Yardi president and founder Anant Yardi welcomed 2,500 clients to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on Wednesday for the largest Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) ever. “2500 is just such an incredible number. I recall when we had around 150 to 200 clients at our first YASC,” Mr. Yardi said. “We truly hope this conference is enjoyable and educational for you.” Yardi clients around the world can attend YASC events to gain product knowledge in training classes, troubleshoot issues with their current Yardi software, view product demos, network and much more. The two U.S. events take place each fall on the West Coast and spring on the East Coast. Mr. Yardi talked to the general session audience about the company’s overall road map for product development, which includes the newly released Yardi Elevate suite. Introduced at YASC DC in May, Elevate incorporates big data, machine learning and AI to offer predictive insights and is very popular with its beta users. “Our clients are very enamored already by Elevate. I think it’s going to do wonderful things for you,” Mr. Yardi said. While Elevate may be the wave of the future, in the present Yardi clients are continually working to gain new efficiencies for their business, whether that involves collecting rents, paying vendors, or marketing their properties. A video featuring 22-year Yardi client Marquette Management of Chicago and its use of the RentCafe Reach marketing platform was shown during the session and prompted Mr. Yardi to reflect on how far the company has come. When Marquette came on board in 1996, they purchased Yardi’s first generation Enterprise platform. “I was the principal programmer on Enterprise. Isn’t that something how time has gone by,” Mr. Yardi said. Today, most Yardi clients across all real estate verticals...