Last week, Geokey was privileged to attend the premier student housing conference of the year hosted by the National Multifamily Housing Council. The event, which took place over the span of three days, was an excellent way for hundreds of professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators from across the industry to attend panels and network with one another. It was a fantastic time to learn more about the different aspects of the industry and show people how they were making an impact.

Geokey was able to capitalize on both of these, running a kiosk at the event, being able to show off some of the technology we have in our arsenal, and networking with other industry leaders about how Geokey can revolutionize access control within the sector of student housing. We had a lot of great moments and interactions, and our amazing representatives at the event had a lot of highlights, which we wanted to be able to share with you.

Convention Floor

During the event, Geokey operated from Kiosk #9, showing off our access control solution to many people within the industry.

One of the most significant issues we found talking with property developers who came to our booth was “app fatigue,” which is when users and developers are frustrated by the fact they have to juggle numerous apps for their property. People are searching for ways to mitigate app fatigue and integrate everything into their property management software. Geokey had a great opportunity to step in and show how our access control solution can fill that niche. Being able to control the unit and bedroom entry with our smart handles is also quite a considerable value that not many other companies could share.

Top Golf Mixer

After the first day of the conference, Geokey was able to sponsor a bay at the TopGolf Mixer. It was a great opportunity to network and enjoy some games of golf with people from the event. The setting was much more casual and allowed us to have fun while forming the valuable relationships that are important in this industry. 

Industry Insight

While we were able to show how Geokey can benefit the student housing industry, there was a lot we were able to learn from the people we had conversations with at our booth and through networking events such as the mixer. One of the most significant insights we took away from the event was how student housing is coming into its own as an industry. For years, it has been roped in with multifamily as a category, which is usually overshadowed as an industry. Based on what we saw at this event, however, it has become a powerful force with some of the best potential for returns in the space. Technology is at the forefront of the future to increase NOI and resident demands, and it is no different in student housing.