San Diego Hosts MBA 102nd Annual Convention & Expo
Nearly 4,500 real estate finance professional descend on San Diego this weekend for Mortgage Bankers Association’s 102nd Annual Convention & Expo.
Marcia Davies, MBA chief of staff and chief operating officer, said pre-registration numbers have already exceeded last year’s total in Las Vegas.
“MBA members are showing up in force,” Davies said. “The growth we’ve seen at this year’s annual surpasses last year’s by several hundred.”
The Convention officially begins this Sunday, Oct. 18 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 21. But MBA advance staff are already in San Diego to prepare. On Saturday, Oct. 17, nearly 200 mortgage industry vendors and companies will begin setting up in the Expo Hall, renamed this year as The Hub.
In addition to exhibitor booths, The Hub (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aU8N_cTypc&feature=em-uploademail) includes the following features:
–The Side Stage, presenting 30-minute “Quick Tip” session on industry hot topics, as well as special 10-minute presentations from selected vendors and exhibitors.
–The Meeting Spot, featuring Q/As with industry experts and a place to network with industry peers.
–The Hot Spot, where attendees can use free Wi-Fi and charge electronic devices.
“Given that the growth of the convention means we are in convention centers more and not in a host hotel, we wanted to find a place where everyone could come together and connect, conduct business, grab something to eat and have a free cup of Starbucks coffee,” Davies said. “It’s really important that our exhibitors and sponsors, who support MBA in such a strong way, have a venue in which members can come in and have access to their information. We hope the HUB will create that atmosphere.”
Most attendees at the Annual Convention & Expo experience a smoothly run event over three and one-half days. Elaine Howard, MBA vice president of meetings, said the process actually begins four years earlier, when MBA Meetings Department staff scout out cities, meetings space and accommodations that can handle a steadily growing annual event. Planning in earnest for the San Diego began a year and a half ago.
“It’s not unusual for us to be planning the next year’s convention even as we are putting the finishing touches on the current convention,” Howard said. “We’re determining which speakers to book, how many hotels we need and meeting with our research and policy people to determine appropriate general sessions and breakout sessions.”
The biggest logistical challenge for a group of MBA’s size is finding enough hotel space–“we have 10 major hotels for San Diego alone,” Howard said. “It’s a constant process of negotiating contracts.”
Another challenge, Howard said, involves meeting attendee needs. She said features at this year’s conference, such as The Hub, “reflect our desire to effectively allot meeting space to meet our members’ needs.”
One aspect of planning that is not as challenging, Howard said, is “attracting the best and brightest speakers and talent. We have no problem putting together great sessions and panels.”
Davies said she hears from members saying they have difficulty deciding which events to attend. “This tells us that we are striking the right balance in offering content to our members,” she said. “Balancing information and education with entertainment and networking is a unique effort to make the convention compelling each year. When we see attendance spike and the speaker lineup we have, it brings a sense of pride that we’ve struck the right balance in San Diego.”
The 102nd Annual Convention, NETWORK. LEARN. LEAD. features the following keynote speakers:
–Quicken Loans Founder/Chairman Dan Gilbert
–MBA President and CEO David Stevens
–MBA Chairman Bill Cosgrove, CMB
–MBA Chairman-Elect Bill Emerson
–HUD Secretary Julian Castro
–Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray
–Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt
–MBA Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni
–MBA Vice President of Economic Forecasting Marina Walsh
—CNN political analyst Paul Begala
—Fox News political correspondent Tucker Carlson
–Former Cabinet Member and Army Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell
–Comedian and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno
—NBC Counter-Terrorism Analyst and former presidential advisor Roger Cressey
–Freddie Mac CEO Donald Layton
–Fannie Mae President and CEO Timothy Mayopoulos
The Annual Convention will also feature its popular ConcertMBA, with nine-time Grammy Award winner Sheryl Crow.
MBA NewsLink will publish twice-daily editions on Monday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Oct. 20 (7:00 a.m. ET (4:00 a.m. PT) and 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT)). MBA NewsLink will also publish a daily calendar of events taking place at the Annual Convention & Expo.
For more information about the MBA Annual Convention & Expo, visit the convention website, http://events.mortgagebankers.org/102nd_Annual/default.html.
