For most people, after a long winter, warm weather cannot come soon enough. But, if you are a trustee in a community association or a property manager, spring means more than barbecues and patio furniture—it means tough decisions and expensive building repairs. Fortunately for New Jersey trustees, there’s an event that can make those tough decisions a little easier on you and your wallet. On Wednesday, May 14, The New Jersey Cooperator is holding its Premier Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo, an event that offers valuable information and services to the condominium, townhouse and HOA communities.

“This will certainly be the premier Expo for building managers, board managers, and trustees,” says Henry Robbins, executive vice president of Yale Robbins, Inc., The New Jersey Cooperator’sparent company and producer of the Expo. “In one day, you can get the latest and greatest in products and services.”

Looking for a new service provider? Need replacement windows? How about an accountant? Or maybe you’re searching for a new property manager or a landscaper?

There will be over 100 booths of exhibitors, covering everything from asbestos abatement to window replacement, and running the gamut of everything in between— what Henry Robbins describes as “sort of like a supermarket of service providers and new products.”

For trustees and managers, the Expo serves as a one-stop-shop for all services needed to manage and maintain buildings. The event is mutually beneficial to vendors as well, because, as Robbins says, “We bring the business to you. The whole point of the show is to bring the right people in the industry together. The Cooperator’sExpos have become a prime destination for real estate professionals and board trustees seeking resources and valuable networks.”

Conveniently located at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, 355 Plaza Drive, in Secaucus, the event is expected to draw over 1,200 people, based on pre-registration for the event available on the web at www.nj-expo.com. But The New Jersey Cooperatorand the event’s sponsors expect an even greater turnout.

The Cooperator’s Co-op & Condo Expo at the Hilton New York in Midtown Manhattan (this year on April 29, 2008) has been a successful event for over twenty years. Since its inception, each subsequent year has seen immense growth in the size of the show, the number of vendor booths, and the number of attendees. The same time-tested formula is being applied to the New Jersey Expo, an event that Robbins describes as “long overdue.”

In an effort to attract as many community association trustees as possible and make the premier New Jersey Expo as memorable as possible, raffle and giveaway prizes are bigger and better than they have ever been before. No, we are not talking about oven mitts or fly swatters—we are talking about a vacation package, iPhone, surround sound system, flat screen TV and numerous gift certificates. To enter, attendees just have to put their name and contact information on the raffle ticket picked up at the registration desk and bring it to The New Jersey Cooperator’s booth. Prizes will be drawn every half hour, so come early and make a day of it!

The premier New Jersey Expo will feature informative seminars from industry professionals covering topics of most importance to boards, managers, and trustees. Some seminars that will be featured at the event, include: “Secrets to a Productive Board/ Management Relationship,” hosted by The New Jersey Cooperator, “Water Conservation and Cost Saving Strategies” presented by Gaetano Virone of Environmental Designers Irrigation, Inc., “Avoiding Litigation in a Complex World” presented by David J. Byrne, Esq., of the law firm of Stark & Stark; and “Mortgage Matters: The Post-Subprime Era,” also hosted by The New Jersey Cooperator. These noteworthy seminars, coupled with the sponsorship of Stark & Stark, Hill Wallack LLP, EPIC Security, Renewal by Andersen, Environmental Designers Irrigation Inc., and Time Warner Cable, have been pivotal in getting this exciting event off the ground.

This is a rare opportunity to gain valuable information, and seminars are expected to draw standing-room-only crowds, so it is advised to arrive at the designated room at least a few minutes before your chosen seminar is scheduled to start.

In the chance, however, that there is a packed house for the always-popular seminars, perhaps a trip to the food court or the cyber café will provide welcome respite. Our bookstore will also offer a wide variety of resource guides that should enhance any HOA’s library.

Another highlight of the Expo will be the advice booths, in which attendees will have the opportunity to speak with industry professionals and attain expert advice, across a wide variety of fields, free of charge.

If you’re interested in attending the Expo for a day of information and networking, you can pre-register right now at nj-expo.com, or call 201-661-4400. Admission is free, but pre-registration will get you into the Expo quicker on the day of the show. Directions to the show are also posted on the web.

The New Jersey Cooperator’s Premier Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo promises to be the biggest and most exhaustive of its kind in all of New Jersey this year. If you’re a board trustee, a property manager, or just a homeowner interested in the continued well-being and livelihood of your community, stop by the show and see what it has to offer—you’ll be glad you did.

Hannah Fons and Brendan J. Flaherty are associate editors at The New Jersey Cooperator.