Nick Deacon, Development Manager at Johnson Development, talks about moving from resident-facing lifestyle programming into land planning, and how that shift changed the way he approaches amenity design.We cover why leaving open land inside an amenity site pays off years later, how development choices like pool layout can impact lifeguard staffing and quietly affect an event budget, and why predicting the next popular amenity is harder than it looks.Key Takeaways:00:00 Introduction.01:04 Nick Deacon's background in hospitality and event management, and the internship that led him into master-planned communities.02:31 Moving from a single lifestyle director role to overseeing lifestyle across the Johnson Development portfolio.03:36 The Crawfish Boil that became one of Riverstone's most popular resident events.08:11 Why small, sensory details in event design are what residents remember most.14:01 A pool design detail that quietly added lifeguard staffing costs to community events.20:35 Balancing resident surveys against the needs of a community that hasn't fully built out yet.22:41 Leaving open land inside amenity sites so residents can add what they want later, like pickleball at Riverstone.27:22 Why the most-requested amenity keeps changing, from trail systems to wellness.33:10 Advice Nick would give his 25-year-old self.Thank you for listening to "Communities Connected: A Land and Lifestyle Podcast by Alosant." If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star review and subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss any future episodes.You can find more about Alosant on our LinkedIn page and alosant.comResources Mentioned:Johnson Development:https://www.johnsondevelopment.com/Riverstone:https://www.riverstone.com/master-planJubilee Community:https://www.liveinjubilee.com/Central Fort Bend Chamber:https://www.cfbca.org/Texas Festival and Events Association:https://www.tfea.org/#ResidentExperience #MasterPlannedCommunities #LifestyleManagementAbout the HostsApril is the CEO and Co-Founder of Alosant. She is an experienced entrepreneur and real estate technology expert with an innate curiosity for consumer behavior. Alosant-powered apps make it easy for users to stay informed and engaged, offering solutions to connect with everything their community has to offer.Danette is the VP of Marketing at Alosant, where she brings 20 years of experience helping brands create exceptional consumer experiences. Today, she focuses on sharing how real estate professionals are shaping the next evolution of resident experience, and how Alosant helps support their work.

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