“Survive or thrive,” was the challengeissued to recession-weary exhibitors for the upcoming New England Condominium Expo. The throw-down came during “Expo University,” a recent day-long exhibitor workshop focused on getting the most return on investment from the 2010 New England Condo Expo, to be held in May at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

The United States has undergone six recessions since 1970 and has come roaring back each time, said speaker Jefferson Davis, owner of the trade show consulting firm Competitive Edge in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Make a decision not to live in fear. Ignore the negativity,” he advised the three dozen “students” at the workshop, presented free to exhibitors by New England Condominium. By abandoning their “survival mentality,” Davis said businesses could position themselves for the coming “great recovery.” Leading businesses aren’t locked in a crouch position, Davis said, but are instead looking to the future and increasing, not decreasing, their marketing.

The inspirational words by Davis, along with tips on how to exhibit, are part of a concerted effort to educate expo vendors on how to better respond to attendees’ needs, said Henry Robbins, executive vice president of New England Condominium. “Most exhibitors have had no training in how to exhibit,” said Robbins. “They do logistics great, they show up, they get their booths running, they have their literature. But they really don’t know how to serve the needs of the attendee,” he said. The purpose of training exhibitors before the show is to “makevendors responsive to people’s needs,” to answer questions in a professional and timely manner, said Robbins.

With vendors up to speed, the Expo can be a “one-stop supermarket of service providers and new products for property managers, boards and trustees,” he said. “Looking for a new service provider? Need replacement windows? How about an accountant, or maybe a new property manager or landscaper?” Robbins said. “In one day, you can get the latest and greatest in products and services.”

Based on feedback from volunteer board members who attended the 2009 Expo, the 2010 event’s hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. “The show will be open later to make it easier for people to come after work,” said Robbins. “All of our board members are unpaid, and they give up a chunk of their time to attend the Expo. We’re trying to program it so they don’t have to leave work to find out about the latest trends and products in the community association arena,” he said.

Adding to the Expo’s value to board members will be a full program of free seminars, packed with useful information and covering everything from solutions to day-to-day problems to industry trends on the horizon. The full seminar schedule will be published in New England Condominiumin the coming months.

During the Expo University session held at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough, Massachusetts, a panel was assembled to give vendors a better idea of what attendees are looking for from Expo exhibitors. The panel consisted of property manager David J. Levy, PCAM, of Sterling Services inHolliston, Massachusetts; Andrew J. Costa, principal of COSTA Property Management, LLC in Medford, Massachusetts, and a board member of Craddock Cove, also in Medford; Barbara Kansky, CPMC, CMCA, PCAM, president of 55 Plus Com-munity Management in Hudson, Massachusetts; and Joe Tancrell, treasurer of Bruce Hollow Condo II in Grafton, Massachusetts.

Answering questions from vendors, the panelists said they attended trade shows to find out about new products and services, socialize, and interview vendors about needs for upcoming projects.

The New England Condo Expo willbe held Wednesday, May 12, 2010, at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

Visit www.ne-expo.com for more details about the event.

– Jim Douglass