Having committed to providing AREW members and real estate industry colleagues with luncheon programs featuring real estate leaders as guest speakers who share valuable, timely market information, seminars focused on improving professional skills, and numerous networking opportunities that are among the industry's best, AREW launched its 2010 programs with three events that met those goals. Our January Networking Cocktail Reception at the timeless 21 Club in midtown Manhattan provided a comfortable, clubby, yet energizing, ambiance. For the 140 real estate professionals who attended, it was game on. Contacts were made. Deals were discussed. The positive, friendly energy was such that five attendees were compelled to become members on the spot - a record for one AREW event. Also in January, AREW member Sheila Soufian and her colleague at AXA Advisors, Robert Stansbury, presented a "Market Volatilty and Your Finances" workshop, with important information about risk management and asset protection strategies. Our February 2nd luncheon and program was a special tribute to Mary Ann Tighe, CEO, CBRE, Tri-State Region, on becoming the first woman chair of REBNY in its 113-year history. One of the real estate industry's and N.Y.C.'s most successful and influential women, Mary Ann candidly shared her experiences with regard to being a woman in real estate as well as her strategic plans for REBNY. Our March 2 luncheon will feature an outstanding panel of top executives in real estate investment, law and brokerage: Michael Fascitelli, president, CEO and a trustee of the board of Vornado Realty Trust, a fully integrated REIT and one of the largest owners and managers of real estate in the U.S.; James Kuhn, president, Newmark Knight Frank, N.Y., one of the largest brokerage firms in the world; and Jonathan Mechanic, a partner of the global law firm Fried Frank that represents many of the world's leading corporations and financial institutions. Still to come this season: our March, April, May and June luncheons, the latter a very special event for members only; more skill-building seminars; and, of course, many more networking opportunities. The AREW Charitable Fund also provides members with the opportunity to make a difference in the greater community. AREW offers what real estate professionals need in these challenging times: networking, business development and current education, all at the highest levels of industry experience. We are gratified so many leading companies and real estate professionals see the value in the exposure, programs and networking opportunities AREW offers and invite you to join as a member or sponsor. For more information about AREW, membership and upcoming events, log onto www.arew.org. Rebecca Mason is the 2009-10 AREW president and a principal at Caran Properties, New York, N.Y.