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BOSTON—“The sun is shining on the city of Boston,” observed Bruce Percelay, chairman and founder of the Mount Vernon Co., and while a look out any of the windows at the State Room conference facility during RealShare Boston on Tuesday would verify that Percelay's comment was literally true, he wasn't talking about the weather. Peter Merrigan, CEO and founding partner of Taurus and another member of the conference's Town Hall Power Panel, put it another way: “If you're not having a good time in this business right now, you should probably find another business.” Added John Hynes III, CEO and managing partner of Boston Global Investors, “I've been in the business for 35 years, and this certainly feels like a high watermark to me.”

The bullish outlook carried through the half-day conference, which drew approximately 200 industry professionals to a RealShare event that was last held in New England's largest city in 2008. Following the downturn, the city came back earlier than many and, arguably, stronger than most.