1996 ARES annual meeting
the perfect dozen works!
by: Glenn Mueller
Legg Mason Wood Walker
1996 Program Chair and President-Elect

Lake Tahoe, California, was at its best for the recent annual ARES meeting. This was due to excellent weather, a great facility, and the most abundant set of amenities and goodies ever found at an ARES meeting. Over 250 members attended and listened to over 150 papers and 13 panels on every topic conceivably related to real estate. Our foreign contingent was quite high this year with many attendees and papers from over 10 different countries.

 

This meeting saw more spouses and children attending as well, probably due to the all-suite concept that gave everyone a room suite that could easily hold four or more. Or maybe it was the world renown natural beauty of the Lake Tahoe area, or maybe the snow skiing with great spring conditions. For some, maybe it was the Nevada casinos right across the street. This venue provided a truly relaxing environment and a warm and friendly environment ensued.

 

This year saw a number of vendors with software, data, and even calculators for the overhead projector -- what a great teaching tool.

 

ARES has its roots in the combined efforts of academia and industry to increase the knowledge base and professionalism of the real estate industry, through applied research and knowledge exchange. The evolution of ARES as an important force in the study and understanding of real estate is directly related to the development of real estate as a strong academic discipline and the increasing sophistication and professionalism found in the industry.

 

Important steps in the future were discussed at this ARES meeting, including a strategic plan and two new journals (Journal of Real Estate Education and Practice and the Journal of Real Estate Strategy). The conference also saw the first-time use of presentation reviews by the session chairs. Over 130 members put their e-mail addresses into the computer data base at the registration table. All this valuable information will be used to enhance future meetings. Where else could things be so good, yet continue to get better.