Slowing Economy Benefits Resident Events

This last summer we noticed an interesting trend.  Our resident event numbers were going through the roof.  We had always had good turn outs at summer barbecues, but this year we topped all the records.  And it wasn't just one property, it was multiple properties.  

So, of course, we did some informal research and found that many residents were looking for fun things to do with their families that wouldn't cost much.  Free food was a big attraction.  We also found that the price of gas, which was the highest ever through much of the summer, kept many people home or at least gone for shorter times.

While we hate for people to be going through tough times, we truly loved all the resident participation.

Has it continued through the fall and into winter?  Yes, to some extent.  We are still seeing great numbers (can't give you exact figures as our property sizes vary greatly), but we are seeing the normal slow down with the winter months.  Once it starts getting darker earlier, we find resident participation slows slightly.  People are not as apt to go out of their apartment once they are home. 

What we always find to be popular are the Saturday Breakfasts and the monthly dinners.  Our saying has always been that "If you feed them, they will come."  But we have also added, "If you feed them well, they will come again.  If you feed them well and introduce them to a friend, they will continue to come."  This will be true no matter what the economy does.