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Delivering keynotes is fun, mainly because they usually require the person delivering them to pull together multiple strands of thought into a single coherent narrative.

Fall conference season is fast approaching, and this year's program promises a few interesting conversations. I've been preparing what promises to be an intriguing conversation on a topic that seems to be growing in importance: how multifamily operators select technology. A lot has changed about the tech itself and how we fund the companies that make it. Both provide important context for a session that I am particularly looking forward to at Blueprint next month.

Another outstanding AIM conference is in the books. It was a terrific few days in Huntington Beach—with what felt like the best ever crowd in this event's long and successful history. Among the many interesting conversations at the show, some focused on topics familiar to readers of this blog, a few of which are outlined below.

The second Funnel Forum is in the books, and it was a great few days in paradise—sorry, I mean Terranea—one of the most beautiful resorts on the conference circuit. A busy week saw lots of announcements and deep conversations about the hot topics of AI and centralization.

The most interesting projects for anyone trying to develop a deep understanding of business trends are the ones that allow a viewpoint to develop over time. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the multifamily trend toward centralization.

The last major multifamily technology event of the year took place last week in San Diego. And with it, AppFolio FURURE appears to have established itself as a major fixture on the industry's event calendar.

A couple of things stood out: with double the attendance of last year's event, this show is now on par—for attendance and content—with the largest user conferences in our industry. More impressively, FUTURE presented the broadest and most cohesive vision I have seen of how AI may change property management.  

NMHC OPTECH 2024 is in the books, and what an event it was. As we noted last week, this year's was another record-setting crowd. As always, the event seemed to fly by. There is much to unpack, so this article will share thoughts on the launch of RETTC (pronounced "ret-see"), key technology themes that stood out, and finally, some reflections on the future of this excellent event.

Fall is well and truly upon us, and once again, it's that time of year when those who follow multifamily operations and technology gather for the last industry-wide event in the multifamily calendar: NMHC OPTECH. This year's show (taking place next week at National Harbor, MD) represents a mix of continuity and change, as this post will explain.

The City of Brotherly Love provided a backdrop for this year's NAA APARTMENTALIZE that was fresh in novelty, if not in weather. An energy-packed conference offered new insights into some of our industry's most rapidly changing areas. There's lots to talk about, and it is with some trepidation that I share a recap focused on two of the most buzzwordy topics: centralization and AI. However, these were the biggest stories that caught my eye at NAA this year.

Spring conference season this year is a bit more interesting than usual. It's mostly thanks to a couple of new conferences on the circuit that I think will further important industry conversations. A few weeks ago, the inaugural "Forum," Hosted by Funnel Leasing, established a new place to discuss the increasingly popular topic of centralization. Last week saw the inaugural REBA Insights conference in Vail, CO. There were parallels between the two events that I will discuss in this post.