referred and visit, lease! Join this session and learn how to build a corps of Brand Evangelists who will drive this highly qualified source of traffic to your door, creating a flow of new referrals without spending a fortune in advertising!

Uncover the Secrets to Traffic Generation Using Craigslist and Similar Sites Presented by Allison Crabtree, Director of Marketing, Bell Partners and Charity Hisle, New Media Director.

So-called “free” internet advertising can be a reliable traffic generator for your communities, but only if you know how to use it most effectively, and avoid key mistakes that can end up costing you undue time and effort. Attend this valuable session and learn: which sites work and why; who shops these sites and how to appeal especially to them; how to design ads that will stand out from the crowd and elicit qualified responses; and how to track your results. Only the most effective tips, tricks and resources will be revealed to you in this session. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to advertise effectively online and leverage the power of the internet to start generating more traffic and leasing more apartments, now!

Marketing 101 … Without Web 2.0! Presented by Cathy Macaione, President, CMA Direct/Stopping the Real Estate Gremlins and Heather Blume, Owner, Behind the Leasing Desk Consulting Services.

The growth of the Internet has led many to embrace online advertising opportunities so fully that they’ve forgotten that old warning: “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” As important as the Internet and Print is in daily life and decision-making today, no single marketing platform reaches everyone. If we removed online advertising and print publications from the marketing mix we are left with the need for creative ways to generate more traffic to our communities. In this session, we’ll spotlight tried-and-true, affordable, and easy-to-implement ways to generate more traffic the old fashioned way!

Management/Operations Thursday, November 19, 2009 Houston Texas
Sponsored By:

Maximizing Employee Retention and Compensation Plans – Presented by Patty Morgan-Seager, President Seager Marketing and Andrew Botieri, Founder, Total Peak Performance

Today, we’re depending more than ever on our best team members to see us through—and in these tough economic times, without being able to incent them with raises or even bonuses. That calls for some real creativity on our part to uphold the levels of productivity and employee loyalty that we need to survive. Attend this informative and in-depth session and learn with other companies, both in and outside of our industry, are doing by way of creative compensation, pay and benefits, and retention programs, to attract and retain their best employees. You’ll learn the most effective strategies for regional managers and managers; onsite motivators for both renewals and leases; how to boost and maintain morale in the current economic climate; and how to recruit for maximum retention. Your result will be a happier, more productive, and more loyal team from the second you leave Brainstorming through 2010 and beyond!

The New Rehab – Presented by Sanford Steinberg, AIA, CGP, Principal, Steinberg Design Collaborative with Panelists To Be Announced

The face of community rehab is changing to accommodate today’s economic climate, and there are new factors to take into consideration when deciding how to upgrade our communities most efficiently and effectively. This session will radically expand your insight with key information including what other companies are doing; the smartest rehabs, upgrades, and unit enhancements to ensure your ROI; what specific enhancements are willing to pay for, or pay more for; prioritizing a community’s needs; and even trends pointing us toward the apartment of the future! Join us and walk away armed with the information you need to bring your communities up to date as efficiently as possible, and compete more effectively moving forward!

Leadership Today: Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way! Presented by Anne Sadovsky, CSP

There is much conversation today about the failure of the hierarchy system…too many layers, too many bosses, too much middle management. We know that a Masters Degree doesn’t assure a skill in managing people and procedures; but one thing is for sure: every organization has to have a leader who is also a true manager of people and programs, has the final say when necessary, creates motivation and passion, sets the path and shows the way, and sets the pace for the team to follow because the speed of the leader is the speed of the team. Very specific skills are needed to be a great leader / manager. This session examines how leadership can make or break the success efforts of any ‘team.’ Learn to be the type of leader-manager who inspires, challenges, and creates the desire for success, including: what it takes to lead and manage others; knowing WHO you are leading; letting go of the love of power and learn the power of love; understanding why people work; the 4 generations in the workplace; why people quit; the 20 things that must be understood in order to lead successfully; 6 attributes/behaviors that create a positive work environment; what makes the leader’s job so tough today; motivation, stimulation and successful team members; and more. This session is not to be missed by those currently in leadership /professional manager positions and those who aspire to be the best leaders of tomorrow.

Customer Service Secrets of the Superstars – Presenters by David Carchidi, President, APT Commercials and APTS Apartment Personnel Training and Staffing; and Michael Benton, Senior Vice President of Marketing, APT Commercials

Do you wonder what separates the customer service superstars like Ritz Carlton and Hyatt from the rest of us, when they face more customers in a week than we probably do in six months? After all, our pay scales are similar to theirs, and the same resources are available to us. We Multifamily Professionals are in the hospitality business, too; and we even have the added advantage of being able to build solid, long-term relationships with our customers and prove our commitment to them over more than just a few nights! And yet we’ve been puzzling for years over how to achieve the same level of consistent customer service that the hospitality industry provides while the answer is within easy reach. Attend this eye-opening session that reveals the real training, hiring, and management secrets that continue to serve the hospitality world so well, and that you can apply within your own company and communities and create a culture of customer service that will make you a superstar to your customers, too!

Gaining the Competitive Advantage: A Blueprint for Strategic Change – Presented by Deb Bronson-McGrath, CEO, Discover True North, LLC

Effectively competing in these demanding times requires not just change, but strategic change, and a true culture of excellence within which the right changes can take root and thrive. This calls for the redefining of standards, evaluation of key indicators, and refinement of corporate strategies that drive results and build tangible value; and those are the areas that this in-depth, executive-level session explores. You’ll learn the essentials to improving the success of your brand equity, marketing programs, learning and development systems, leadership brand, culture, and customer retention plans. We’ll examine real-world challenges, including a candid interview with senior management, and leaders will walk away with the tools (including checklists), insight, and solutions required to create the competitive advantage your company needs to compete and not just succeed, but exceed!

Dig In … It Takes a Detective!  Presented by Doug Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP, SLE, Chief Learning Officer, and Senior VP, Multifamily Professional Services, CallSource

Have you tried everything? Have you pulled out all the stops? Are you still scratching your head with no idea what to do next? If that sounds all too familiar, this session is for you! When it comes to troubleshooting a community, it takes a detective’s eye! Targeting the real trouble can be tricky, especially in this time of limited budgets, short staffing, and too little time to take the trial-and-error approach. This session will equip you with the tools, techniques, and super-sleuth strategies you need to track trouble straight to the source and turn an underperforming asset into one that yields real bottom line results!

Best Practices in Revenue Management, Presented by Jeniffer Nevitt Casey, CEO, Bravo Strategic Marketing, Inc. and Brad Marting, Professional Speaker/Consultant, OptiYield

In these days of strapped budgets, it’s more important than ever that we apply only the most proven practices to managing our revenue. A critical component often overlooked is precision management of our precious resources. This session will inform you of the latest and most effective ways to allocate, apply, interpret, analyze, and report! You’ll learn how owners and investors think; what they want and need to know; why what you leave out can be as important as what you include; and walk away empowered and enabled to manage your investment property toward the most profitable result!

Best Practices in Student Housing Presented by Sandi LaManna, Resident Services, Washington University at St. Louis and Maureen Lannon, Director of Sales & Marketing, Allen & O’Hara Education Services, Inc.

Student housing is full of unique challenges, and techniques that work beautifully for other kinds of housing may not work well in the student world, if at all. You don’t need a master’s degree to know the best way to increase success is to school yourself in proven student-specific marketing, management and training strategies. Join our experts for an inside look at tapping into the needs and desires of today’s young and savvy student market; building brand loyalty; raising and maintaining occupancy; increasing revenue and ROI; training your team to be superstar student specialists; and more!

Performance Made Stronger… and a 3-Second Breakthrough! Presented by Terri Norvell, Situation Specialist, Further Performance Group

Leading a team to even greater results is extremely challenging and yet required today. It’s your leadership abilities that determines both your success and your team’s success. It doesn’t have to be complicated. There is a process to simplify, stabilize and surpass! In this session you’ll learn the 5-step leadership process that starts with what’s working vs. what’s the problem. Discover the answers are within your team and how to turn any obstacles into opportunities. This program is high-energy, high-impact and highly focused on results. You’ll reach a new level of confidence plus have the opportunity to literally and symbolically break through a pressing performance challenge of your very own! This program is not only powerful…it’s fun. The outcome—proof that you can breakthrough anything to create greater results. This remarkable process is guaranteed to kick-off a whole new way of thinking… in 3-seconds!

NOVEMBER 18-20, 2009  |  Hyatt Regency  |  Houston, TX Click Here

Contributed by: Lisa Elliott  Brainstorming Idea Exchange 2007

THEME: Creating an emotion for promoting the marketing and rental of onsite garages.

VISUALS: Attached.  That say’s it all.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MEDIA: Printed as a 4 color flyer for distribution to all property residents.

COST: Minimal – $75 for design and .25 per color copy.

The New Rehab – Presented by Sanford Steinberg, AIA, CGP, Principal, Steinberg Design Collaborative

The face of community rehab is changing to accommodate today’s economic climate, and there are new factors to take into consideration when deciding how to upgrade our communities most efficiently and effectively. This session will radically expand your insight with key information including what other companies are doing; the smartest rehabs, upgrades, and unit enhancements to ensure your ROI; what specific enhancements are willing to pay for, or pay more for; prioritizing a community’s needs; and even trends pointing us toward the apartment of the future! Join us and walk away armed with the information you need to bring your communities up to date as efficiently as possible, and compete more effectively moving forward!

http://multifamilypro.com/brainstorming_Edu.htm#management