Industry Awards in the Time of Covid

The Minnesota Multi Housing Association recognized outstanding members in an extraordinary year

For many associations, an annual awards program gives members and staff a chance to shine. Akin to the Oscars of a particular industry, these highly anticipated events provide members a chance to get dressed up and be recognized in front of their colleagues for their hard work. This year, however, during a global pandemic with strict public health guidelines to follow, awards programs – like so many other things – needed reimagining. For the Minnesota Multi Housing Association, that meant renting a cargo van and driving all over the state to deliver awards in person.

“It was incredible to find a way to celebrate these people, albeit in a less traditional way,” said MHA President & CEO Cecil Smith. “We still wanted everyone to feel like they’re winners.”

The MHA is the only statewide association in Minnesota for property managers and owners. They are the go-to place for member resources like forms and leases for rental properties, certification programs, and over 300 educational offerings each year, as well as lobbying at the municipal and state levels.

Every year, the MHA highlights their members’ hard work and awards excellence in the industry through the Multi Housing Achievement in Design, Advertising, and Community Support (MADACS) program. Awards span 52 categories, including staff, remodels, property excellence, marketing, and customer service. Members may nominate their own work, and all categories are judged by industry peers. The success of the program depends on 225 volunteer judges and committee members that help behind the scenes.

Over the years, the MADACS awards program has grown from 700 attendees to having thousands of tickets selling out in hours. For the 25th anniversary this year, the event would have been held at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. However, with the submission deadline in early April – right at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis – MHA’s Director of Events Stacey Caris knew they needed a Plan B.

“Instead of a property tour and interview for the judging process, we changed it to a 45-minute Zoom call,” she explained. “It actually helped the judges focus on the person they were speaking to. This year, I had never seen such a spread of winners in my 14 years with the program.”

Many categories moved to an online format, such as submitting a digital photo binder or narrated videos. Property visits were scheduled for July to take advantage of being outdoors in warmer weather.

When the judging process was complete and the winners were determined, how could the MHA recognize the winners and make them feel special despite Covid-19 restrictions? That brings us back to the cargo van. “It was incredible to find a way to celebrate these people, albeit in a less traditional way,” said MHA President & CEO Cecil Smith. “We still wanted everyone to feel like they’re winners.”

At the end of September, a few MHA staff members and the MADACS jubilee sponsors delivered 45 awards in person. That meant a lot of behind-the-scenes phone calls to make sure the unsuspecting winner would show up at the right place and time. Some winners had members of their corporate offices show up with balloons, and most supervisors were there to say a few words. The MHA staff members recorded the surprises on their cell phones and reveled in the reactions.

“Driving around in the van and handing out those awards gave me so much joy, especially in a time where there hadn’t been a lot of joy,” Caris said. “It was incredible to celebrate these people, and my only regret is that we weren’t able to celebrate everyone like that.”

As some of the awards were given out at the end of September and the rest of the awards program was recorded in a studio on October 14, the winners who knew were sworn to secrecy. The MHA’s videographer supplied a studio and a crew, and MADACS top-level sponsors were allowed three guests each, so there was a total of 15 people in the studio. Not all of the awards were delivered ahead of time, so the program was able to maintain the element of surprise. The video was presented on October 23 and reached over 2,000 people.

“Despite the challenges, it worked out well this year,” Smith said. “In the future, we may do it again in a hybrid format, using the best of the traditional and virtual programs.”

To learn more about the MHA and its MADACS awards program, visit www.mmha.com/Networking/MADACS.