BiggerPockets Real Estate Conference: Is it time?

[Joshua Dorkin]

One of my goals over the past 6 years has been to produce a real estate investing conference unlike any we've seen before. I believe that BiggerPockets is in a unique position to create a conference that changes the game . . .

While most real estate investing events, seminars, clubs, conferences, etc., revolve around the guru crowd, I think the REI world is longing for something different. Just as we changed the game by creating a community dominated by actual investors and other real estate professionals with their feet on the ground, I think we can and must do the same with a BiggerPockets conference.

With that in mind, I've been brainstorming this thing for a long time now, and have had a few false starts, but I've connected with someone that I believe can help us put on a hugely successful event. He has experience putting on various large and successful conventions, and we've begun to talk about how to proceed with one for BiggerPockets.

That said, while I'm confident in my ideas, I would love to get yours as well!

So . . . here are a few questions I've got for you....

1) If BiggerPockets put on a conference, would you want to attend?
2) Would you be willing to travel (fly) to attend such an event?
3) Do you think 2 days would be adequate for a first shot at it?
4) What kinds of ideas do you have for sessions?
5) What would a BP conference look like to you?
6) Of the real estate and other events that you've attended, what is the one thing that you've liked the most?
7) The least?

Feel free to add anything else to your post . . . I'm just looking to determine the level of enthusiasm and to get some ideas from all of you.

So . . . are you psyched?

[Bryan Hancock]

Sounds awesome Josh!

1. I would definitely attend.

2. Yup...you would have to if you wanted to attend

3. 2 days is probably fine. I would love for it to be longer, but that is probably great for a first event

4. The sessions could have people present on different topics. There are tons of investors on here and I am sure you could start a thread to solicit interest from potential presenters. You could then have people vote on who they want to see present the most or some such

5. Half presentations and half mixers/networking. Perhaps a few hours of presentation followed by structure networking followed by more presentations followed by more networking

6. I think the best events are the ones that have people hit the highlights during their presentations and encourage networking. Hours and hours of lecture doesn't make for a very appealing event IMO

7. Events where people pitch stuff in their presentation or are non-experts on subjects with an agenda

I think one of the big things missing from the experience you are looking to create are local groups too. If BP could structure leaders for local groups and coordinate times for club meetings that would make the whole experience much more powerful IMO. I have met with many BP people by phone and in person and it adds a whole new dimension to the networking. Periodic structured BP club meetings would be very powerful.