There was this mother of one of my son’s preschool classmates (no names, please). She was that mother — the one who had to have the biggest car, fanciest house, most toys, and so on.

We all detested her.

One afternoon, as we were waiting to pick up our kids, she was talking to bunch of us about this purchase or that purchase as we gave her the tight little smiles of those who can’t get away.

But then she made a mistake: She commented about something at Wal-Mart. Then she made another mistake: She asked me about it.

“We don’t shop at Wal-Mart,” I said. “We shop at Target.” You could hear the brakes slamming on.

Ah, the power of subtext. Target is the high-end bargain store. Wal-Mart… well, Wal-Mart is the other kind.

Target didn’t get that caché by accident. It was a carefully, deliberately cultivated image, one brought to fruition by the keynote speaker at VAR’s 2008 Convention and Expo, Robyn Waters.

(Come on, you knew this was going to tie into VAR somehow, didn’t you?)

Anyway, here’s what Fast Company had to say about her:

It was Waters’s job to guarantee that the company’s many brands — from clothing to housewares to paper products to gardening supplies — hewed to the same high standard in all 1,249 Target stores. Overseeing a team of 120 industrial, surface, and technical designers, she drove the look and feel that caught the media’s attention and helped Target morph from dowdy Midwestern discounter to the trendy “Tar-zhay.”

She’ll be keynoting the first day of the convention, and you won’t want to miss it — Friday, September 26 at 10 a.m.

First things first: Yes, it’s more than a little ironic that the Virginia Association of REALTORS® is holding its annual convention in Baltimore instead of, say, New Baltimore, Virginia. Go ahead: shake your head and chuckle. But there’s a ton to love about VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008:

1. If you love to shop at Target stores, our opening keynoter is largely responsible for your affection. If you call the store “Tar-zhay,” thank Robyn Waters. Under her leadership as Target’s VP of Trend, Design and Product Development, Waters helped transform the retailer from an unremarkable, low-cost, low-service, low-profit retailer to an upscale discount shopping mecca. There was no such thing as an upscale discount store at the time Target started its turnaround. Discover how embracing paradoxes can help you make more money by developing a niche nobody else has thought of.
2. Calling all real estate bloggers! Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon continues its streak as the longest-running series of peer-to-peer learning experiences specifically for REALTOR® bloggers. You know that once you get to a certain point, the so-called “blogging experts” can’t help you anymore. To truly grow, you need to learn from those who are blogging alongside you day in and day out. This four hour session is your opportunity to learn from those very people.
3. Wall-to-wall Lem Marshall. Need we say more? Not really, but we will anyway… Nobody knows real estate ethics and law like VAR’s Special Counsel, and we have four sessions with Lem. You can get nearly eight hours’ worth of Virginia real estate ethics and legal updates from the undisputed expert at VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008.
4. So much networking that even the most outgoing extrovert will need to take a little “me time.” Our host hotel is big enough to accommodate all attendees, so you’re sure to bump into fellow attendees in the halls, the bar, the gym, the indoor pool. And of course, VAR is known for its remarkable hospitality, and this year’s convention is no exception. You’ll make new contacts and reconnect with long-time friends at the Opening Reception and Inaugural Party. Even if you’re a little shy, we have a speed networking session to kick-start your schmoozing.
5. You get the full conference experience for one low price. If you resent paying several hundred dollars for a conference only to find that the receptions and meals aren’t included, we feel for you. That’s why all breakfasts, lunches and receptions are included in the price of admission to VAR’s Convention & Expo.

And that’s far from everything. Baltimore is a scenic, historic and exciting city, and our host hotel is right on the Inner Harbor, right in the epicenter of the action. You’ll be informed by the substantive education. You’ll grow your contact list through the networking. You’ll be inspired by the experience.

This is a perfect opportunity to prepare yourself for the inevitable market rebound. Don’t miss it! Registration is open now.

Tips on short sales, getting the VAR publications you need in a click, new economic development in Virginia, and help on helping sellers in Todays market; these are just a few reasons to check out the April edition of Commonwealth Online. Check your mailbox for your customized version or view it online to see it all. Either way, don’t miss this chance to tap into the relevant information you need as your business starts to heat up.

View Commonwealth Online

In about 24 weeks, VAR’s 88th Convention & Expo will kick off for the first time ever in Baltimore, Maryland. Yes, Maryland. I said it. Virginia REALTORS^® do leave Virginia on occasion. (GASP)

Obviously we aren’t the first first for 279 year-old B-more and our Virginia convention in Maryland follows quite a few other interesting inaugural events in the city. Here are a few for your notes, just in case you end up on jeopardy and the category is “The City of Hun:” (courtesy of our friends at the Baltimore CVB)

1800: First investment banking house in America founded by Alexander Brown. Thank Baltimore for your 401k’s and hedge funds

1811: First to import and package tea in America. The next time you order a good ole southern glass of ice tea, don’t forget about the northerners who brought it over.

1814: First printing of the Star Spangled Banner in the United States by Samuel Sands. Oh oh say can you read…

1819: First agricultural publication in the U.S. The American Farmer. The next time you meet a well read farmer, remember Baltimore’s where it started.

1828: First American umbrella factory in the U.S. Yes, Baltimore helps you hate the weather man a little less.

1830: First railroad depot in the U.S. at Pratt and Poppleton Streets All aboard!

1831: First National Nominating Conventions for President in the U.S. Not in Florida? You don’t say.

1838: First iron steamboat built in this country. This one makes sense.

1839: First dental college in the world: Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. Got teeth?

1844: First telegraph line in the U.S. routed between Washington and Baltimore by Samuel Morse. I think in honor of this year’s convention, we should all use telegraphs instead of our smart phones. Can you Twit with a telegraph?

1844: First publicly supported high schools for girls: Eastern High School and Western High School. Is it coincidence that the telegraph and high school girl were created in the same year?

1851: First commercial ice cream factory in America. Before Häagen-Dazs^® there was….

1859: First YMCA erected in America at Pierce and Schroeder Streets Village People in the 1800s?

1867: First pediatrician and gynecologist in the U.S. Dr. Wm. T. Howard, University of Maryland sets up shop. Not funny, just important. Perfect question for final jeopardy.

1883: Invention of the typesetting machine: Ottmor Mergenthalern A-S-D-F-J-K-L-; My job would be a lot harder without this one.

1885: First Commercial electric car line in the Western Hemisphere. I think it’s time we improve and revive this idea.

1892: First bottle cap made in the U.S. Who knew Baltimore was instrumental in us paying for tap water?

1901: First woman professor at a medical school in the U.S. Dr. Florence Rena Sabin, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Women could teach us something about taking care of people? Really?

2008: First VAR Convention & Expo in Baltimore September 24-28, 2008. Why should you attend? Log on to VARBuzz on May 8^th for the nuts and bolts of how this year’s Convention aims to improve your business.

Until next time…

-Jovan