NAA CampusConnex

Student Housing Recap

By Lee Ann Stiff on Mar 2, 2018 in News

Student Housing managers, marketers and exhibitors came together for NAA’s CampusConnex in Orlando, Fl., on February 13-14, 2018 to explore new strategies and get energized to move their careers and businesses forward amidst tech disruption and the latest trends. Yardi returned to this year’s conference as an alliance partner and presenter.

“Yardi is excited to be part of CampusConnex, which is a premier opportunity to learn from leaders in the student housing industry and network with peers. Yardi is committed to the industry not only through supporting educational events, but also by offering a single connected solution with mobility for smarter student housing marketing, leasing and management,” said Daniel Campbell, vice president of specialty solutions at Yardi.

Conscious Marketing and Simplified Leasing

Day one kicked off with an inspiring talk by award-winning marketing innovation expert Afdhel Aziz. Aziz enlightened attendees about how business can be a force for good with more conscious marketing that balances profit with the needs of consumers and communities. Breakout sessions covered a range of topics including partnering with smaller schools and managing online reputation.

At the NAA Exposition, more than 100 exhibitors provided a firsthand opportunity to discover the latest innovations in industry-leading products and services designed for student housing businesses. Also part of the Exposition, the Learning Zone offered an intimate setting for valuable education sessions, including a presentation from Yardi’s Jeff Boehm about simplifying the lead-to-lease process by automating every aspect of the leasing lifecycle. And in the 30-minute Speed Networking session, attendees enjoyed quick meetings with multiple industry peers.

Coffee and Soapboxes

On day two, the first-ever “Coffee on the Quad” kicked off and allowed every student housing geek, technician or innovator to hop up on the soapbox and make their points quickly with a fast-moving slide show. Breakout sessions provided fresh insights on student housing management including approaches to unit renovations, organic search techniques, technology for Generation Z and 40 ways to evaluate operations. The Exposition continued with exhibitor showcases of the best and brightest products and services that promise to move the industry forward.

Closing out the conference, humorist and author Jeff Haven dished out compelling insights on how to become the type of leader you want to be, including a roadmap to get there. His focus was on how to communicate more effectively, inspire innovation and create a culture where people are excited to improve.

To wrap up two exciting days of learning and networking, there was one thing all attendees already knew how to do: have fun. Yardi hosted an energetic party that featured stilt walkers, a DJ, cigar rollers, an energy and palm reader and a photo area.

Stay Connected

Learn more about the Yardi Student Housing Suite for a single connected solution with mobile tools and services to better manage and market your student housing properties.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for next year’s event on February 12-13.