Circle the Date. The Chicagoland Cooperator returns to the Navy Pier to host the fourth annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo on Tuesday, October 28th. Admission is FREE for the trade show which runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Come meet with more than 300 exhibitors offering a marketplace of products and services, visit our free advice booths, sit in on a full day of educational seminars, or just spend the day gathering the information you need to make your community run more smoothly.

The Chicagoland Cooperator’sExpo (www.chicagocondoexpo.com) is the largest in the state entirely dedicated to connecting condo, HOA, co-op managers, board members, building owners and residents with the professionals and service providers their communities need. And unlike the impersonal touch of social media, you can meet condo and HOA professionals face-to-face.

And that ability to meet with service professionals one-on-one was something that drew board president Laurie Pegler of Park Ridge to attend last year. “There was a fantastic assortment of services my condo association really needs. The Expo spokespersons were very knowledgeable,” she said, adding that she has already contacted a number of them for future business.

Chicago board president Bob Troyer said he certainly will return for the 2014 show. “This was a terrific opportunity to take a look at the range of products and services available to our building. I am the president of a Streeterville high-rise, and I always like to know what’s out there,” Troyer said.

A Learning Experience

One of the biggest reasons for board members, managers, and owners to visit the show is The Chicagoland Cooperator Expo’s free educational seminars. The 2014 seminar panels will provide in-depth discussion of the legal, administrative, management, and financial concerns pertinent to the region's HOA managers, board members, and residents.

Seminar presenters include Associa, The Building Group, Advantage Management, DRF Trusted Property Solutions and Association Evaluation. The Chicagoland Cooperator will also host several seminars. All presentations are free for all attendees, and conclude with a Q&A session at the end to allow audience members to get direct feedback from panelists.

In addition to networking and education opportunities, the Expo will feature free advice booths staffed by professionals from a wide array of industries, waiting to answer any and all HOA- and building-related questions face-to-face. If you have legal questions about your association, financial questions, or questions about day-to-day management, you can stop by one of the booths for answers from leading legal, management, maintenance and financial professionals.

Board member Francine Stein took in the free advice booths at the 2013 show. “I liked the fact that the representatives, especially from law firms and engineers, were there and happy to offer advice,” said Stein, who hails from Highland Park. She noted it’s a great opportunity for board members to get helpful legal advice from the experts without getting a costly legal bill.

Winner, Winner

And attending the Expo can make you a winner. The Expo will feature dozens of raffles and giveaways throughout the day—including the Grand Prize Reserve Fund giveaway, courtesy of The Chicagoland Cooperator and Yale Robbins Publications LLC. One winner’s name will be drawn at random to win a $2,500 contribution to their building or association's reserve fund. A check for the winnings will be made payable 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, www.chicagocondoexpo.com.

So follow The Chicagoland Cooperator for updates and new additions to the Expo’s exhibitor and seminar roster and remember to visit us at the Navy Pier Convention Center on October 28th. For more information on who is exhibiting, to sign up as an exhibitor or to register for this exciting event, go to www.chicagocondoexpo.com.