NAA Recap

Connect, innovate, inspire

By Yardi Blog Staff on Jun 26, 2013 in News

Connect, innovate, and inspire were the themes behind the 2013 National Apartment Association Education Conference, and these attributes were obvious throughout the event. Marquee moments included Sir Richard Branson’s discussion of his business philosophies and Bert Jacobs’ reminder that optimism is powerful in the face of challenges.

There were hundreds more small “ah ha!” moments just like them happening throughout this exciting event in San Diego.

It all started with connecting.  Whether those connections are made through conversation, training, or via the Internet, and whether you are connecting with residents, with staff, or with yourself, they all intersect. The point of intersection often results in great personal growth.  Branson shared that people are the overwhelming reason he and his global businesses (which now reach even beyond the earth with Virgin Galactic) are successful.

“Always look for the best in people. Treat them well,” he told his keynote address audience, where a packed house listened with rapt attention.

There was no denying that the Thursday night block party in San Diego’s famed Gaslamp Quarter was all about connecting!  With a mouthwatering buffet of food and drink choices, a band rocking everything from ABBA to Usher, and 6,000 people crammed into four square blocks, there was a whole lot of connecting going on. For a first time attendee like me, this took networking to a whole new level. The conversations flowed naturally from the food and wine to what you do, what you’ve learned, and how much you enjoyed all the sessions that day.

Inspiration shined brightly on Friday morning as Erik Wahl reminded us that when we were children, we all ambitiously acknowledged our ability to draw, even if today only a handful of us are willing to say the same. As adults, fear often takes hold and we let go of our natural, spontaneous, organic creativity.  Wahl believes that fear is really false evidence acting real.  Oftentimes, embracing that fear can have big payoffs. Erik Wahl wasn’t the only one providing inspiration during the week.  FlyGirl  Vernice Armour had a popular thought leader session as well. One of her particularly inspirational themes: “The faster you fail, the faster you’ll succeed.”

When it came to thinking about innovation and the future, there was no shortage of topical enthusiasm at NAA.  We learned that Sir Richard Branson registered Virgin Galactic back in 1999, and Virgin Galactic commenced its first commercial manned flight into space in March 2010. How’s that for innovation?

Erik Wahl shared an innovative, albeit low tech, idea for managing stress: smell a few Crayola crayons. A study by Yale University showed that the smell of crayons can reduce blood pressure by 10 points.

While mobile isn’t considered innovative at this point, the technology we’re utilizing via mobile is: from accepting applications to maintenance requests our industry continues to find new and unique ways to improve resident relations.  Attendee Jon Lowder (@JLowder) tweeted from the Shifting Shopper session that “mobile is huger than huge.”  We also heard that text notifications for building announcements are the way of the future.  What was the innovative idea that got you excited?

As a company, Yardi hosted some outstanding events on boats and rooftops that gave us the opportunity to carry out meaningful conversations with folks from all over the industry. I want to personally thank Brent Williams from MultifamilyInsiders and Bonnie Hoy of Bonnie Hoy & Associates for the invigorating conversations Friday night.

In our expo booth, we had equally impressive experiences. The photo booth allowed us to showcase a little of our California flavor and have some fun with attendees at the same time.  The surf’s up for Anthony Sandoval of Western Seniors, who rode away with the custom Yardi surfboard.  Check out the full #NAAEduConf13 photo album on Facebook for fun highlights from the event.

Looking back on the week and its many rousing moments, the general takeaway for me was to challenge my fear, take advantage of opportunities to connect, and take chances on new ideas.  Chances are the results will far outweigh the risk involved.

Interested in more highlights from NAA? Check out the video below, featuring Yardi‘s Patty Evans.