Before going into our headline topic, let me invite you to check out our latest OpEd column from the trenches of manufactured housing retailing in Industry Voices.

To set the stage for our main topic, let me state a principle we strive for here at MHProNews.com (MHMSM.com). We are pro-industry! We also believe in the importance and value of association membership and activity. Those principles don't mean we lose our objectivity. We do our grand Industry no good by only cheering; when something needs attention or a tweak, it ought to be worth mentioning without offending anyone.

As an analogy, the fact is that without a positive and a negative charge in electricity, there is no power! We can't look only at positives, we need to look at issues, because problems can become opportunities in disguise.

So before going into an overview/critique, let me stress that the 2012 Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Congress and Expo was a good event. But that doesn't mean it was wart free (what is?). I hereby invite others who attended to share their perspective in a guest column. In the overview below, my goal is to make this sampling reflect reality, so that those who came would say, yes, that is how I experienced the event too, and for those who didn't come to think about what they may have gained by attending.

Lets consider the following areas that a Congress and Expo style event could be evaluated and measured, and look at each of those.

• Attendance.
• Mood/Tone
• Presentation/Topics addressed, and their quality.
• Networking.
• Awards luncheon.
• Marketing B2B engagement opportunity (Exhibitors and attendees).
• Venue

We will also look at some possible opportunities for future Congresses to consider.

I'll note that we will strive for a photo report on the awards and from other parts of the Congress in the days ahead (likely in May), along with some event updates as we get them.

With that backdrop, let's dive in.

1. Attendance. Some attendees and exhibitors shared with me their sense that the attendance numbers seemed down since 2011. In talking with different MHI sources, one indicated the totals looked to be between 650-700 attendees (this includes attendees and exhibitors), which would indeed be down from last year's stated totals. However another source indicated the numbers would come in over 700. Once final numbers are provided, we plan to share them in our final wrap up report. Such numbers would still make Congress and Expo perhaps the third largest manufactured housing event of the year, after Tunica and Louisville. It seems highly unlikely that the pre-event promo claim of "up to 1000 attendees expected" was achieved.

2) Mood/Tone. Most of those I spoke with seemed upbeat and positive about the future of our Industry, in-spite of challenges from regulatory issues such as Dodd-Frank and the SAFE Act. Many agreed that 'cautious optimism' captured the mood/tone of the event and attendees.

3) Presentation/Topics addressed, and their quality. Overall, this was a mixed bag. The topics were all solid ones. Some or the presenters had good content, but their delivery was – to be polite – less than stellar and required either caffeine or alcohol to make it palatable. Some were outstanding, in content, delivery, as well as the Q&A and discussion that followed the presentation. A pair looked and sounded good, but when you scratched under the surface of what was being said and presented, elements of were contradictory or had reverse rather than direct value (meaning when carefully considered, in some cases you had to think to yourself, here is what not to do).

3a). Overall, Tuesday's NCC side of the function had the edge, with not only good topics, as well as a nice, professional touch of having almost all of the presenters power points in a handy spiral bound volume. The panel discussion on Attracting and Keeping Top Notch Community Management Personnel was also excellent, and there were many other good panels and presentations.

I also want to mention Candy Holcombe's Thursday presentation as one of the best of the event. Candy was great about not only sharing experiences, but in stirring positive interaction among attendees.

3b) When you have concurrent events, you are naturally having to make choices, and I can't personally comment on the quality/content/delivery/discussion of sessions I didn't sit in on. I would love to have made all of each session. In a post meeting discussion with presenters, the idea was floated that perhaps each session could be video taped, and made available to attendees via a web download. That would be a strong value added feature for future Congress and Expo consideration. That option is something the Texas Manufactured Housing Association is trying too.

4) Networking. I would rate the networking as excellent. You are rubbing shoulders with owners or with key people from companies from various segments of the Industry. There was mixers two evenings that provided good opportunities to snack, share a beverage and enjoy discussions with a wide variety of Industry peers.

5) Awards luncheon. Joe Adams does a first rate job on leading and reading this part of the Congress. Many walk away inspired by new designs, those award winning community and retail centers, etc. We plan a photo report on this, likely in May.

6) Exhibits. Marketing B2B engagement opportunity (Exhibitors and attendees). Most of the exhibitors believe in the value, a few realized that this may not be the best event for them to exhibit at next time around. The displays were overall very professional and their staffs were too. I talked with some fascinating people, and we hope to bring you more in the photo report in May.

7) Venue. Personally, I think Caesar's Palace is an amazing facility. The Forum Shops, for example, are a shoppers paradise, my wife and son love it when we are all together. However, a number of individuals told me that they thought the location for MHI Congress was so big that they didn't enjoy navigating to and from the convention center area to the rooms, street or other parts of the complex. Word has it that MHI staff have already planned for the event next year at the Paris in Las Vegas.

Overall, this was an event that was very worthwhile. MHI does a good job on this every year.

I would opine that while MHARR (Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform) clearly has a different focus and meeting dynamic, MHARR manufacturing members ought to consider the possible value to their member firms by having their organization host a meeting(s) for their client's companies. Isn't it logical for factories to offer educational tools and resources to help grow their businesses and thus drive sales for all concerned? That said, MHARR has a strong presence at the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, which indeed had a good business building seminar line up in 2012.

Possible Opportunities to Consider for Future Congress

1. Could the MHI Congress and Expo be used as a stronger magnet to attract more new blood into our business? I encountered a few who were checking manufactured and modular housing out. Some came from as far away as Russia! Does anyone hear the words "Opportunity knocks?"
2. With that in mind, wouldn't it be logical for Industry newcomers and those possibly checking our Industry out to see, touch and feel how impressive our factory built homes are? At Caesar's Palace, there were no homes on display. If they move the event to the Paris in Las Vegas next year, it will still not have model homes on display. Given the fact that there are no West Coast Manufactured Housing equivalents to the Shows such as Louisville, Tulsa or Tunica, isn't there an opportunity that is being missed?
3. For those of us who have walked thousands of floors at a full blown manufactured housing trade show, seeing slides at lunch of award winning designs is fine. But for those who are new or who are toes testing the waters, it could be a terrific resource to showcase even a modest number of homes. That would require a very different facility, more like Tulsa and Louisville's venues. I sampled this idea with some attendees and exhibitors who saw the potential value in having an event with homes.
4. Enhanced Discussion Opportunities. The Q&A's yielded some opportunity to exchange ideas, or dig a bit deeper on a topic. But frankly, 10 minutes or so isn't enough to truly get into some topics and the brain storming needed on various issues critical to our Industry's future. During a general session, I asked the speaker about the importance of pre-emption to the industry to help us access the urban and suburban markets better, as well as the potential value of doing an image and marketing campaign effort with select retailers, developers and communities. This sparked comments after the meeting from attendees, many of whom feel these are areas that MHI should provide discussion forums and action plans.

An enjoyable private networking event, kudos and final words

Speaking of networking, the DiMarco's were very gracious in inviting me to their private function with Citi Global Markets at Bradley Ogden Steakhouse at Caesar's near the Forum Shops. As interesting as the evening mixers are that MHI and their Sponsors host, there is a different dynamic that occurs when you take about 3 dozen industry pros, provide a nice dinner, drinks and hors dourves. Brothers Anthony and Gerry and Mr. DiMarco senior – who was an engaging and delightful conversationalist – played the role of host so well. Rather than drop names, I will observe that serious levels of testosterone in the room was evident. Those invited were often high-powered players in the MHC world and others were rising stars. The conversations ran the gamut, it was a blast, thanks so much!

Congratulations to all the award winners, we will share photos and details soon.

Let's keep the Industry conversation going. As always, please feel free to send a message, post appropriate comments or give me a call. Remember that the Industry Voices Guest blog is there for those who want to sound off intelligently in an OpEd/Letter to the editor style fashion. Readership here continues to grow, thanks for surfing in and spreading the word. To borrow ROC USA's tag line, we truly are "better together." ##

post by

L. A. 'Tony' Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach