Future of Real estate summit 2020
Qualia’s first conference
Austin, Texas | January 2020
Event Metrics
Number of Attendees: 240
Number of Sponsors: 15
Number of Staff: 90
Event Length: 2 Days
Number of Sessions: 25+
Attributed Pipeline: $17MM
Hotel Partner: Kimpton Van Zandt
Themes and Design
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The Vision
Going into the first Qualia conference a vision for a real estate industry conference that brings together real estate professionals, service providers, technology providers and investors to connect about technology and share in the innovative ideas that are powering the businesses building the future of home ownership. In line with the Qualia brand styles, the event featured Austin local vibes with refined aesthetics, high end meals and locally known entertainment.
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Themes
The themes for the first FORES event is encapsulated in its name: the Future of Real Estate. Regardless of their role in the transaction process, attendees could join the event and learn from the industry's top experts about the future direction of the industry and the technologies driving it forward. As a newer product on the market, this event was crucial for elevating Qualia as a thought leader and key contributor to the Title and Escrow community, solidifying our place among legacy software solutions.
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Designing a New Brand
Since this was our inaugural industry event and not just a user gathering, we wanted to establish a distinct identity for it. We moved away from the lighter greens, whites, and grays that dominate our website and product branding, opting instead for a darker theme. The event branding featured deep black backgrounds contrasted with white text and green accents. This gave the event a sophisticated yet straightforward look, with arrows symbolizing the direction toward the future.
Session Highlights
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Attendees got unique insights on technology’s impact on the future of buying experiences in a conversation with Joe Lonsdale - a top Silicon Valley veteran, a partner at venture firm 8VC, and previously a co-founder of Palantir as well as early Paypal team.
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By 2020 the Mortgage Lending and Title Insurance industries changed dramatically in the 5 years. Industry expert and Executive Chairman of Williston Financial Group (WFG), Patrick Stone, made several bold predictions back in 2015. Guest learned which of Stone’s predictions materialized and where does Stone believe the industry was headed in the next 5 years. Qualia CEO, Nate Baker, sat down with Stone to discuss what changes title insurers and mortgage lenders could anticipate.
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Guest who had nailed the Qualia basics, had a chance to master lesser-known Qualia features they didn’t know they needed. In this 20 minute power session, we broke down 20 game-changing Qualia features they could leverage right away to create a seamless end-to-end closing experience their clients would love.
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Frank Abagnale provided entertaining insight into his life as the notorious imposter of the 1960s; a thrilling story told in the award-winning movie and Broadway musical, Catch Me If You Can. By age 21, Abagnale was known as America's most gifted con man, successfully impersonating an airline pilot, pediatrician, stockbroker, college professor, and assistant attorney general, all while cashing $2.5 million in forged checks. Audiences experienced an emotional roller coaster ride as motivational speaker Frank Abagnale described his escapades and reveals how he learned to live on the right side of the law.
Engaging Activations
Win a Trip on Us
Qualia invited its customers, prospects, and partners to attend a groundbreaking event. To boost awareness and engagement, we launched a sweepstakes offering tickets, airfare, and accommodations as prizes. Even those who registered but didn't win still received a great benefit: a daily room credit to use as they wished! These extra perks helped our service at the event stand out.
Welcome to the Success Bar
Similar to a Genius bar, guests have the opportunity to book appointments online or walk up to the host and connect in person with customer success managers for one-on-one discussions about product queries and issues. Meetings were held in a private space near the main foyer of the event. In appointments, Guests had access to product experts from across the suite products as well as access to executives for business strategy focused discussions.
The first live Hackathon
Before this event, many customers did not have insight into the engineering process. Offering a Live Hackathon gave guests an opportunity to engage directly with engineers and product leads. Guests could submit ideas for the hackathon before or during the opening reception. During the Product Keynote, engineers showcase their creations from the day on the main stage. This year they showcased Video Chat with in the Qualia product and got a wild reaction of cheers!
V1: Interactive Networking RoundTables
After observing that many guests remained the morning after the main event, we introduced the Networking Roundtables as a spontaneous addition. These sessions, held at Qualia offices, featured randomized group discussions on industry subjects. Guests were enthusiastic about the valuable connections they made. It has now become a key tradition for starting off FORES events.
Introducing the Blizzard Break
At the end of a lengthy day of sessions and networking, offering a sweet treat can be the perfect pick-me-up to energize guests before the final session. As a delightful surprise and a nod to the CEO's first job, hundreds of mini Blizzards from Dairy Queen are brought in. The vibrant red spoons never fail to make mouths water.
First time to Sponsor
Partnering with complementary companies in the industry can help establish the credibility of a new event. The pricing and packages are straightforward and comparable to similar events. For the first installment of FORES, some sponsorships were tailored for specific partners, and certain add-ons were provided in-kind to enhance larger partnership deals. Sponsors also had the opportunity to participate and exhibit.
