Dear NARPM® Members:
Dear NARPM® Colleagues,
Welcome! It is my pleasure and honor to invite you to the 26th Annual NARPM® Convention and Trade Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from October 22 to October 24 at the beautifully renovated downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel. Come and participate in The FOUNDATION of Property Management. The lead architects of the 2014 Convention Committee are Lynn Sedlack, MPM® RMP®, Convention Committee Chair, and Carla Earnest, CMP, NARPM® Convention Planner, along with a team of dedicated volunteers. They have put together an amazing event to help you build more educational blocks for your foundation.
For those who arrive early, there are designation classes on Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21. Be sure to sign up for these classes on the education registration form. Or, if you are curious as to what happens at our NARPM® Board of Directors’ meetings, please join us on Monday. Remember, all of our Board meetings are open meetings.
During the day on Tuesday, October 21, you can join us at the 5th Annual Past Presidents’ Charity Tournament to help raise funds for the Special Olympics. This year, we’ll be curling, instead of golfing. Curling has been an official sport in the Winter Olympic Games since the 1998 Winter Olympics. Get out the brooms and stones. In true Minnesotan style, we’ll see you on the ice!
After the curling event, The FOUNDATION of Property Management President’s Celebration at Mall of America will be an evening of food, fun, and networking. Picture a covered major league baseball stadium and replace the field with the Nickelodeon Universe® amusement park. Replace the seating that completely surrounds the field with a three-level, upper-end mall. Mall of America is actually built where the Minnesota Twins baseball stadium used to be. You can zipline across the amusement park, play miniature golf, go to the Sea Life® Minnesota Aquarium, dine and laugh at the House of Comedy, attend one of 14 movie theaters, visit LEGO® Land, shop ‘til you drop, and much more. For you Trekkies, Star Trek: The Exhibition will beam into the EMS Exhibit Center in Mall of America. It’s an interactive, museum-style experience that boasts one of the largest collections of genuine “Star Trek” artifacts and information on public display. It will be a great time at Mall of America. Check out the link for more information on these attractions at http://www.mallofamerica.com.
For those of you who want to improve the health part of your foundation, the hotel hosts a 32,000-square-foot workout facility. The Fitness Center is complimentary for all hotel guests and features LifeFitness® cardio, free-weight and resistance equipment, stability balls, stretching mats, treadmills, and elliptical machines with individual flat-screen TVs. There is also a basketball court and heated indoor pool. Also, we will be holding an exercise boot camp. We’ll alert you with a date and time. Hope everyone gets a chance to check it out!
Wednesday morning, October 22, will start with a First-Time Attendee Welcome/Orientation. Immediately following will be the Business Leader Development session with author Mike Paton. This is a ticketed event, so be sure to register for it. The Opening General Session will feature bestselling author, actor, and international speaker, Scott Christopher. This will be followed by the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening/Trade Show and Reception.
You won’t want to miss the General Session with HUD expert Donna Hanbery on Thursday, October 23 and General Session – Economic Forecast with Toby Madden on Friday, October 24. Also on Thursday and Friday, the committee has planned four different workshop tracks for you to choose from: All Members, Broker/Owners, Property Managers, and Support Staff. These Workshops are loaded with information FOR property managers ABOUT property management, and are TAUGHT by property managers. The Closing General Session will be presented by our own Mark Kreditor, MPM® RMP®.
Join us Friday evening, October 24, at the hotel for the Designation Awards Ceremony and Dinner, and the introduction of our 2015 NARPM® President, Andrew Propst, MPM® RMP®. Entertainment will follow provided by the Black and Whyte Dueling Pianos. This event will be entertaining for everyone in attendance.
The temperature in Minneapolis in October is historically in the 60s. What a great time to see the fall colors of this great city and state. Come. Enjoy. Learn. Meet. Grow your FOUNDATION of Property Management.
I hope to see you there!
Stephen D. Foster, MPM® RMP®
2014 NARPM® President