Countdown to Co-op & Condo Expo.

After more than 25 years of producing data for the real estate industry, the principals of Yale Robbins, Inc., brothers Yale and Henry Robbins, are gearing up for the 20th Annual Co-op & Condo Expo, being held April 25 at Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Since acquiring the exclusive rights to the Expo in 1999, along with the monthly publication The Cooperator, the Robbins have been responsible for tripling the size of the show and making it one of the most popular in the industry. At the advent of its second decade, Expo is featuring 260 exhibition booths on three floors at the Hilton and six free seminars--up from four in previous shows. In addition, an on-site book store with pertinent reference books and guides is being introduced.

Gauging from early registration figures, it is anticipated that attendance will be in excess of 4,000, comprising co-op and condominium board members, Homeowners Associations (HOA's) and property managers and other real estate professionals from the greater New York Metropolitan area. As in previous years, admission to the Expo free of charge.

"Henry and I have really put our hearts and souls into the Expo over the years," says Yale Robbins, president and founder of the publishing group. "It has become one of the industry's most important events. So much information is presented here, that we have created a one-stop shop for resources."

Adds Henry Robbins, executive vice president, "This show is a reflection of how the industry keeps changing. In 2004, we introduced The New Jersey Cooperator to more comprehensively cover a burgeoning co-op market that is now a major one. This year, over 42 New Jersey-based companies are exhibiting at the show. When we started, co-op board members were our largest audience. Today, we are featuring a seminar on how to convert co-ops into condominiums. Most importantly, the show has expanded from 80 booths in 1999 to 260 exhibitors, representing a wealth of significant resources."

In addition to the vendor booths, seminars and the bookstore, the Expo offers Free Advice booths manned by prominent attorneys, accountants, property managers and brokers, free copies of The Cooperator's Official Directory of Co-op & Condo Services, a Food Court and complimentary Cyber Cafe. As in past years, raffles will be held throughout the day for co-op and condo board members.

The six seminars for the 2007 Expo include: Surviving the New Energy Reality (sponsored by Hess Corp.); Co-op to Condo Conversions (a how to) (sponsored by ROA Hutton); Telecom for Value (sponsored by Verizon); Understanding Association/ Cooperative Governance (sponsored by Stark & Stark); Challenges & Solutions in Heating and Cooling Residential Properties (sponsored by Con Edison); Funding Capital Improvements (sponsored by Meridian Capital).

Although admission remains free, pre-registration is advised through either the website at www.coopexpo.com or by phone at 1-800-893-7949.

"There is no other show like the Expo," concludes Henry Robbins. "When we started our business, my brother's background as a broker and mine as an architect, gave us tremendous insight into the market from multiple perspectives. But producing the Expo for the past nine years has really kept us on top of housing trends."