Live and In Person!

With vaccines and warmer weather, property managers can now plan in-person events.

Jessica Fiur, Managing Editor

Jessica Fiur, Managing Editor

If I have to get on one more virtual call, I will scream.

Just kidding. I have two more today, and multiple the rest of the week. And I will be perfectly professional. My Zoom shirt is in the closet next to me, at the ready.

Remember at the beginning of 2020 when we all were feverishly scheduling Zoom happy hours and virtual game nights and birthday parties via FaceTime? Not surprisingly, in April of last year, there were more than 300 million daily Zoom meetings, according to BusinessofApps.com.

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Maybe at your apartment community you had online book clubs, cooking classes or trivia nights. And that was great! Necessary, too, if you wanted to have a resident event. We all know the benefits of resident events—they increase renter satisfaction, encourage resident retention, foster a sense of community, among others. It probably wouldn’t even have been possible to hold events while the pandemic was at its peak if there weren’t online opportunities.

But, at this point, I think we all have a little Zoom fatigue. In fact, according to reporting by Healthline.com, interacting via camera all the time can be causing burnout in people’s overall life. It’s just…a lot…to be constantly “on.”

Luckily, things are changing. With more people getting vaccinated and the weather getting warmer, it’s possible to safely have more in-person resident events again.

And with a ton of time to think, property managers are getting creative. As Diana Mosher reports in “Spring Community Events That Attract Residents,” some communities are hosting a variety of resident program, including petting zoos, parades with cars painted with positive messages and matchmaking events. All these events can allow for proper social distancing and mask wearing, while still allowing renters to interact with each other in person.

These programs have been a hit anecdotally—and the data backs it up. Success can be assessed by counting RSVPs and with social media response or direct emails, which can help property managers measure ROI.

So, who’s up for some outdoor yoga, pet costume contests or scavenger hunts around the community? After all, as Michelle Kithcart of FirstService Residential told Mosher, “A little friendly competition is never a bad thing.”

All that, and no Zoom outfit necessary. Sign me up!