Janet Lattimore, a broker/owner from Silver Spring, Md., grabbed Gregg Larson during lunch and said words business conference organizers usually only dream of hearing.

"This is amazing -- I'm making money by being here," Lattimore told Larson, senior partner and co-founder of Clareity Consulting Ltd. of Minnesota, which put on the RealFuture Conference on Technology at the Gaithersburg Washington Marriott in Gaithersburg, Md., on Oct. 16.

"This day will pay off for years to come. Where else can you get this kind of education and be prepared for the future in one day," Lattimore exclaimed.

And the day was only half-done.

Clareity Consulting Ltd. of Minnesota has come up with a forum that focuses on rapidly evolving technology issues and questions the real estate industry faces, without getting bogged down in a bunch of high-tech gizmos hunting for a business application.

"This is not a Gadgets-R-Us, and this is not a showcase or sales pitch for bleeding edge technologies that don't work," Larson said. "This is a real world, down-to-earth conference that focuses on new technologies, improved automation, successful e-commerce, the Internet and IP law that directly affect real estate professionals.

The "RealFuture Conference on Technology" series not only addressed the concerns and questions of industry members but also provides a forum for solving problems, exchanging ideas and keeping the industry on the leading edge of technology.

"And most important, this addresses all these issues and how they relate to real estate without giving you a single sales pitch," Larson said. "They aren't allowed."

The Maryland event was the first of a planned series to be held at different regions throughout the country.

Participants said they like the chance to network and discuss the issues as much as the formal presentations.

"We need more of this kind of networking," said Ken Jenny, representing Dallas-based EDS Corp.

Paul Hill, CEO for Open Systems Associates, said he especially liked the focus on education, not shameless product plugs.

"This conference did not turn into vendor sales presentations. No infomercials. Very good," Hill said.

And of course, technology was on the tip of everyone's tongue.

"(The) best techno conference ever," said Jeanette Newton, executive vice president for the Dulles Area Board of Realtors.

"Please do more conferences as technology updates," Linda D. Horne, broker and owner of Horne Cos., told Clareity officials. "Well worth the time and money."

"Highly informative," remarked Irene Shaffer with RE/MAX of Boulder.

Speakers at the Maryland event last week included Eileen Harrington, director for marketing practices with the FTC; Howard Jones, president, Lucero Systems, Mark Gidley, a partner with White & Case; Darity Wesley, general business counsel for Axciom/DataQuick and Richard Wyde, a partner with Davis Wright Tremaine.

The forum covered topics like "Marketing Products & Services on the Web," "What New Technologies Mean to the Rest of Us," and "Agent Home Page Strategies."

"These topics are worth repeating at future conferences," said Bennie Caldwell, president of Ben Caldwell Realty.

Larson said the best endorsement for the conference came from Penny Sullivan of Open Systems of Reston, Va.

"She said 'This is the best real estate event of the year. This a conference with real content,'" Larson said.

Published: October 26, 1998

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