The Chicagoland Cooperator's Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo second expo last fall was by all accounts a huge success as the  event attracted thousands of attendees from all across the region for a full  day of education and networking.  

 The day was also especially terrific for Barry Love, a board member at Roscoe  Village Lofts in Chicago, who was the lucky winner of The Chicagoland  Cooperator's Grand Prize: a $2,500 contribution to his association's reserve  fund, courtesy of the Cooperator and parent company, Yale Robbins Publications,  LLC.  

 Love said he was “surprised and pretty excited” when he found out that his building community was the recipient of the reserve  fund award. “We have a number of projects we weren’t sure how to fund, so this is going to be great.”  

 Roscoe Village is comprised of 139 units in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on  the north side of Chicago, and while the actual use of the money is to be  determined, Love, who is the board’s treasurer, says he knows it will come in handy. He plans to attend the Expo  again on October 22, when the popular trade show returns to the Navy Pier for  its third consecutive year.  

 “It was my first time and I think the biggest benefit was seeing how many  companies are out there that could provide the services and the products that  we are really interested in,” Love exclaimed.  

 He advises fellow board members to come and make a day of it. “Arrive early and try to make it through every booth. I tried it last time and I  was there from start to finish.”  

 A Win-Win Proposition

 To celebrate The Chicagoland Cooperator’s Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo, now in its third year of serving Chicagoland’s building and condominium communities, we’ll be drawing another lucky board member’s name for the $2,500 Grand Prize when the Expo returns to the Navy Pier  Convention Center in Chicago on October 22, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

 The Expo is the biggest event of its kind, and will once again showcase  hundreds of exhibitors, from attorneys, to roofers, to managers and financial  professionals. The show will also feature a full roster of timely, informative  seminars, as well as free advice booths staffed by industry pros eager to help  condo, HOA and co-op board members and unit owners, building owners and  managers keep their building communities running smoothly.  

 So, remember to mark your calendars to attend the show on October 22nd—and if you’re on your building’s board, you’re eligible for the drawing for this year’s $2,500 Grand Prize!  

 The winner is drawn at random after the Expo following registration. If you're  the lucky winner, a check for $2,500 will be made payable to the winning  association board. Only board members qualify. To enter the drawing, you must  attend the Expo! For complete rules and entry details, as well as information  about exhibitors, seminars, and other attractions, visit the Expo website at  www.il-expo.com.  

 Prepare to Spend the Day

 The Chicagoland Expo is the largest expo in the state entirely dedicated to  connecting condo, HOA, and co-op managers, board members, and residents with  the professionals and service providers their communities need on a regular  basis. Between nearly 300 exhibitors, countless product demos, free advice  booths, and full roster of educational seminars, it’s literally a one-stop, custom-built marketplace for vendors, products and  ideas.  

 “The express purpose of the Chicago Expo is to help attendees make useful,  productive connections, gain valuable information, and network with their  peers,” says company president Yale Robbins. So if you’re a decision-maker for a condo, homeowners association, or co-op community—or even if you just call one home—and you have a pressing legal issue or an important project waiting in the  wings, you owe it to yourself and your community to drop by the Expo and  experience what it has to offer. It would take months to meet with the same  number of vendors and professionals a typical Expo attendee will interact with  in one afternoon on the show floor.  

 A Learning Experience

 One of the biggest reasons for board members, managers, and owners to visit the  show is the Chicago Expo’s full slate of free educational seminars. Custom-built to help anyone involved—or even just interested—in the administration of a residential building or homeowners association, the  2013 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.  

 Property managers Associa and Caruso Management and DRF Trusted Property  Solutions are scheduled to be presenters again and more information will be  provided as the Expo comes closer.  

 All presentations are free for all attendees, and conclude with a Q&A segment to allow audience members to get direct feedback from panelists. Expo  seminars always attract standing-room-only crowds, so make sure to arrive early  to claim a spot in the audience.  

 So come to the Expo for your chance to win, network with industry pros and learn  something new. Remember, you've got to be in it to win it! Register for free  admission at www.il-expo.com.