President's message: Summer social and a conference

Happy Summer! I hope that everyone is having a good year so far and gearing up for vacations if you have not taken one already. August is usually a slower month due to it being a time for people being away, so we need to plan ahead and have a bit more patience. In the end, everything that needs to get done does, and we all take vacations only to return to double the work we had on our desks before we left. Ahhh the cycle of our work lives! Recently we held our summer social on the rooftop terrace at Hotel Zero Degrees in Norwalk. It was nice to see many of you there at such a perfect spot to share some good food and drinks in a relaxing yet hip atmosphere. Sometimes we all just need to get out and socialize putting business aside (somewhat) getting to know those in our group a little bit better. Another great event is our annual golf outing which is always a "sold out" event. While a little more competitive than the summer social, the game never gets in the way of us all enjoying the fun day. I hope all of you had a great time and I look forward to next year's outing. Congratulations also to the two students who were awarded the college scholarships this year. We all know how expensive college is these days and to financially help the parents, our members, helps their children. Giving back to families in our association is always important. This year's summer conference was held in sunny Orlando, Florida at the Gaylord Resort and Conference Center. Not only was it a beautiful setting but the conference kept the tradition of having good educational classes, roundtable discussions, keynote and panel speakers, and a product/service filled trade show. An important factor in the international event for me, besides the education, is actually meeting professionals from other areas and talking in part about how business operates in their area. It may be obvious, but while practices are similar, our tri-state area and even much of our mid- Atlantic region, handle business on a more quickened pace with great attention to detail. Maybe it's the influence of our proximity to major the cities of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and D.C., or that a great deal of vacancy and land are being filled/restructured, but whatever the reason, I always get the sense that we are very strong in our direction in business and relationship goals in the region. The 2015 Mid-Atlantic Conference will be hosted by Southern CT BOMA at the Stamford Marriott. Sponsorships are available and I encourage anyone involved in the commercial real estate industry in our region to consider sponsoring and attending this event. Education sessions, networking events, keynote speakers, tours and the presentation of TOBY awards will take place over the course of the three day conference. I want to say "thank you" to all the sponsors throughout the year. Whether you are an annual, event, program, or other type of sponsor, without your support our events would not happen and the organization could not survive. If there are any suggestions you might have related to program topics, we would love to hear from you. We are always looking for fresh topics that are of interest and can benefit everyone. Victor DeCicco is the president of BOMA Southern Connecticut, and is with HB Nitkin Group, Greenwich, Conn.