Some REALTORS have no idea that NAR actually puts on TWO conventions every year. The one most of us know about is the Annual Conference and Expo (this year, it is in Orlando). Every year, though, NAR and real estate professionals from around the world gather in Washington, DC for the NAR Mid-Year Meetings and Expo.
What is NAR Mid-Year?
The Mid-Year Meetings are kinda like the annual convention, but different. For starters, it is on a smaller scale. There is still and expo, but not as many exhibitors, and there aren’t as many attendees overall. The other difference is that there is a lot more emphasis on organizational, administrative, and legislative meetings (what else what you expect from a meeting in DC?).
My Mid-Year Experience
This year was the first time I attended the Mid-Year Meetings. I figured that since it is only two hours away from me, I should try and make some time to check it out. That is exactly what I did on Tuesday. Unfortunately for me, Tuesday was the first full day of the event, so there wasn’t a whole lot going on. I found a way to keep busy, though. 🙂
The first thing I did was head straight to the Bloggers’ Lounge, hosted by the CRT. It is a great place for bloggers to hang out, so I wanted to see who was hanging around. The first person I met there was Keith Garner of CRT. Keith is a cool dude, and I was glad to see him again. Not long after arriving, I met fellow Agent Genius contributor Bill Lublin (@billlublin). We were hanging out, talking about the meetings when I asked if Bill wouldn’t mind sharing his experiences with me live for the folks at home via Ustream. Bill was kind enough to oblige, and we had a BLAST, along with everyone who watched the live stream from all around the country.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that Ustream doesn’t automatically record the live stream. So I can’t share with you the time Bill and I spent dazzling people with our banter and insight. 😉
Mid-Year Live-Streaming Goodness
When I came back to the Bloggers’ Lounge a bit later, I ran into Monika McGillicuddy (@monimcg). Since I had already had success with Ustream and Bill, I asked Monika if she would share her experiences. She did, along with her husband, Jay (@acemaker), who came by a little later. This time, I was smart enough to record the stream, so here it is (you can probably skip the first minute or two, since it was just set-up):
Follow Along at Home
As you can see, I had a lot of fun at Mid-Year. My only regret is that I couldn’t stay longer. Lucky for me (and you, too), fellow Genius Matt Rathbun has offered up some of his own wall-to-wall coverage of Mid-Year. Way to go, Matt!
So, if you hadn’t heard of Mid-Year before, now you have. And if you have never gone to Mid-Year before, maybe you will decide to come to the one next year. Since it is always held at the same location, planning is a whole lot easier than going to Annual.
Hope to see you there!
Scott P. Rogers
May 15, 2008 at 8:57 pm
>> I can’t share with you the time Bill and I spent dazzling people with our banter and insight.
It is a sad day! 🙂
>> Since I had already had success with Ustream and Bill, I asked Monika if she would share her experiences.
Thanks for doing this — it’s great to see and hear updates from the conference. I was at the conference for the day today (Thursday), but didn’t run into very many people in the bloggers lounge.
Bill Lublin
May 15, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Daniel – Believe me when I say that I enjoyed our time together even more then you! The next two days were spent recounting to others what an awesome multi-taskere you are – If I buy a Mac it will be your fault 🙂
Look forward to our next video experience Maybe we can oovoo –
Maureen Francis
May 15, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Loved the twitter updates this morning from NAR. It was almost like being there!
Jeremy Hart
May 15, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Daniel – As someone who admittedly has not participated in any NAR conferences, what was your biggest takeaway?
Frank LL0SA- Broker FranklyRealty.com
May 15, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I didn’t see you there. Are you sure you were there?
Frank
Ann Cummings
May 16, 2008 at 10:16 am
Goodness – I watched the WHOLE video! I’m emailing with Monika as they’re driving back home here to NH, while I’m watching you all on the video. Cool to see that, I’ll have to hit the Bloggers’ Lounge in Orlando in Nov.
Thanks for sharing!
Ann
Daniel Rothamel
May 16, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Jeremy,
For me, the biggest takeaway is the conversations I had with the people. This time, I didn’t really go to any sessions, but I did have a lot of great conversations with people.
Here is the thing, if you are going to Mid-Year to find fish– don’t go. If you want to learn more about fishing, then it should be worth it.
In order to have any success at any convention, you MUST go into it asking yourself this question: What do I want to do/learn while I am here? If you go to a convention without any sort of plan or goal, you are sure to be disappointed.
For Mid-Year, my goal was to meet some new people and get a sense for where NAR might be headed. GOAL ACHIEVED. I just wish I could have stayed longer.
Jeremy Hart
May 16, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Conversation … interesting because that’s what we have so much of online, in a number of different streams. Yet people don’t see social media as being social, when conversations can happen on and offline.
like the fishing analogy.
Daniel Rothamel
May 16, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Jeremy,
I am beginning to see that there are two types of conversations: online and off (isn’t that original?)
Each has their place, and each is valuable in its own special way. You should always strive for a healthy mix of both.
Some offline conversations simply couldn’t happen online, or at least, they couldn’t happen as effectively. The same is true in reverse. Each can compliment the other. You still need both.
monika
May 16, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Daniel,
Jay and I just got home from DC and I had to come check out your post. I really had a blast talking with you and meeting so many fellow Bloggers. It was a fun but very busy conference. I think the Twitter updates really made the conference come alive for us all.
Thanks Daniel for the interview!
Kristal Kraft
May 20, 2008 at 9:05 am
Mid year this time was pretty laid back for me with only one firm commitment and lots of socializing. It was great to meet many of the Genius contributors and hook up with others I’ve previously met. The best part about social networking is the feeling of familiarity even with someone you’ve never met before. Communicating on this level makes us all smarter.