Greetings!  

As you undoubtedly are aware, about 3000 community members go through our EXPO exhibition hall each year.  Even more are expected at our new Grand Traverse Resort venue.  Whether they are looking to update, refurbish or renovate, we will have over 120 vendors there to showcase the newest and most innovative products and services for their home. 

 

We are extending an offer to any member interested in becoming the Platinum Sponsor of our 2012 Home EXPO.  Such sponsorship would underscore a commitment to the Grand Traverse Area and help our members, their customers and clients learn more about your company as well.

Sponsorship details:

PLATINUM SPONSOR-$1500

1. Receive 200 EXPO admission tickets bearing your company logo as event sponsor to distribute to clients - Value $1000
2. Radio promotion on WTCM (50+ 30-second radio spots) promoting your company as the EXPO sponsor - Value $800
3. Your company logo prominently displayed on the EXPO ads in Record Eagle (1/22/12 and 1/29/12) and Leelanau Enterprise (1/19/12 and 1/26/12) - Value $829
4. Opportunity to promote your company during live remote radio broadcast at the EXPO on Saturday, Feb. 4^th - Value $200
5. Prominent signage at the EXPO venue recognizing you as 2012 EXPO Sponsor.

Obviously, this value exceeds the dollar investment. The premier sponsor garners some terrific exposure.and would also have exclusive rights to put their company's literature and information into goodie bags provided all patrons.

 

If you or your company is interested in being our Platinum EXPO Sponsor, contact Kathy at 946-2305 prior to December 21^st.  

Together, we are building a stronger Association!

 

 

Kathy Maisonville

Executive Officer

kathy@hbagta.com

www.hbagta.com

 

 

We also are working on details regarding an exciting new Smart Phone advertising app called "You Rang" which will be offered to our Directory advertisers.  This tool will afford homeowners' access to Certified HBA Contractors and Service Professionals through their iPhones or Androids.   If you have any questions about the 2012 HBA Membership Directory or advertising opportunities within the publication, contact the HBA office.

The 2012 HBA Membership Directory will be distributed at the 2012 Home EXPO, as well as to even more businesses throughout the five-county area.  Our goal is to increase community awareness of who our HBA members are, and what types of  professional services and outstanding products they provide. 

Things were moving at light speed in Lansing this past week with three major pieces of legislation involving the MAHB moving forward.

At the top of the list was House passage on Thursday of HB 4561, the Flexible Code Cycle bill introduced by State Representative Joe Haveman, by a bipartisan vote of 68 to 39. The bill was opposed by a formidable national coalition that included makers of insulation products who gain every time a more stringent and expensive energy code is adopted, fire sprinkler manufacturers and fire officials who demand residential sprinklers in all homes, the electrical manufacturers backing arc-fault interrupters, and the private companies that create the code and then profit every time a new edition is published. The bill now goes to the Senate were we start everything all over again. For more details on HB 4561, please see last week's edition of Newswire.

Next up was House Bill 5011, introduced by State Representative Mark Ouimet which gives local units of government the ability to use private companies to perform selected services for a local building department. Although the MAHB initially had strong concerns about this bill, Representative Ouimet was gracious enough to work with us to put those concerns to rest. As it passed the House, the measure increases the number of options available to building departments to help local governments to control costs. Private companies are not given either governmental police powers or immunity in this bill. Building officials have to be the direct employee of the local enforcing agency but can also be employed in a different position by the private company. The House Local Government Committee unanimously reported House Bill 5046 to the floor.

Another bill introduced by Representative Haveman (the former EO of the Holland HBA), would amend the Condominium Act to specify that a condominium association's documents could be amended, without the consent of the co-owners, in order to extend from six years to 10 years the time during which a developer could expand, contract, or convert units or common elements.

Finally the Office of Regulatory reform's new Inspection and Permitting Advisory rules Committee held its first meeting this week. This committee is charged with examining the state's existing construction inspections and permitting process with an eye toward changes and must complete its work within 120 days. Lee Schwartz is representing the MAHB on this committee.

New Date!  New Location!

New Opportunities!

2012 Home Builders EXPO

 
February 4^th and 5^th

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa 

Booth spaces available !

The Parks crew will chip and recycle trees as mulch for use on area nature trails.

Please don't leave your Christmas trees in alleys or on streets; the city will NOT be picking them up.

2012 NAHB International Builders' Show in Orlando on Feb. 8-11.

Attendees will be able to acquire new skills, training and the continuing education needed to obtain the CAPS and other designations - and to work effectively with clients, bankers, architects, suppliers and others in the industry.

"Most builders, remodelers and other industry professionals know that one of the chief benefits of attending IBS is the wide array of educational sessions - led by acknowledged experts in the field," said
Mark Pursell, senior vice president of NAHB's Exhibitions, Marketing and Sales Group.  In 13 separate topic tracks, the education sessions will cover almost every conceivable topic of interest to builders.

Some of the sessions being offered include:

• "Economic & Market Forecast for the 50+ Housing Industry"
• "Design Application Workshop: Creating and Designing Product Using a Team Approach"
• "Great Kitchens! Expert Ideas to Improve Your Kitchen Designs"
• "Gen Yers and Boomers - The Future of the Apartment Industry"
• "2012 Super Sales Rally: Back in the Black"
• "Universal Design/Build - Taking CAPS to the Next Level"
• "Building Green Homes, From Start to Finish"

Forty-seven of these education sessions and four pre-show education sessions are approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education Systems. They span a range of topics including green, multifamily, construction codes and technology. NAHB will report all credits earned to AIA's CES Records.  Free Access to the IBS Online Session Library After the Show for a Full Year

In addition, full registration to the Builders' Show entitles attendees to free access for a full year to the IBS online library of all the recorded sessions - a $399 value if purchased after the show.  "Until this year, many IBS attendees had to choose between sessions being offered simultaneously - attending one while missing out on another," Pursell said. "The online library solves that issue by giving attendees much of the same value they would have gotten if they'd attended the session in person."

The password-protected resource will be available a few weeks after the show has ended and will include audio and online slides of each speaker's presentation. View a sampling of the 2011 online library and the materials available here.

For more information, to view the courses being offered and to register for IBS, visit www.buildersshow.com.

CHECK THE HBAGTA WEBSITE BEFORE YOU MAKE A PURCHASE to take advantage of the Member Discounts that are available to you!  We now boast 17 participants that are offering discounts to our members and it's never too late to get involved!

If you would like to offer a free or discounted service or product to your HBA colleagues, please complete the application you received in the mail or print another one here. You may mail it or fax it to the HBA office. There is no charge for this opportunity. 

To take advantage of these discounts simply show your current HBAGTA Membership Card to the provider at the time of purchase.