Are you a board member of a condo or townhome association? Or perhaps you serve on the board of an HOA otherwise known as a homeowner’s association? Perhaps you are a property manager looking to enhance your knowledge of the community association industry? Or maybe you are looking to get into property management as you have heard that there is a shortage of community management professionals?
If you are a vendor, then this is very relevant for you as well if you provide services to the condo community industry or you are thinking about entering this industry.
One way to do that is to join a trade organization or attend trade shows hosted by organizations that focus on the community association industry. Here are the top organizations that focus on community association living:
- Community Associations Institute (CAI). This organization is the largest organization focused on community association living.
Based in Virginia, CAI has 63 local chapters around the US and outside of the US including Canada, Middle East and South Africa.
- CAI’s website is: https://www.caionline.org/pages/default.aspx
- IL Chapter: There is a chapter in Illinois which is located at: 1821 Walden Office Square #100, Schaumburg, IL 60173. Their phone number is (847) 301-7505
- Trade Show: They host an annual trade show in February called the CAI-IL Condo – HOA Conference & Expo
MCD Media. This organization is based in Downers Grove and they publish 3 difference industry magazines and hold several educational and recreational events throughout the year.
- The magazines are as follows: Condo Lifestyles, Chicagoland Buildings and Environments and The Landscape Buyer
- The annual events include: Condolympics, Annual Year End State of the Industry Seminar that is a mini trade show/seminar on the hottest topics affecting the community association industry and the annual golf/bocce summer event.
- Their contact info is: (630) 932-5551 or (630) 663-0333
- Yale Robbins Publications/Cooperator. This organization holds trade shows in various large cities around the US and publish newspapers with content geared towards the
community association industry.
- Trade Shows:
- There are two trade shows a year held by Yale Robbins and the show is under the name: The Cooperator Expo
- Spring(May) and Fall (October)
- Newspaper: The Chicago newspaper is called the Cooperator Chicago
- https://chicagocooperator.com/
- Trade Shows:
- ACTHA. This organization is based in Chicago and provides a fair amount of education, training and resources to board members, homeowners, property
managers and vendors.
- Here is an overview of the organization: From ACTHA “The Association of Condominium, Townhouse, and Homeowners Associations (ACTHA) is a network of Illinois association boards 1,000+ members strong. We help our members create vibrant, enjoyable places to live! Our practical assistance and invaluable tools can ensure that your association runs efficiently and effectively. ACTHA is governed by a volunteer board of directors. Each is a community association member who understands the unique needs and day-to-day challenges of managing an association. Connect with other members year-round at ACTHA-hosted peer networking events across the Chicago region. Share experiences, learn best practices and network with commercial members all in one place!”
- This is their address:4055 W Peterson Ave Suite 105, Chicago, IL 60646
- Website: https://www.actha.org/
Summary
Whether you are a vendor, a property manager, a board member or homeowner, these organizations are a great resource for you to learn more about the community association industry.
If you are looking to enter the community association industry or you are looking to expand your presence, these groups provide educational, trade shows and classes that are designed to help you in many different ways.