Spring has officially sprung, and with it comes The Cooperator's 23rd annual Co-op & Condo Expo. This year's show will be presented on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 53rd Street.

The Expo has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception nearly a quarter-century ago—the 2009 show brought board members and residents from nearly 1,000 area buildings, and managing agents from over 3,000. And that's to say nothing of the numbers of other real estate professionals and service providers for whom the Expo is a must-see event.

This year, there will be nearly 300 exhibitors offering assistance and expert advice in the areas of building management, maintenance, insurance, security, energy and countless other services that help address the diverse, evolving needs of the co-op and condo community.

Like No Other

Trade shows are held all the time, all over the city—but the annual Co-op & Condo Expo is really more than just a trade show. It's a venue where all members of the residential real estate community—board members to boiler repairmen, attorneys to apartment owners—can meet, interact, and network across their various industries and disciplines, all under one roof.

In addition to the educational seminars, the 2010 Expo will bring back the always-popular free advice booths, where attendees can bring their burning questions to present to an industry professional and receive guidance and advice.

While attorneys represent the majority of advice contributors, a schedule roster will be posted in the Advice Booth area listing the other professionals who will be on hand at different points during the day.

A Time to Learn

As always, one of the Expo's biggest draws are the educational seminars offered throughout the day. This year, The Cooperator has assembled another solid roster of speakers and panelists from a diverse array of professions to offer their expertise:

Mark and Roberta Simon of Brooklyn Carpet Exchange will present “Renewing Lobbies & Corridors to Maximize Sales.” A well-appointed lobby or corridor creates "curb appeal" for any co-op or condo, particularly in a competitive buyer's market. Renowned interior designer and TV personality Cathy Hobbs will join the Simons to tell you how you can spruce up your tired common areas to boost appeal and value.

Christopher Levendos, Andrew Perdek, and Elizabeth Southard of Verizon will explore “The Future is Now: Technology Solutions and Emerging Apps for Co-ops & Condos.” This seminar will focus on enabling technologies to help co-ops and condos run more efficiently. Attendees will learn how to manage their digital lifestyles more easily with applications seamlessly integrated through their favorite virtual or mobile device, and hear about deployment of FiOS services in their buildings.

David J. Byrne, Esq. and Stephen M. Lasser, Esq. of law firm Stark & Stark will offer “Improving and Safeguarding Buildings & Communities: Drafting Policies, Enforcing Rules & Resolving Conflicts.” The panel will discuss successful, innovative-but-proven strategies for rule creation and enforcement, and alternative dispute resolution, will be debated as well.

Representatives from National Condo Advisors, LLC will host a panel to talk about the consulting and condominium project approval services that they provide to builders, developers, investors and HOA management.

And a panel of management professionals are tentatively scheduled to discuss what makes a good property manager. Attendees will learn how boards and residents can evaluate their manager's performance to get the most out of the board/manager/ resident relationship.

More to Come!

There will be plenty of exciting activities to partake in at the Co-op & Condo Expo. The big prize this year is the Reserve Fund prize giveaway, courtesy of The Cooperator and Yale Robbins, Inc. One attendee will win a $3,500 contribution to their building's reserve fund. The winner will be drawn at random after registration has closed, and a check for the winnings will be made payable to the winner’s building 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, go online at www.coopexpo.com.

Guests needing nourishment, access to e-mail, or just a comfortable place to sit down and look over the array of information they've accumulated from the plethora of vendors are cordially invited to drop by the Expo's conveniently-located food court and cyber-cafe.

Come On Down!

To join the over 4,000 metro area visitors at the Expo for a day of information, education, and networking, you can pre-register right now by calling our registration line at 212-330-0433. Admission is free, but pre-registration will get you into the exhibit halls quicker on the day of the show.

The 2010 Co-op & Condo Expo is quite simply the biggest, most in-depth event of its kind in the region.

For more information on who is exhibiting at the show or to register for this one-of-a-kind event online, please visit our website at www.coop expo.com.