Conference Schedule

• The Value of Talent - Alex O'Brien
• Differentiating Yourself from Your Competition Through Customer Service - Dan Oltersdorf
• Career Pathways for Student Housing Pros - Heather Sizemore
• High Tech/High Touch - Alex Jackiw

Technology

A recent rental housing survey found that more than 57 percent of residents are willing to increase their rent payment by at least $20 to have a smart apartment. Rental housing software companies listened and are launching partnerships with major technology providers such as Google, IBM Watson and Amazon Alexa to streamline apartment living for students and housing providers alike. Examine how partnerships and integrations with consumer and business tech powerhouses will impact future tech and revenue growth in the housing industry.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Learn about recent tech partnerships in the industry that can streamline operations and marketing processes
2. Hear from industry experts discussing the revenue management opportunity that lies within certain technology integrations
3. Walk away with technology key learnings in integration efficiency to save time and effort for on-site teams

Marketing

Cutting through the noise in the marketing stream is an art. Gone are the days of broad, scatter-shot efforts that bring in an acceptable percentage of new leads. Learn more about using data to get rid of generic outreach and develop relatable prospect/customer personas that can bring new dimension to your sales and marketing efforts. 

Learning Outcomes: 
1. Understand what a customer persona is and how it can help your marketing efforts to maximize investment and response 
2. Identify the data collection, assessment resources and methods that will inform your personas 
3. Learn how to develop customer and prospect personas and execute on them as part of your marketing and sales strategy

Operations

All aspects of turn will be discussed from pre-planning, bid preparation, advanced ordering of supplies, ways to schedule check outs for additional income, and vendor scheduling. With many turns occurring in less than 10 days, it's critical to prepare in advance for the largest controllable operational expenses that hit your bottom line. Discussion will include how critical a successful turn impacts move-ins which directly influences the resident's decision to renew.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Create an Express Checkout program that will allow early move outs including charges, while improving customer service and increasing additional income        
2. Learn about securing viable vendors, contract preparation, insurance certification, preparing backup plans if vendor issues occur and ensure all expectations are met    
3. Explore how to effectively use a turn board, checklists and tracking tools along with additional resources to ensure a successful turn

Marketing

Defining the customer journey and making it a seamless experience between multiple technology platforms is becoming a challenge. Explore the customer journey map of typical engagement through the various interactive experiences with your brand. From the initial search process, ongoing engagement, events, renewals, and even move-out, understanding how to maximize the journey is key to maximizing value for your community. Case studies will be shared on resident engagement tactics, database marketing, and personalization. 

Learning Outcomes:

1. Examine case studies from emerging marketing partner-platforms in student housing to have a positive influence on the customer journey

2. Learn web and social strategies that effectively engage your audience in ways that aren't always selling

3. Learn the latest trends in personalizing your communication to students throughout the customer journey that speaks to them

Operations

Motivating team members is a challenge for many managers. Supervisors of student housing communities have the added burden of directing part-time or temporary staff members, who often aren’t focused on their future like a conventional workforce. Getting these team members to buy-in to the culture and care about high performance can be tough. Examine what spectacular supervisors of student housing communities do differently to inspire dedication, loyalty and high-performance from their team members, whether they’re full-time, part-time or seasonal.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand job-market forces that make every supervisor’s life hard right now, including specific unemployment, employee turnover and engagement data
2. Learn what makes part-time employees tick and what turns them off         
3. Identify nine action steps to boost satisfaction and performance

Industry Trends

Millennials are now solidly entrenched in the workforce and the first wave of Gen Z are starting their sophomore year of college. We know that Gen Z’ers value sustainability (but aren’t willing to pay extra for it), make buying decisions based on a company’s efforts at being socially conscious, and have a strong preference for social spaces that allow them to hang out together (while actively dialed into their devices). Learn more about this new group of academically focused individuals.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand what preferences are embodied by Gen Z and how that differs from their predecessors
2. Apply generational shifts to changes and nuances in student life programming, marketing, leasing and communication styles
3. Learn how to apply examples from the retail industry, sports industry and universities for ways to romance this generational group

As a former Sales Director for Disney Institute, Simon T. Bailey understands how to connect with executives, entrepreneurs and audience members of all types. He believes in the power of meaningful connections and equips people with tangible tools to make their dreams come true.

With more than 30 years' experience in the hospitality industry, Simon has worked with more than 1,700 organizations in 46 countries. He has been named one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals by SUCCESS magazine; has authored nine books; and has a motivational video, Goalcast, that has been viewed over 53 millions times worldwide.