AAKC Social Hour

When Linda and I put our heads together and started the social media committee at AAKC, we had no idea how successful it would become. It has gone from some words on paper to an amazing group of people brainstorming ways we can make our association stronger.

We meet once per month like our other committees at AAKC. But, instead of planning a trade show or awards banquet, we plan ways to promote our association and other events. We create new ways for our members to get involved.

One of our most successful ideas is to host a monthly "Social Hour". Our committee chooses an establishment in a different part of the Kansas City Metro each month to host the event. A different committee member each month takes the lead and works out the details and even gets the location to donate a gift card or two for us to give away at the event. To promote this, we mainly use Facebook by creating an "event". The first Social Hour in December had about 40 people in attendance. A huge success! Each month after that we average about 50 members. We now even have a vendor sponsor the event. For a small fee, we put their name on the event page and use their name when promoting the Social Hour.

Some people still think social media is a fad and it is going to fade away into the sunset. I respectfully see things a little differently. I feel it is here to stay and I am so happy it is. After all it is so much fun!

It is great having a large committee of great people that are on the same page and can help come up with so many fun ideas. I can't wait to see where social media will take our association this year.


http://www.aakc.us/

Tweet to you soon,

Jeremy Lawson, NALP
Social Media Committee

2011 The Year To Invest In Yourself With AAKC

AAKC has such an amazing educational calendar lined up for 2011. With all of these great opportunities for our members, I took a little time and had a chat with the Education Committee Chair, Robynn Haydock, with @Home Apartments. Here is our conversation;

Jeremy-First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us. Do you mind telling us a little about yourself?

Robynn-I actually started as a leasing consultant in 1990 after graduating high school. I learned so much in my first year about the many facets of property management, maintenance and leasing - and fell in love with it! Since then, I have enjoyed providing homes for people and seeing others grow personally and professionally in this industry. No 2 days are ever the same and I learn something new every day - even after 20 years! My involvement with the AAKC enables me to keep learning (and teaching), which is why I focus on education for members.

So you started in the business when you were five years old? Each year AAKC offers many designate courses options to its members.
What would you say to someone that is thinking about signing up to take one of theses designation courses in 2011?

I would say that the courses for designations give everyone a better picture of why we do what we do - and how to do it better. If you want to sell more product, make more sound judgement calls, control your budget better, and do your job with less stress in less time, then the designate program is for sure the way to go. I've never talked to anyone who didn't say they were glad they went through the program - and learned a lot! The relationships you make with classmates can last a lifetime. Besides, who doesn't like to have a few initials after their name as a sign of professionalism and hard work!
We also reintroduced the Education Scholarship Fund this year, which allows industry professionals who don't have funding for the courses the opportunity to earn a designation. I look forward to seeing the applications for the scholarships. I think it will be another way to really see the passion people have for their careers in property management.

That is funny. A few years ago when I got my NALP designation I came out thinking the same thing. I learned so much more than I ever thought I would. And, I am so excited to hear more about the Education Scholarship Fund. Does AAKC offer any designate courses for its vendors?

Absolutely! CAS stands for Certified Apartment Supplier and is a designation just for suppliers and vendors to the apartment industry. Vendors get to sit side-by-side with managers and hear about what on-site people need and want. They can take this back to their job and provide better products and services to maintenance and management personnel. Suppliers take financial management and risk management classes with managers, so if a vendor comes to me with a CAS designation, I know they understand my concerns before we ever start working together. One of the first questions I ask vendors is if they are an AAKC member. The next question is if they have their CAS. If so, I know I have a true professional ready to partner with us!

Wow, that sounds like a great opportunity for our vendors for many reasons. That would really make a vendor stand out in our industry.
So, what course or seminar do you think will be your most favorite next year?

Oh, there are so many for 2011! We have 3 National Speakers coming in, and I definitely hope to make all of those. I can never get enough out of seminars like Team Building, Life Management and Leadership, which are all coming to KC! People I talk to outside of our industry are always impressed with the caliber of seminars and speakers we offer, especially for the low cost to our members. I'm excited for the Brainstorming Sessions coming up too since that's a great time to hear how other companies handle pressing issues (like collections, bed bugs, cap ex projects and HR).

I agree it sounds like AAKC has a great year for education coming. If you had to pick one class not to miss, what would it be?

In addition to the 3 big ones I just mentioned? Well, anyone who knows me, knows I'm always pushing Fair Housing. To me, it's not an option to miss this one no matter what role you play in the apartment industry!

How did I know you were going to say that? But, I would say that is a very important seminar to attended as well. Well thanks again for taking the time to chat with me.

December 21, 2010-
Jeremy Lawson, NALP
AAKC Social Media Co-Chair

We're Social!

The AAKC Social Media Committee was created to enhance the presence of AAKC both locally and nationally.

Through social media, we will bring awareness to upcoming events, seminars, educational opportunities and other ways that current and new members are able to get involved. We are confident through this new committee we will help to strengthen our other committees and encourage new members to join.

Find, Follow, Like and Connect with us!

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

YouTube