The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. (PREA), a Prudential Financial business, announced today that Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City and Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year,” will be one of the headliners for the company’s 14th annual Real Estate Sales Convention, March 10-13, 2002. The event will take place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. On March 13, Giuliani will speak at the closing General Session, which will also include a patriotic theme.

In addition, the company announced that Larry King, Emmy Award-winning host of CNN's highest-rated program, Larry King Live, will speak at the General Session on March 11; renowned business strategist Harry Dent will be the keynote speaker on March 12; and star of ABC’s Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Wayne Brady Show, Wayne Brady, will provide an evening of entertainment on March 12.

The Convention will also include a number of educational sessions for Prudential Real Estate brokers and sales professionals based on the company’s Prudential University on Tour program. The sessions include, among other programs, classes on marketing skills, selling techniques, technology usage and recruiting.

“For years at our Real Estate Conventions, we have provided our affiliates with the best in educational sessions, networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and entertainment,” said Earl Lee, president, PREA. “This year is no different, but will be extra special for our attendees with the addition of Rudy Giuliani, who taught us all this year about leadership and the true spirit of patriotism.”

By the end of his two terms as mayor of New York, Giuliani reduced crime by 57 percent, cut welfare roles in half, reduced taxes by $2.5 billion and created a record number of new jobs. Because of his leadership, the city proclaimed by many to be once again a great place to live and one of the world’s most productive metropolises.

But his toughest challenge was yet to come. With the tragic events of September 11th the rest of the world found out what New Yorkers already knew — that Rudy Giuliani was a determined leader who could bring them remarkable strength and stability at a time of great uncertainty. During the crisis he became in essence, “America’s Mayor.” He calmed, consoled and reassured the public while urging them to return to their normal lives and not to let the terrorists achieve their aim of disrupting life. In one of the saddest times in American history, the remarkable leadership of Mayor Giuliani and the extraordinary heroism of his fellow New Yorkers restored the faith in the ideals that are so vital to a free society.

Larry King has been interviewing the famous and the infamous for over 40 years. As one of the most respected personalities in the industry, he has accumulated more than 40,000 interviews(is this right?), including every living U.S. president and first lady since the Nixon administration. He has received numerous broadcast and journalism awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. He has also written 12 books including Anything Goes! What I Learned from Pundits, Politicians and Presidents.