What could be a better way for a community to build a relationship with its residents than by providing some sort of fun activity? Many apartment communities do this with parties, game nights, movie nights, etc. It’s a great way for residents to get together, find out who their neighbors are and really feel at home in the community. Here’s a suggestion for August, in keeping with the month’s theme, American Artist Appreciation Month, why not do a craft fair instead?
Just this past weekend I went to the Artisans in the Park off of Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach. It had over 110 artists showcasing their work whether it is photography, painting, wood carving, metal work, etc. There were hundreds of people that attended this show and it was a terrific event. It gave me an opportunity to see what creative talent we have here at ‘the beach.’ But it got me thinking too. Oftentimes there will be a get together for yard sales and things of that sort in my apartment community. Why not a joint craft fair in August?
Since August is artist appreciation month, I think it would be a great time to allow all your crafty residents an opportunity to showcase their work, perhaps make a little money, and get to know their fellow ‘crafty’ neighbors. When a prospective resident walks in through the door during this month, the advertisements on your property for this craft show will illustrate the type of unique and exciting activities your community offers its residents, reinforcing their desire to want to live there. I know I’d want to live somewhere that had one!
Tags: activities, apartment, apartments, communities, community, craft, creative, events, parties, virginia
This entry was posted on Friday, August 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am and is filed under Property Managers & Owners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Statistics suggest these activities can dramatically effect renewals positively. Apartment Living suggests that tenants with 1 or fewer connections in a community are only 26% likely to renew. If that figure grows above 4 the likelihood of them staying rises to almost 50%.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I have actually heard that stat is about 60% for retention! The hard facts are out there somewhere I’m sure.
I have lived in communities that offered live music in the club house and comedian by the pool. Those things really do stick in your mind!