If you are interested in joining the council, please visit the council’s website at http://www.atlantahomebuilders.com/councils/greencouncilmain.cfm.

If you are interested in learning more about Sarah Susanka, please visit www.notsobig.com and www.notsobighouse.com.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Atlanta Green Building Council June Event A Great Success

BSC’s Betsy Sheppard facilitated the IBS educational session featuring Jim Chapman of Jim Chapman Communities, Andy White of Lifestone Communities and Saluda River Club and Rick Duke, an Atlanta based consultant.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Press Coverage of IBS Presentation

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Successful IBS Presentation

The International Builders’ Show® (IBS) is the largest annual building industry tradeshow in the country.  It’s THE place to see and discuss products and housing trends and attend hundres of education sessions.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

BSC Prepares for Vegas IBS Presentation

November 20, 21 & 22:  Local and international artists displayed a wide variety of amazing paintings, photographs and silverwork at the Chickawa Outdoor Center within Saluda River Club.  Opening night was attended by over 100 people who mingled with the artists, visited with friends and neighbors and enjoyed a beautiful moonlit evening on the banks of the Saluda.  The show continued to draw art enthusiasts and buyers as throughout the weekend.

Art on the River not only showcased the outstanding talents of the artists and the beauty of the venue, it also allowed Lifestone Communities, the developer of Saluda River Club, to give back to the local arts community.  A portion of the proceeds from the art sales will be donated to the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties.  The Council helps to promote and enhance the arts in Richland and Lexington Counties, South Carolina.

“It was a wonderful event!  We enjoyed working with the artists and with Saluda River Club to promote the weekend’s activities.”  Betsy Sheppard, B.Sheppard Consulting. 

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Art on the River was An Amazing Event

Betsy and Kerrie discussed with the group how to blend the basic rules of marketing with the tools and techniques available today. The primary learning points were:

Establish a comprehensive marketing plan.

Know what your consumers want and how they want it.

Listen attentively to shifts and changes in their demands.

Develop and sustain a relationship with your consumers.

Speak to them directly and personally with appropriate images and messaging.

Utilize today’s technology to spread your message and sustain your brand.

Betsy and Kerrie provided specific examples and case studies of how these basic principles have worked for successful marketing campaigns.  To view the slides shown during the workshop click here:  View a PDF 

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) collaborates with county-based agencies, other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and businesses to design and implement an array of programs to serve older adults and caregivers.  Visit the ARC website to learn more.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

BSC presented at Atlanta Regional Commission Marketing Workshop

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Be sure to attend the 2009 Amenities Conference in Hilton Head South Carolina

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Great Conference in Philly

Experts examine the future of housing in Georgia

Boomers and Millenials Converge: Opportunities to Retrofit Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities, the half-day seminar sponsored by the Atlanta 50+ Housing Council, was an extraordinary success, attracting attendees from all over who gathered to learn about the future of urban planning and design.

The April 8th half-day seminar addressed the future state of city and community planning, focusing on the implications the aging population and their children will have on the construction, layout and design of both current and future communities.

The Keynote Speaker at the event was Sarah Kirsch, Senior Principal with Robert Charles Lesser & Co., a leading real estate advisory firm.

Kirsch spoke on current market and demographic shifts with Baby Boomers and their direct effect on metro Atlanta and the rest of Georgia. The aging of the Baby Boomers and their children, the generation known as the Millenials, are causing significant demographic shifts that will require a change in lifestyle for those living in and outside of the metro area.

These shifts have significantly impacted the already-constructed environment and experts are anticipating that alterations to the current design will be necessary in order to meets the demands of the aging Baby Boomers. New statistics show that the Boomers are looking to “live green” in all aspects of their lives in order to maintain and improve their health.  Continuing in their elder’s footsteps, Generation Y rates walkability as a high priority in deciding where to live. These alterations will likely lead to a change in the future of the trends driving housing construction. Supporting this, Kirsch touched on the fact that “shifting lifestyle preferences call for less large-scale home designs, found in suburban locations, to more, smaller-sized units for 1-2 persons.”

Panelists Michael A. Notartomaso, President of The Hilton Head Group and Dr. Ellen Dunham-Jones, Program Director for the Georgia Tech College of Architecture followed Kirsch, elaborating on her points from the perspective of their respective fields.

Notartomaso is involved with the innovative Moore Station Village community located in Dublin, Ga and spoke on ways to attract buyers through location and amenities.

In addition to amenities located within the community, Notartomaso stated the importance of amenities located outside the community. “Community connectivity via walking to larger community assets like healthcare providers wellness centers and aging care facilities makes a great deal of sense, said Notartomaso.

He also touched on the importance of incorporating “life-stage adaptable designs” and smart technology infrastructure into new homes. The homes in Moore Station Village include both of these features, encouraging and allowing residents the ability to age in place, a big draw for the 50+ buyer.

Dr. Ellen Dunham-Jones, discussed infrastructure innovations and demographic drivers already evident in numerous redeveloped shopping malls, office parks, commercial strip malls and other suburban properties. Drawing information from her recently published book, Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs, which she co-authored with June Williamson, Dr. Dunham-Jones relayed the fact that the future of community planning and development will revolve around retrofitting current urban and rural design to lessen consumers’ impact on the environment.

Dr. Dunham-Jones discussed innovative solutions to the dilemma posed by the current layout of most suburbs and the major metropolitan areas they surround. “Isolated, privately owned shopping malls and aging office parks surrounded by asphalt are being torn down and replaced with multi-block, mixed use town centers, many with public squares and greens,” she stated. Dr. Dunham-Jones followed up by adding that many suburban areas around the country are evolving into much more urban and urbane areas.

Following the panel discussion, attendees attended an optional lunch that concluded the half-day seminar.

The Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s Atlanta 50+ Housing Council is comprised of housing professionals specializing in the needs of the fast-growing 50+ population and serves as the leading source of research and information concerning the latest trends in the housing market for the 50+ consumer. For more information, visit www.atlantahomebuilders.com/councils/atlanta50main.cfm.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Housing Seminar a Huge Success

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Excellent Atlanta 50+ Housing Council Event