Volume 27, Issue Number 2, Winter 2022
Communities

The 24th ACMO/CCI Condo Conference

Reconnecting in 2022

By Murray Johnson | Other articles by Murray Johnson

The 24th ACMO CCI Condo Conference is now in the history books. This year Katherine Gow, current president of ACMO, and myself (Murray Johnson) were the conference co-chairs and what an honor it has been! Conferences of this magnitudes take nearly a year to plan, and this year was no exception.

The Conference Planning Committee goes through great lengths to ensure this conference is most beneficial not only to our members: including board of directors and industry trades and professionals that service the condominium industry but to anyone interested to learn more about condominium living.

Attendees get the benefit of listening to knowledgeable and tenured industry specialists (presenting on important topics that affect our industry, condominium corporations and their residents) and walk a trade show floor to meet and talk with many service providers that are passionate about condominium living.

Our Condo Conference Committee (members listed below) spent countless hours over that last year to ensure:

• seminars are valuable, current and well organized,
• service providers and attendees have ample time to meet and talk with each other
• facilities are comfortable
• the sessions and trade show are easy to navigate
• the administering staff provide easy admission and available to direct and answer questions on site

Initial feedback indicates that the selection of educational topics hit the mark and delegates have shared how well prepared the moderators and speakers were. Some seminar topic highlights include:

• Rapid Fire Sessions on various topics including legislative updates, legal tips, and best practices – a lot of great information packed into a short time,
• Legal Cases – current legal disputes discussed between lawyers provide lively banter amongst the panelists,
• Effective Communication – invaluable for our multi-residential industry,
• Engineering and How to Master Reserve Fund Plans -reinforced its importance for the health of a condominium corporation,
• Employment Shortage for Staffing – a real concern for all of us,
• Working Smarter with Technology – learning how to use technology to our advantage,
• Governance and Ethics – we face this every day and there was so many more. All provided great information, a bit of entertainment and a forum to ask questions and get some free advice!

The Trade Show was a big hit as usual with exhibitors enthusiastically putting great efforts into their booths and actively engaging with the attendees. The show floor was buzzing with everyone reconnecting in person after three long years. A special congratulations to Shibley Righton LLB for winning “Best Booth” …. again!

Over the years we’ve had some excellent Keynote Speakers and this year was no exception. Steve Patterson was at his comic best on Saturday morning. His take on condo life was bang on and his take on the Condominium Appeals Tribunal and On-Line Dispute Resolution or as he calls it CAT ODR (pronounced “Cat Odor”) will forever more be a part of condo speak.

It was plain to see that our industry is aching to get back to in-person events, and as such we hope that the number of our conference participants will keep growing. While there were a few minor hic ups (we promise to have more coffee on the trade floor next year), overall the conference went off without incident. It was a pleasure to see the hug, handshakes and smiling faces at our condominium conference once again.

Within two weeks of the conference, the conference committee meets to share experiences from a committee point of view: what worked and what didn’t. Within a few weeks of that meeting we will receive and review the delegate, sponsor and exhibitor surveys and start planning for the next conference. If you attended, we hope that you completed our survey, as it helps us make the next year better.

There were many people that contributed to the great success of our conference this year that need to be acknowledged. Our Conference Committee: Brian Antman, Ashley Chiaramida, Tania Haluk, Brian Horlick, Paul McDonald, Lyndsey Mc- Nally, Craig McMillan, Catherine Murdock, Jenny Pan, Robert Thackeray, Sean Wilde, Katherine Gow and myself Murray Johnson. A great group of volunteers whose hours of work and creative ideas helped provide exceptional educational sessions and networking opportunities for us all. The Redstone Team led by Rachel Keller, Esther Todes and Kristen Colavecchia and supported by Ashely Chiaramida did all the heavy lifting and made it happen. Their hard work, organizational skills and professionalism shone through at our conference. The Exhibitors’, Sponsors’, Presenters’ dedication to our industry, our association and the success of our conference rides on what you provide. Thank you all!!

The ACMO/CCI Condo Conference is the largest conference and trade show in Canada dedicated to all thing’s condominium. You might say it’s the crowning jewel of the year for managers, directors, and service providers. It’s our mega networking and educational event of the year and should not be missed. Sadly, my term as president of CCI Toronto and Area Chapter ended on October 26, 2022, meaning that I will not be co-chair next year and pass the baton to Lyndsey McNally. I look forward to seeing you all at our conference next year and encourage you to spread the word to others that could benefit from our great event. Keep your eye on social media and look for the announcements as details of the 2023 ACMO/CCI Condo Conference are announced. Save the dates in your outlook as we expect that 2023 will be the biggest event yet. To all that sponsored, exhibited, and registered, the Condo Conference very much appreciates your support, and we hope to see you next year. As they say in Hollywood…. That’s a wrap!