Apartment Trends Magazine June 2020 June 2020 | Page 31

Here are a few ideas to enhance your virtual “amenities”
and offer residents some out-of-the-box solutions to their
current challenges.
4
Host a Daily
Fitness Class
1
Gift
Streaming Service
Subscriptions
Gift subscriptions to your
residents’ streaming service of
choice such as Netflix, Disney+, or
Hulu. With these subscriptions,
you can host community movie
nights where you encourage
residents to sign into their
account at a specific time and
join a Facebook Live chat to
communicate throughout the
movie and share insights.
2
Host
BINGO
3
Start
FREE
Virtual
"Grocery Bingo"
Plan a virtual Bingo
game for your community
with essential goods and
groceries as the prize.
Offer doorstep delivery
of a bag of groceries or a
package of toilet paper to
the Bingo winners. You
can also create a Facebook
Events to garner interest
in the game and obtain a
headcount in advance.
an Online
Book Club
Spread the word on your social media
channels and in your resident e-newsletter
about starting a book club. Create polls to
ask residents for book recommendations
to get started. Then, schedule weekly
virtual chats to discuss and analyze
the novels or create a designated
Facebook Group.
6
Deliver
Residents are looking for ways to stay fit
and healthy during quarantine with gyms
closed and your on-site fitness center
shut down. Now is the time to ask your
leasing agents and management team
to start an online fitness class or hire
a fitness instructor to conduct virtual
workouts. If you can’t host a workout
class, consider paying for a portion of
your residents’ virtual fitness classes of
choice or recommend online fitness apps
like Beachbody and Peloton.
5 Launch a Virtual
Game Show
Everyone loves a good game
show, especially when prizes
are involved. Whether
you decide to host virtual
Family Feud, Jeopardy,
a Jackbox game or a
made-up resident game,
it’s important to make it a
fun event where multiple
players can participate. Play
the game in rounds to mix
up the players and allow for
more participants. Offer
prizes that range anywhere
from an Amazon gift card
to a discount on the next
month’s rent.
a Sweet
Treat to Your
Residents
Coffee bar shut down? When that 3 o’clock slump
hits, your work-from-home residents deserve the
afternoon pick-me-up they usually get from
your Starbucks espresso coffee bar. If you
aren’t able to arrange for residents
to visit your coffee bar at alternate
times (following social distancing
measures), consider surprising
your residents with coffee delivered
straight to their doorstep. Toss in a
chocolate-frosted donut and you are
sure to make your residents’ day!
7
Share
8
Throw
a Music
Playlist
Many people enjoy listening to music while they
work to help fill in the silence and lighten the
mood. Create a variety of playlists for different
days of the week using a platform like Spotify,
then email the playlist out to your residents each
morning.
You can even encourage
community
participation by
asking them to
suggest songs
via your
Facebook
page.
a Balcony
Happy Hour
Does your apartment community feature private
balconies and patios? Arrange a happy hour where
residents hang out on their balconies with their
favorite beverage. Have some ice breaker games on
hand to encourage resident participation.
No balconies? No problem! Host a virtual
happy hour instead, and turn it into a friendly
competition. Challenge your residents to concoct
an original drink
and share the
recipe during the
virtual meetup.
Vote on the winner
and offer them a
prize, such as free
groceries or a Visa
gift card.
Engage With Your Residents
To Show You Care
Social distancing does not mean you
can’t engage with your residents and
encourage them to connect with each
other. The important thing to remember is
your residents are cooped up and in need
of community support and unique virtual
activities to pass the time.
If nothing else, make sure to frequently
check in on your residents via live chats,
virtual meetings, or direct calls to ensure
their needs are met. Offer to buy grocers
for your elderly residents and provide
younger residents with at-home learning
resources and kids’ activities. Ultimately,
you want to show your residents you are
there for them in good times and bad.
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JUNE 2020 TRENDS | 29