Check out the blog each evening while you’re at the 2013 Appraisal Institute Annual Meeting for a recap of the day’s happenings and highlights.

AI Connect Attendees Sound Off

Attendees shared their experiences at AI Connect so far. Here’s the word on the street:

“I’ve been coming for so many years, it’s fabulous to come see my friends… There are some incredible folks here who I always look forward to seeing.”

— Brenda Dohring Hicks, MAI, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter

“[I attended] for the educational opportunities. I’m a new director for the local chapter of the Institute, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to find out about the latest things going on in the industry.”
— John Meyer, SRA, Great Lakes Chapter

“I derive so much enjoyment from the camaraderie and the interaction… There are people here who truly understand me, and who I can communicate with, and share nuances and anecdotes, and they get me. I feel accepted.”
— Eric Garfield, MAI, Southern California Chapter

Being surrounded by nearly 450 of the best of the best in the valuation profession made many attendees reflective of their careers and the many challenging and rewarding experiences they’ve been afforded. Here’s what a few had to say:

“One thing I like about what I do is I appraise all types of properties. I’ve appraised properties from sports stadiums to offices to power plants, so it really is exciting to do this type of work because you get to see properties all over the world… I’m a soccer fan, and I was able to appraise the soccer stadium for Manchester United in England.”
— Kyle Redfearn, MAI, North Texas Chapter

“I ended up backing my way into it, and fell in love with it very quickly, and it’s really the only job I’ve ever had.”
— Robert Elliott Jr., MAI, SRA, South Carolina Chapter

“The best thing about being an appraiser is that every day is different.”
— Terry Dunkin, MAI, SRA, SRPA, Maryland Chapter

Connect with Your Colleagues

Having built relationships around the country, many attendees have used AI Connect as their chance to reconnect with long-distance friends, colleagues and connections. View the directory of registered attendees online to help locate and reconnect with yours!

Exhibit Hall Abuzz

With so many attendees identifying the networking opportunities as one of their favorite aspects of the 2013 Annual Meeting, it was never more apparent than on the exhibit floor (Cosmopolitan foyer, third level). The nearly 450 attendees made their way through the exhibit floor throughout the day, taking advantage of the chance to exchange ideas and experiences with other valuation professionals, as well as learn about new trends, tools and services from the various industry vendors and service providers at the more than 20 exhibits.

AI Political Action Committee Hosts Cocktail Reception

Appraisal Institute Political Action Committee hosted a reception Wednesday night on the exhibit floor (Cosmopolitan foyer, third level). AI Connect attendees had the opportunity to network with their peers, and took advantage of their last chance to peruse the exhibits.

Are you at AI Connect? Share your favorite highlights from the day!