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From your CTAA Communications Committee
Dear CTAA Members,
What an exciting month November is going to be with our 2009 CTAA Tradeshow & Nutmeg Awards swiftly approaching! Because of this, our November-December 2009 issue will focus on the various aspects of the Tradeshow amongst most of our usual content. While we can tell you all of the advantages of attending or becoming a vendor at the CTAA Tradeshow & Nutmeg Awards, we decided to let the participants and attendees speak for themselves.
We hope to see you on the Tradeshow Floor November 20, 2009 at Mohegan Sun Casino!!!!
Sincerely,
Amy Belmonte, CT Apartment Guide - Communications Committee Chairperson (abelmonte@apartmentguide.com)
Lauren Harris, Resident Data – Communications Committee Team Member lharris@residentdata.com
Amy Tedesco, Santini Villa – Communications Committee Team Member ATedesco@santiniliving.com
Upcoming Events 
2009 CTAA Tradeshow
Join the Connecticut Apartment Association November 20, 2009 at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Convention Center for its Seventh Annual Conference and Tradeshow. This is an event where apartment professionals will learn inside information on issues and trends, while enjoying the opportunity to network with industry colleagues. You’ll enjoy high powered educational sessions providing insight into the future from the industry’s most knowledgeable and well respected management professionals. Maintenance professionals will have the opportunity to participate in Maintenance Mania! And you will have the opportunity to visit the exhibit hall to see the latest in industry needs and enjoy a cocktail at CTAA’s NUTMEG Awards Cocktail Reception.
For a 2009 Tradeshow Attendee Registration Form & Brochure Click Here
For a 2009 Tradeshow Booth Registration Form & Brochure Click Here
To Access Sponsorship Opportunities Click Here
For the Sponsorship Opportunities Registration Form Click Here
Tradeshow Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events:
Friday, November 20, 2009
Mohegan Sun Hotel & Convention Center
Uncasville, CT
8:00 - 9:00 am Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 am Educational Series A
• Mastering the Storm - Larry Johnson
• Pest Control & Bed Bugs - Terminix
9:45 am Exhibit Hall Opens
10:15 - 11:15 am Educational Series B
• TGIM – THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY! - Managing People So They Will Love Their Jobs and Go the Extra Mile for Your Customers - Larry Johnson
• Resident 2.0: Leveraging Social Media Marketing – Erica Campbell
12:15 -1:30 pm Rotating Buffet Lunch
12:45 - 3:00 pm Maintenance Mania on the Tradeshow Floor
3:00 pm Exhibit Hall Closes
3:15 - 4:30 pm Maintenance Mania Race Car Competition
4:30 - 5:30 pm NUTMEG Awards Cocktail Reception & Maintenance Mania Awards Ceremony
The CT Apartment Association would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support:
Platinum Sponsors
 
Gold Sponsors
 
Bronze Sponsors
  
The Welcome Mat
The Connecticut Apartment Association would like to welcome our new members:
Associate Members:
P.C. Richard & Son
Mike Maltese
150 Price Parkway
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Phone: (631) 843-4453
Fax: (631) 843-4450
michael@pcrichard.com
TECTA America
Seth Weston
100 Clark Drive - Unit B
East Berlin, CT 06023
Phone: (860) 828-0380
Fax: (860) 828-0395
sweston@tectaamerica.com
USI of CT, Inc.
Jonathan D'Elia
530 Preston Ave
Meriden, CT 06450
jonathan.delia@usi.biz
Welcome new members!!!
The Chat Room
The Chat Room is a special featured section of our newsletter, where we sat down with some key players of the 2008 and 2009 CTAA Tradeshow.
Introducing….The 2009 CTAA Tradeshow Chairperson, Rachel Vincent! The CTAA Communications Committee had some questions for Rachel about this year’s tradeshow.
1. What can attendees expect this year at the Tradeshow?
A new, exciting layout on the trade show floor incorporating maintenance mania along with the showcase of vendors, this paired with the educational offerings offers a nice, well rounded show. And it all ends with the organization honoring their best and brightest through the Nutmeg Awards.
And don’t forget about the Raffle prizes offered throughout the day on the trade show floor.
2. How many vendors are currently registered to showcase their products & services to expo attendees?
66 Vendors are registered to showcase their products of which about 20 vendors are new to the show this year so attendees will see new offerings they haven’t seen before!
3. What are the advantages of having a booth at the tradeshow?
Networking opportunities with property management staff at all levels from maintenance and leasing professionals through Senior Management. It is a great opportunity to see many current clients as well as prospects all at one time.
4. What is your favorite part of the CTAA Tradeshow?
Being able to Chair the Committee for the greatest show in the area!
I really enjoy the balance of educational seminars along with the vendor showcase and the opportunity to honor the premier properties and staff in the area through the Nutmeg Award Honors!
5. Why should people attend the tradeshow?
Great industry networking along with educational opportunities and lots and lots of fun!
We also spoke with Robert Pena, winner of the 2008 Connecticut Apartment Association Maintenance Mania Competition!
1. What is Maintenance Mania?
Maintenance Mania is a national competition where maintenance technicians are able to compete against each other in various skill-based games. The games are focused on frequent maintenance issues, plus one race car building competition! Competitors can participate in events offered by local NAA affiliates to win various local awards. Local winners then have a chance to compete at the National Championships held at the annual NAA Educational Conference & Exposition.
There are eight events that are standard for all Maintenance Mania programs. Each race is open to every Maintenance Mania participant:
• GE Appliance Repair
• Armor Concepts Door Security Installation
• Pfirst Series by Price Pfister Faucet Installation
• Kidde Smoke and CO Alarm Installation
• Kwikset SmartKey Lockset Re-Key
• Seasons Ceiling Fan Installation
• Fluidmaster Toilet Repair
• Philips Race Car Competition
2. As a contestant, what was your favorite challenge in Maintenance Mania, and why?
I have to mention the car race! It is amazing see the different parts used from the maintenance shop to create a race car and to see the different cars in action.
3. Since you won Maintenance Mania at the CTAA Tradeshow last year, you were able to compete on a national level in Las Vegas. What was the national competition like? How many competitors were there?
It was intense competition! Twenty competitors ready to be let loose on the competition floor. The crowd was loud and the heart was pumping. It was definitely a great time being there and meeting the best of the best.
4. Why do you think Maintenance Mania is an important part of the CTAA Tradeshow?
It gives us an opportunity to meet other maintenance professionals across the country and share ideas. It creates an opportunity for our techs to see vendors and learn from others.
5. Talk a little about the race car competition. What are the rules and how long did it take to plan and create your car?
It took a bit of team work from fellow associates. The car has to be a certain height, length, and weight to be able to qualify. We have to use parts from the maintenance shop and all we get is four wheels to build on.
6. Will you be participating in Maintenance Mania this year? If so, what's your strategy for winning again?
Sure will! My strategy for the next competition is “slow and smooth is fast”. Time is money!
7. As last year's CTAA Maintenance Mania winner, what advice do you have for competitors this year?
My advice is to pay close attention to the director’s instructions and focus on each task one at a time.
 The Property Perspective
By Amy Tedesco – ATedesco@santiniliving.com
This month’s column examines the Property Perspective of attending the annual Tradeshow. Each year this fantastic event helps Community Managers and Leasing Agents learn more about products and services that are available to our communities. It’s a great way to meet other members of the industry, get to know your fellow communities and…well….let me just tell you my top 5 reasons that you should consider attending this year’s Tradeshow!
Top 5 Reasons Why Attending The Tradeshow Will Benefit Your Property And Its Employees:
1. Meeting your vendors face to face is always more effective than just over the phone or through email. It is also a great place to create relationships with new vendors that you have not worked with before. Being able to see a vendor’s booth, literature, have a face instead of a business card and seeing what they have to offer rather than getting a cold call when you aren’t prepared is more often than not more valuable.
2. Talking with other property managers to discuss strategies/ideas.
3. Maintenance mania is a good benefit to get the maintenance staff out of their normal everyday routine and see the other side of the business and network with other maintenance staff.
4. The classes are a great benefit in learning more about the business and to get your staff motivated.
5. Networking and word of mouth is always the most valuable way to get your name out there. Bringing your staff to these events and allowing people to put a face with the property is much more effective than looking at properties online.
Amy Tedesco
Leasing Manager
Deer Valley Townhomes
Featured Property
We are looking for a featured property for our next issue! Want to highlight one of your communities in our next newsletter? Please e-mail Valerie at the CTAA for consideration! Deadline is November 30, 2009!
 News You Can Use
Rental Payment Histories: What You Need to Know
By: Bob Lindenfelzer, Regional Sales Executive, First Advantage SafeRent
During the past few years, vendors have initiated the collection of rental payment histories from some of the larger property management firms and property management software companies. There has been an on-and-off effort in the multifamily industry to coordinate the collection of renter payment/performance histories in the U.S., ultimately to supplement credit, payment, and public record data collected by the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax). Once vendors obtain these renter payment histories, they offer them to landlords for the "screening" of prospective apartment residents. Landlords should evaluate two areas of concern if they are either currently using this information for the screening of their apartment applicants, or contemplating using these records for screening applicants.
1. Market completeness of these databases relative to the size of the U.S. renter population.
2. Interpretation of hits and non-hits as it relates to reliability and timing/spacing of data, under the generally accepted statistical principles and the applicable Fair Housing and Fair Credit Regulations.
Market Completeness of Renter Performance Histories
With a population of approximately 300 million in the U.S., a little less than one third of the population lives in rental housing (32%). Among this group of apartment dwellers in any given year, studies have shown that between 92% to 95% are considered to be low risk renters based on the outcome of fulfilling their lease obligations. On average, between 5% - 8% of apartment dwellers are considered high risk renters based on residents explicitly evicted or skipping on their lease, and non payment of rent resulting in an amount owed to the landlord. While rental payment/performance data providers tout the number of rental payment records contained in their databases, the fact of the matter is that these databases contain only a very small "sliver" of the potential rental payment information for the U.S. in any given year. For example, if a provider suggests they have "over 7 million" renter payment/performance records the following calculations can be made. Given that rent payments are made once a month, and assuming that all seven million payment records cited are for the most current year, that equates to only 583,000 resident records for a year (7,000,000 records/12 months = 583,000). Rental payment data on 583,000 residents/units out of the 36.7 million potential units in the U.S. is an estimated market coverage of about 1.6% of all apartment units/dwellers in the U.S. Given these figures, one might expect for a given year that currently only 29,000 to 46,600 resident records contain negative or derogatory renter payment record information (5%-8% of 583,000 resident’s rental data). This example highlights the extent of the undertaking to construct a comprehensive renter payment/performance history database - and explains in part why past efforts have largely failed.
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