Good information and clear communication are crucial for anyone involved with  the administration of a condominium or homeowners association—crucial not just to thriving, but surviving in today’s challenging economic times. Finding that information and developing  communication strategies isn’t always easy, however.  

 Attending The New England Condo Expo, to be held Tuesday, May 24, at the Seaport  World Trade Center in Boston, is one surefire way to gather all the information  you need, all in one day, all in one place. A full slate of information-packed  seminars will be among the highlights of the Expo, a free event that will also  feature over 150 exhibitors, and free advice booths.  

 Seminars Running All Day  

 Free seminars are open to all attendees. They will include:  

 — “Pets, Pools, Parking, and Smoking: Bringing Your Bylaws Into the 21st Century”Many condo bylaws were written decades ago and need updating to reflect changing  times and current issues, like second-hand smoke. This seminar will help boards  and managers keep their communities running smoothly in the 21st century.­  

 — “Your Online Presence: Community/Management Websites and Social Media.”How can your board, community association and management company effectively use  websites and other social media to make your community more responsive, and  management more accessible, to homeowners? This seminar will educate HOAs about  how to best use this new technology, mitigate legal problems, like libel, and  become compliant with Massachusetts’ tough new data protection law.  

 — “Collecting Common Fees and Enforcing Rules”will be presented by Dedham- and Providence-based Goodman, Shapiro & Lombardi, LLC. Attorney Ellen Shapiro will educate trustees on using legal  procedures and enforcement actions to protect condos from financial disasters  that can result from unpaid common fees. Attorneys Henry Goodman and Frank  Lombardi will discuss ways of dealing with owners who don’t think the condo rules apply to them.  

 — “Your Aging Condo”will feature a panel of experts offering answers to frustrating and  hard-to-solve maintenance problems common to condos today. A Q&A session will follow.  

 Three Giveaways Featured  

 And of course, no trade show would be complete without giveaways and raffles.  

 This year, three major giveaways—two of them new—will be offered.  

 JnR Gutters, one of New England’s leading home improvement specialists, will be offering one lucky association a  $2,000 credit towards exterior services which could include gutters, decks, siding, roofing or windows. JnR has four Massachusetts locations and three New Hampshire offices.  

 Essex Management Group (EMG), serving clients from Southern New Hampshire to  Boston’s Northern suburbs, will offer a $2,000 credit on management and consulting services to a  winning condo. As a full-service property management firm founded in 1989 and  based in Haverhill, Massachusetts, EMG provides complete maintenance, project  supervision and financial management services.  

 This year will also mark the return of the Reserve Fund prize drawing, courtesy  of New England Condominium and Yale Robbins, Inc. One lucky board member will  win a $2,500 contribution to his or her building association’s reserve fund.  

 All offers are subject to terms and conditions. For complete terms and  conditions of the show offers, go online at www.ne-expo.com/conditions.  

 For more information on who is exhibiting at the show, to sign up as an  exhibitor, or to register for this one-of-a-kind event, go to www.ne-expo.com.