For more than a quarter-century, The Cooperator’s Co-op & Condo Expo has been a must-attend event for the tri-state area’s property managers, board members, real estate professionals, shareholders and unit owners. Coming from all corners of the residential real estate industry, attendees and exhibitors come to the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan to share ideas, make connections, learn about new products and services, and educate themselves—all to help their buildings and businesses run more smoothly.

The 2014 Expo on Tuesday, April 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will showcase nearly 300 exhibitors from throughout the region, along with free advice booths, raffles and giveaways, and informative educational seminars.

Look Who’s Speaking

Seminar presenters this year include nationwide property manager FirstService Residential, legal experts from Herrick, Feinstein, LLP, financial lending expert Meridian Capital Group, public service agency NYSERDA and telecommunications specialist Verizon. Seminars last about an hour each, and routinely draw standing-room-only crowds.

Meridian Capital Group’s Steve Geller will open the seminar schedule at 10:00 a.m. with his popular presentation on underlying co-op financing. He will speak about what co-op boards can do to refinance their underlying mortgages, how to finance a co-op’s or condo’s capital improvement project, and the new federal requirements related to mortgages and financial lending.

With the memories of Superstorm Sandy still fresh in mind, FirstService Residential’s Dan Wurtzel will present “Are You Ready? Everything You Need to Know About Emergency Preparedness,” a timely seminar on emergency preparedness, discussing everything from storms to power outages to building fires and resident safety. The 11:00 a.m. session will feature New York City Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano and representatives from various city emergency management agencies.

Get energized by the noontime session—“Co-Generation for a New Generation: Combined Heat and Power in Residential Buildings” presented by NYSERDA. NYSERDA’s Dr. Dana Levy will talk about the benefits of a combined heat and power system and how the system operates in the event of a power outage. Experts will also discuss the steps to take before installing a co-gen plant in your building.

At 1:00 p.m., join Herrick, Feinstein attorney David J. Byrne as he examines what lies in store under the new administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio in “2014—A New Mayor & Administration—What It Means to New York City’s Condos and Co-ops.” Byrne and Century Management's Jacob Sirotkin will look at what changes might be in the offing in the real estate market and in the housing arena as the city administration’s policies are put into effect.

At 2:00 p.m. The Cooperator will host its own seminar on pest control with “Roaches, Bedbugs & Mice, Oh My!” Expert panelists will look at state-of-the-art technologies for getting rid of the bane of Big Apple pests, including cockroaches, bedbugs, rodents and more.

The last seminar of the afternoon at 2:45 p.m. will be presented by Verizon Enhanced Communities. Verizon’s Andrew Perdek and Pasquale Zicchinelli will look at the various telecommunications and Internet bandwidth options available to co-op and condo building boards and managers.

Advice – and It’s Free!

The show's popular free advice booths will be returning as well. If you have questions about your association’s finances, policies, or day-to-day management, you can stop by one of the booths for answers from leading legal, management, maintenance and financial professionals.

In addition to all of that, the Expo will feature a cyber-café with free WiFi and a food court with plenty of seating for relaxation and conversation over the course of the day.

And board members attending are eligible for our 2014 Expo Reserve Fund Grand Prize, a $3,500 contribution to the winner's building reserve fund, courtesy of The Cooperator and Yale Robbins Publications LLC. 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, visit the Expo website, www.coopexpo.com.

Mark your calendars for April 8th and come visit us at the Hilton New York for a full day of education, networking and learning.