Let’s be honest…have your resident events grow stale? Do you find yourself doing the same types of events again and again? Is it the same residents every time that come to the events? (Or maybe the same residents, every time, that complain about the events?) Are you tired of going to a warehouse store to buy boatloads of pizzas, hot dogs, snacks, paper goods that you’re hoping is neither way too much or not enough for the party?
If so…read on!
Photo Courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Idea #1: Let someone else host the party!
When I was a community manager one of my staff members suggested this idea to me. We had a pub up the street from our community that a few of our residents frequented, so he thought it would be a good idea if we had a get together there. He contacted the manager of the pub, let him know our budget and worked out the details. Typically we told residents that we’d cover the first drink (from a pre-selected list), the manager offered some appetizers “on the house” (probably chips and salsa, nuts etc.) and they just needed to RSVP so that we could plan accordingly. (We also assumed that some folks would just show up, so we were prepared with extra funds just in case!)
Best part, you don’t have to set up or clean-up afterwards!!
Idea #2: Food Truck Night
I’ll be honest, I never had a chance to do this at any community that I worked at. However I was visiting a friend at an apartment community and he was planning their monthly “Food Truck Night.” I asked him about it and he explained to me the concept of it which was simply bringing a food truck in to the community to give residents an easy (and tasty) option for dinner that night. He said his residents loved the idea and looked forward to it. Plus, food truck vendors really wanted the opportunity to sell their food to his residents, so he was never at a loss for potential food trucks to approach. As I’ve suggested this idea to clients around the nation, I’ve found very favorable feedback from those who’ve hosted a Food Truck Night.
Added benefit: No set-up or clean-up! And no cost to you since the food trucks come to your community and your residents are the ones paying for the food!
Idea #3: Spa Time
I’ve had several clients tell me they’ve done a spa time for their residents and I love this idea! How do you make this work? Approach a local massage/spa clinic and see if they’d be willing to offer 10-15 minute chair massages to your residents one evening or weekend day, in exchange for being able to introduce themselves and their services to your residents. Some companies may do this for free outright as marketing for their spa-while others may need you to pay for their time. Either way, I know it can be made to work for your situation. Light up some candles add some aromatherapy and relaxing music and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for resident happiness!
BTW: I”m not against the status quo in resident events! I think pizza nights, barbecues and grab a breakfast and other well-known resident events are great and should be a part of your resident event toolbox. However, if you find things are getting stale, tired or just need a change, try one (or all) of these ideas and re-energize your resident events!
