THIS
YEAR
IN
DIGITAL
2023 was a year filled with successful liftoffs.
But a year with a couple of bumps including mission-critical adventures, project set backs, and ones we could not get off the ground.
Now, take a seat, buckle up, and let's launch into our 2023 year in review.
This year, digital and innovation saw many exciting achievements with several successful missions that added infinite value to our company, deeply enhanced the guest experience and delivered exceptional results to our communities.
On the Digital Assets side, we deployed lighting to bring further to life a larger-than-life Banyan Tree at Mercato in Naples, FL and we had lift off on a radical reimagination for the security experience at Ridge Hill in Yonkers, NY.
While on the Innovation side, we increased our investment in Salesforce to immerse our Leasing, Ancillary Revenue (AR) and Tenant Coordination (TC) Teams to slowly breakaway from Excel. We also invested in this -- Shorthand -- to more effectively and visually tell our stories in a beautiful and dynamic format.
Lastly, a huge win for Avalon in Alpharetta, GA was the agreement with Render Impact, a provider for 3D Anamorphic Billboards that we will debut when we flip on their new LED screen and stage in 120 days (more to come).
And that's just the tip of the asteroid!
Overall, the stars aligned in 2023 and 2024 looks brighter with the art of the possible within reach!
2023 HIGHLIGHTS IN NUMBERS
20+ Active projects
We anticipated 10 large scale projects but with the stars aligning, special projects grew to an all-time high.
$1+ Million dollar budget
A rough estimate. This was the cumulative budget we invested for digital assets across the entire NAPA portfolio.
145 Assets launched
This year, we launched a total of 145 new assets across our portfolio, a 44% increase compared to 2022 (101). Scroll below for a high-level breakout.
2023 DIGITAL ASSETS IN NUMBERS
1 LED
8 EV
Charging Units
16 Speakers
89 CCTV cameras
7 Digital directories
12 Access points
5 Projection content pieces
2 String light upgrades
5 Additional assets
1 construction cam, 1 Nest cam, 1 stage lighting, 1 radio antenna, and 1 directory software swap.
JANUARY &
FEBRUARY
JANUARY 13
On this date, we were over the moon excited to transition Newport on the Levee's (NOTL) digital directory's software to ROVE IQ's platform and align with our other properties' directories.
This zero cost transition made for a seamless guest experience and had no change to the monthly budget.
We also launched Programmatic Advertising to generate monthly ad revenue and support the AR Team's bottom line ($).
FEBRUARY 24
Ahead of the planned redevelopment at The Forum, there were several housekeeping initiatives to fulfill but one major amenity that would see immediate impact was the upgrade for public WIFI.
We replaced outdated equipment, bridged the IT gaps between buildings and launched a modern captive portal to support Marketing.
MARCH &
APRIL
MARCH 21
After several rounds of negotiation and coordination with Operations and local provider Spectrum, we delivered hardwire internet for the tiny retail kiosks and jewel boxes at Birkdale Village.
Connectivity as fast as the speed of light, set current tenants (and future tenants) up for success.
APRIL 20
We officially kicked off our engagement with Gerent to rebuild our Salesforce instance to have a single source of truth for our PL, AR and TC Teams.
The success of Salesforce will promote further investment, integration of our day-to-day work, involvement of more Teams, and as our company scales.
MAY &
JUNE
MAY 30
We collaborated with Leasing, Marketing & PR to develop an initial pitch deck to promote a 20+ year old empty and eery IMAX space at NOTL.
Dubbed 'Project IMAX,' this was the catalyst for team discovery (including a trip to COSM in Salt Lake City), formulate an outreach strategy, and execute a small-scale projection installation (scroll to see).
This was also how we got our start in Shorthand!
Check out the IMAX Shorthand HERE.
JUNE 15
The Banyan Tree at Mercato received the light it deserved. A series of RGBW PixelWash fixtures were strategically placed around the base. The fixtures up-wash the leafy canopy of the tree, painting with broad strokes in light on the domes of the tree. Fully programmable, presets were activated to simulate a nightly lighting show.
This was the first step towards transforming the Banyan into an artistic centerpiece. Fingers crossed, Phase 2 gets approved for liftoff in 2024.
JULY &
AUGUST
JULY 16
We collaborated with Leasing and Marketing alongside a drone pilot, videographer, and architectural teams to deliver a video illustrating the reimagination planned for Ridge Hill. The video shares the current state, facts, and overlaid the plan in a beautiful flythru to conceptualize the future redevelopment.
This video is currently projected in our Wow Room to share with prospects and tours. Scroll to watch.
AUGUST 30
We signed the agreement with the City of Peachtree Corners and Fusus to deploy CCTV. Absent from the property for years, the project started in September and wrapped up 100% in November with 25 property cameras and two Flock Safety Cameras.
Our partnership with Fusus catapulted into new deals with Avalon and Avenue East Cobb. Further talks of expansion are in progress.
SEPTEMBER &
OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER 7
At Avenue East Cobb, we debuted our fifth LED screen in the portfolio and during 'Celebrate Avenue,' hundreds gathered in the Plaza to experience the 11 x 18 ft. big screen and AV. Since then, this destination was officially coined East Cobb's 'Hometown Hangout' spot.
We also launched a Before & After redevelopment video with a first-ever FPV (First Person View) experience to showcase the recap in a stunning and innovative format. Scroll to watch.
OCTOBER 25
Just in time for the opening of the North End and Trick or Treating Halloween event at The Forum, we deployed two new digital directories for guests and tenants to experience.
In addition, we completed the addition of eight new landscape speakers in the North End's greenspace.
NOVEMBER &
DECEMBER
NOVEMBER 3
Atlanta, we have lift off! Initially kicked off on October 25th with AR, we spent the entire month hosting workshops with Gerent, our Salesforce Partner, to further drill down into our requirements for Phase 3 to better our Salesforce platform.
They say third time is a charm and we believe this time we will see a huge shift in our platform and see our Teams actively work and accurately generate reports.
To date, we are now at the stage for development and execution.
DECEMBER 6
Out with old, in with the new! To close out the year, we began overhauling Ridge Hill's CCTV -- replacing analog cameras with 4k HD cameras.
The new CCTV technology delivers superior views, capabilities including advanced AI and analytics, customized features for downloading and sharing footage and so much more.
Our Security + Ops Teams have more flexibility and freedom to do what they do best.
Target completion date: February 2024
with 118 total cameras installed.
Bringing it down to Earth, Digital + Innovation saw many successful missions including supporting our properties to streamline processes and drive down expenses while delivering exceptional guest experiences, and enhancing how we further build, engage, protect, and service our communities.
From a NAPA perspective, further connecting with our Teams to collaborate, empower, and achieve harmony to rely on new technologies like Salesforce will give back valuable time to our people, mitigate human error, and excessive use and versioning of Excel.
Crystal balling 2024, we can expect even more exciting developments like the launch of LED + distributed AV for Avalon, The Forum, and Ridge Hill, lean in more to AI, AR and data, continue missions to study and add to our playbook as our space ever-evolves.
TO INFINITY & BEYOND
THANK YOU
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