BOMA International 2016 Conference

Elevator industry makes a good showing at large tradeshow.

Just south of Washington, D.C., lies a small development along the Potomac River in Maryland known as National Harbor. On June 25-28, this bustling place was the site of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International 2016 Conference, which saw a crowd of more than 3,000 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center for educational sessions and expositions.

This show attracts more than just elevator-industry professionals and companies. According to BOMA International’s website (boma.org), the organization:

“. . . is a primary source of information on building management and operations, development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumption patterns, local and national building codes, legislation, occupancy statistics, technological developments, and other industry trends.”

Elevator companies had solid representation at this year’s expo. As your author made his way around to each of our industry’s booths, he repeatedly heard that attending this show is well worth it, for not only generating new business, but also as a way to meet with current clients in person — a rare opportunity.

While Elevator World, Inc. did not have its own booth, we partnered with SnapCab, which had an impressive display. It included a large wall featuring Gorilla® Glass, which is useful as a writing surface and, of course, in elevator cabs (ELEVATOR WORLD, June 2016). Another feature of this technology that caught everyone’s attention was, that by attaching actuators to it, the glass can become a speaker. The audio, combined with a flush-mounted, flat-screen TV, makes it a solution for media rooms.

Also present were the majors: KONE, thyssenkrupp, Otis, Schindler and Fujitec. KONE was showcasing its new virtual-reality application that allows clients to stand inside a virtual cab and instantly change its various finishes and components. According to KONE’s Marketing Communications Specialist Paul Jauregui, it is the first elevator company to use virtual reality as a sales tool for cab interiors.

Many smaller independent elevator companies also exhibited, including consultants MyElevatorConsultant.com and local BOCA Group and inspection service company Dominion. Eklund’s, Inc.’s booth was showcasing its custom elevator cabs with a wide array of finishing options. King’s III Emergency Communications was busy talking to clients about its affordable solution to managing elevator emergency phones. Both the National Fire Protection Association and International Code Council also had booths.

On Monday night, Otis was kind enough to invite your author to its VIP Customer Reception, which took place in the beautifully decorated Cherry Blossom Ballroom inside the Gaylord. The food, beverages and interesting conversations were aplenty. Upon being asked about the importance of BOMA International and its customers, Teresa Ellis, senior director, marketing, Otis Americas, replied:

“Otis has been a BOMA International member for nearly 50 years, and the show continues to provide key opportunities for building business relationships. In addition to our 20-x-20-ft. booth that showcased our innovative Gen2® Modernization product, CompassPlus™ destination dispatching technology and eService Mobile app, we hosted a customer reception to connect with clients outside of the expo hall. The event was well attended, with many valued Otis customers and prospects from across North America. Events such as these are invaluable networking experiences for our team and help to strengthen relationships with our clients across our portfolio.”

The BOMA International 2017 Conference will take place on June 24-27 at Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Acknowledgements

Your author would like to thank SnapCab for its partnership during this event and Otis for its generous VIP Customer Reception invitation.