Residential Estate Industry Journal 5 | Page 73

2018 ARC ANNUAL

Conference , Expo and Golf Day The 6 th ARC Annual Conference , Expo and Golf Day took place at the beautiful , recently relaunched Serengeti Estates , located in Kempton Park , from 12 to 14 September 2018 .

The ARC Annual Golf Day , to thank our members for their support , together with a fun-filled croquet game , wine tasting and lunch for non-golfers , took place on Wednesday 12 September . A big thank you to Servest for generously sponsoring this event .
The two-day conference was attended by over 140 HOA directors , managers and team members involved in the strategic and operational management of residential communities as well as stakeholders in the industry . The event attracted delegates from the Free State , Gauteng , KwaZulu- Natal , Limpopo , Mpumalanga , North West , Eastern Cape , Western Cape and some international participants . This was a great opportunity for those who attended to help shape and grow the residential community industry .
The conference programme ( below ) included presentations from various experts and interactive sessions as well as panel discussions and breakaway sessions covering :
•• strategic community management
•• innovation and creative management
•• transformation
•• the legal and legislative framework
•• community leadership and board strategy
•• scenario planning
Jeff Gilmour welcomed all the delegates and set the stage for a productive two days .
The day kicked off with three breakaway sessions in which the delegates explored ‘ Adapting to the changing roles of the Community Manager ’.
Pepe Gutiérrez , the founder of Megafincas Alicante S . L . in Spain , and a property management professor at the Alicante and Burgos University , got the audience thinking when he spoke about ‘ Disruptive technologies in community management : Think big but act small ’. He pointed out that all the advances , connectivity of devices , systems and services won ’ t get you anywhere unless you are focused on your customers ’ experiences and how connected devices can solve their problems .
Dr Kobus Neethling , from NBI , is regarded as the leading creativity expert in South Africa , and one of the top three speakers in the world on the topics of creativity and innovation .
He gave insight into how ‘ Using your whole brain in the 21st century ’ can give you an amazing edge .
Before lunch the idea of rewarding members of residential communities for their loyalty was introduced and explored .
The afternoon session began with a presentation on Community Social Investment & BEE by Malcolm Samuel and Terry Dearling . Malcolm Samuel , General Manager of Simbithi Eco-Estate , has a keen interest in Community Social Investment and ardently pursues partnerships beyond the borders of Simbithi . Human resources specialist and business coach Terry Dearling has dealt with new democracy and changing legislation , in organisations spanning 10 African countries , and ranging from small enterprises to large corporations with 6,000 employees . This was followed by a lively panel discussion on the topic .
Thank you to Lazelle Paola , Attorney and Partner at Cox Yeats , who dealt with the current Legal and Legislative Framework and answered the many pressing questions raised .
Our Gala Dinner and ARC 10-Year Celebration will remain a night to remember ! Thank you to Rike on Sax for the entertainment .
Our keynote speaker on the start of the second day was Mike Ivey from Gold Digger and Café Life . He is passionate about creative transformations and digging beneath the surface of individuals and organisations to discover the hidden Gold … and that he did through his conversation ‘ The way of REMARKABLE ’. He used the findings of a most powerful experiment to highlight the path of remarkable . With the group , he explored the notion that ‘ whatever our situation we have the gift of choice ,’ and this will lead us into remarkable spaces of value creation .
The Community Leadership and Board Strategy session was presented and facilitated by Janssen Davies , Chairman of the HOA Board of White River Country Estate and the HOA Board of Berg En Dal Estate in Hout Bay . The presentation on ‘ How do board members manage risk ? Using subcommittees effectively and director and management relationships ’ was followed by a panel session on the topic . This was the first year that HOA directors were invited to attend a session focused on their role . It was well supported , with everyone gaining deeper insights .
The final session included rotation breakaway discussions that looked at scenarios covering the key operational imperatives , sustainability , and managing member expectations as well as industry trends and the industry bodies .
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