Technology is focus of BOMA convention in Boston.

Conducting business in an ever-changing world has always been a challenge, but today's quickly emerging technology is threatening to out-pace even the most advanced companies. With this in mind, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has made technology and preparing for a future of change its primary focus for its 89th Annual Convention and The Office Building Show, themed "Exploring New Worlds," to be held June 23-26 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Don Tapscott, the featured speaker on June 25, will present "Creating Wealth in the Digital Economy," which not only offers a prescription for the commercial real estate industry, but also explains how to launch a business into paradigm-shift mode, teaches strategies for utilizing the information superhighway, outlines business' transition to a new economy and shows how to move beyond engineering to complete an operation's transformation. Tapscott is the author of The Digital Economy and Paradigm Shift, and currently serves as president of New Paradigm Learning Corporation and chair of the Alliance for Converging Technologies Corporation.

Four seminars will round out the Convention's focus on technology, two of which are courses BOMA International offers throughout the United States as part of its continuing education and advanced training programs.

The first seminar, Doing More With Less: Technology Tools for Today's Property Manager, brings together three of the industry's leading software providers to demonstrate how integrated systems will transform a business. Physical Place Meets Virtual Space: Winners and Losers in the Next Millennium will study how technology's "virtual space" is replacing "physical" real estate space and why it has had such a dramatic impact on the demand, use and economic returns from real estate.

To learn how to link day-to-day property management functions with technology, therefore making tracking and monitoring easier and more cost-efficient, BOMA International will offer How to Measure Service Performance and Increase Your Bottom Line. Finally, How to do Business "On-Line" will teach everything members need to know to conduct business "on-line" utilizing the Internet, CompuServe, and other systems and services.

"BOMA International has long recognized that technology is changing the way we manage property, and we are committed to preparing our members to succeed amid the myriad of new technology being introduced every day. The Annual Convention is just one of the ways we can provide our members with the courses they need to ready themselves for the future," explained Patricia M. Areno, CAE, vice president of Education, Conventions and Meetings at BOMA International. "Our program is designed so that members have the opportunity to learn real specifics about new technology, understand how to apply their knowledge to day-to-day operations and, finally, broaden their mind-set and become more accepting of changing technology."

Also featured at the Annual Convention will be Sam Zell, founder and board chair of Equity Financial Real Estate Company, an entrepreneurial real estate investment firm based in Chicago, who will deliver the keynote address on Monday morning, June 24th, on future directions in commercial real estate.

More than 20 educational workshops will also be offered, and over 400 exhibitors will be on hand to showcase the latest products, services, programs and technology at The Office Building Show.

Other convention highlights will include the annual gala for The Office Building of the Year, the "TOBY" Awards on Sunday, June 23rd, awarding excellence in office building management in North America's finest office buildings, along with extensive hospitality, building tours, entertainment and spouse events.

Registration fees for BOMA International members are $595 and $695 for non-members. For more information, contact BOMA International's Registrar at [phone].