2007 General Session: the REALTOR® Entertainment Capital of the World
What do you get when you mix a white-jumpsuited Elvis, feather-plumed showgirls, Carlotta from "Phantom," NAR's forefathers, five Good Neighbors, an extraordinary REALTOR® from every U.S. state and territory, and comedy icon Bill Cosby? The 2007 REALTORS® Conference & Expo General Session in Las Vegas, of course!!!
As approximately 8,000 Conference attendees filed into Venetian Ballroom F Wednesday afternoon, they were treated to a surprise performance by Elvis and the Viva Las Vegas Dancers that included such favorites as "Little Sister" and "Suspicious Minds." After the colorful and energetic show ended -- and all were assured "The King has left the building" -- the spectacle continued with a rousing performance of the national anthem by Elena Jeanne Batman, also known at the Venetian as Carlotta in the hotel's production of "Phantom."
2007 Meeting & Conference Committee Chair Joanne Levy officially opened the session by welcoming everyone to Las Vegas and thanking her committee and conference sponsors, REBAC and SRES. Attendees then got a glimpse of NAR's exciting 2008 Public Awareness Campaign, including shout-outs from celebrity supporters like CBS Sports' James Brown, the Food Network's Tyler Florence, and "Apprentice" star and REALTOR® Kendra Todd. Levy then turned the event over to 2007 NAR President Pat V. Combs with an amusingly informative introduction (Trivia: What industrious youth stuffed sausage at her family's business for 50 cents a hour?).
Combs' part of the production was chock-full of celebration and REALTOR® pride, as she led Conference-goers through the premiere of NAR's Centennial video, an overview of some of the many resources NAR provides members, and an introductory video and award presentation for the winners of REALTOR® Magazine's 8th Annual Good Neighbor Awards. The 2007 winners -- Virginia Ferry, Phil Landis, Patrick Moore, Carol Reza, and Bert Waugh Jr. -- received a hearty standing ovation from the crowd, as did the REALTORS® of the Year, who proudly represented their states and territories with handheld flags during a group shot on the stage.
And in a fitting end to one of the Conference's most feel-good events, comedian and master yarn-spinner Bill Cosby took the stage in a blue sweatshirt emblazoned with the REALTOR® "R" and the phrase "HELLO FRIEND" in multicolored letters. He delivered anecdotes mostly about home-related bungles to a welcoming audience in his classic long-drawn and physically expressive style. His hour-long performance was filled with several eruptions of applause (particularly when he made REALTOR®-friendly references, like housing is a good investment), which culminated in a standing ovation when he was done.
