Building Opportunities Summit
The Building Opportunities Summit
Register for the Building Opportunities Summit November 9-11 in San Antonio, Texas!
We’re excited to welcome you to this new event for VGM Live at Home! This two-day conference is one of the first in the industry to offer general sessions and installer training from top manufacturers.
Attendees can participate in valuable networking opportunities and have some fun, too.
Register Here Click Here for Agenda
Reserve a room in our block:
Hilton Palacio del Rio
200 South Alamo San Antonio, TX 78205
The deadline to book is Oct. 11.
Reserve Online
If you would like to stay Wednesday night, Nov. 8, please call (210) 222-1400 and mention booking under the room block: VGM Live at Home Building Opportunities Summit 2023 to receive the $209 per night room rate.
Thank You to Our 2023 Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsor
Education Sponsors
Bag Insert Sponsors
2022 Building Opportunity Summit Testimonials
“In the home access industry, it is hard to find other companies that do what you do. The Live at Home conference has been a great resource for me to find experienced people and manufacturers to learn from. It draws the best in the industry, and it is focused on our industry. I have also made lifelong friends that I continue to share key industry information with. If there is one conference in the home access or home modification industry, the Live at Home conference is the one that you should attend.”
-Nathan Colburn, Accessible Systems a Lifeway Mobility Company
“We often feel like the forgotten child in the industry, a last thought. Clinical professionals have their place, seating and mobility have theirs, what about the guys focused on "building" the dream to stay in your home? Thank you VGM Leadership for recognizing the need to bring together the Home Access industry. This has been the most successful venue that I have ever attended. Incredibly professional, well-organized, and best of all engaging at every level!! We'll see you next year with more of our staff.”
-Darren Cocoran, Cor Freedom and Vets Access
“The LAH Builders Conference served as the Home Access Industry's official "coming of age"! The gathering included all of the major industry providers and many of the key manufacturers together in a dedicated event for the first time ever. The sense of the industry's momentum was palpable and pervasive throughout the presentations, roundtable discussions, trade shows, and networking. Numerous attendees remarked at both the value of the education and the collaborative atmosphere of the conference calling it "the best they've ever attended". Thank you VGM and thank you Jim Greatorex and team for putting together a truly remarkable event!”
-Martin Simenc, Home Safety Services
“I can honestly say that it was the most impactful industry event I’ve attended. The combination of educational events, exposure to new products, ideas, and the camaraderie of the participants was first class all the way around. I’m especially excited by the chance to be a part of a group that figures out apprenticeship licensing and the establishment of industry standards. Please feel free to let me know how I can be of further service to VGM."
-Bill Bohmback, Home Healthsmith
2022 Building Opportunities Summit Recap
The 2022 Building Opportunities Summit was a great way for those in the home accessibility industry to gather after three years without any events solely dedicated to home access.
2022 Award Recipients
A major highlight of the summit was honoring some special individuals in the industry with several awards.
The 2022 Valued Partner of VGM Live at Home Award went to Robert Gurinowitsch from Bestbath. Robert has been instrumental in connecting Live at Home with new members who are passionately engaged in the home access market. He also connected us to Rob Leonard who is our partner in developing an apprenticeship program. He has been a key person for Bestbath as they have grown their dealer network in the last two years. Follow him on Facebook and you will see he has a great family life and enjoys some great food, whether he cooks it himself at home or out with his clients at some excellent restaurants. Cheers Robert, and thanks for your great work in growing the home access industry.
The 2022 Most Valuable Member Award went to Darren Corcoran from Cor Freedom/Vets Access in Flushing, MI. Darren, along with his brother Dan, were key contributors to our Master CEAC courses, and Darren has participated in helping with our apprenticeship program and whitepaper project. We are also working with the Cor Freedom team on improving our educational offerings by filming his team as they remodel a home for both wheelchair users and aging in place applications, which was purchased right beside their business.
Darren and the Cor Freedom team have stepped up time and again to bring education to the industry and share their expertise for the whole industry to grow. What an honor it is to work with them and call them friends.
The 2022 Home Access Pay it Forward Award went to Vince Pelose with Access to Independence (ATI), who will be retiring in January from the industry. Under Vince’s leadership, we were able to host three to five consecutive days of hands-on factory training at their business. Their 9,000 square foot showroom, their products on display, and the attached classroom makes for a perfect setting for this type of training. Vince was also happy to help any member looking for advice or help through a phone call or visit to their showroom. He truly showed the spirit of helping the industry grow and helping our members get their technicians the training needed to do the job right. He may be leaving the industry, but his legacy will be remembered for years to come. We are pleased to announce that Lyn Weiss, the new CEO of ATI, will continue to welcome VGM members to training next year. We will miss Vince, but we believe that we will cross paths again.
We also honored Bill Stelzer, who has been a consultant for Live at Home since its inception, with the Home Access Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill has authored many of our educational programs, spoke at several of our events, hosted many of our trainings at Access to Independence, and taken hundreds of calls from members who wanted his advice. Bill’s example of integrity, doing the job right, and showing empathy for the people we serve are the fundamentals that Live at Home lives by. His values are faith and family first, helping this industry, and being the #1 fan of the Green Bay Packers. The man has a twinkle in his eye and a genuineness that endears him to everyone he meets. He will no longer officially be a consultant for us, but we will keep his phone number handy when things come up.