There are many reasons that a property may need to pull off a very nice event; Grand-Opening, Ground-Breaking; large Leasing Weekend; Holiday Party/Resident Party; all of these take a lot of work.  From my experience of working with over 90+ lease ups and hundreds of stabilized properties, I wanted to compile an expectation list of what goes into planning an event.  It’s important to be aware of all the work that is involved.  The last thing that you want to do is have a big event on the property and then have the office team so inundated with the details of the event, that they begin to disregard their biggest priorities- leasing and running a property.  Often times, this happens, because there are so many details that need to happen to carry out an event that are successful.  The goal should be to pull off the perfect balance of keeping the team focused on their daily duties and have an event that is memorable, motivating, and exceptionally productive.  The following breaks down a list of what you need to be prepared for; especially if you are spending a lot of money on the event.  If you have a lower budget, you can follow these notes- but adjust per budget allotment.

#1- Determine the Goal of the event.  You may have many reasons to have an event; a property rebrand, a big leasing party, a resident appreciation event, grand opening, event with city officials…  you get the idea.  Make sure to have a group meeting and determine what is the purpose, goal, and outcome you want to achieve with an event.  When done right, these events can have extremely positive impacts- I worked on a Big Leasing Weekend opening a few years ago that generated 35 leases over the weekend on a Lease Up Opening.

#2- Set the Date.  Check calendars and then double check. Make sure that you look for any conflicts in the area or with team members.  Also determine if this will be a day or evening event. 

#3- Create a Budget.  Make the budget realistic.  If you are going to plan an event, make sure you do not scrimp.  Sometimes events should be carried out by professional planners.  I’ve realized many times how much better an event could have been if I had people facilitating.  There is a big difference when an experienced event planner runs the event.  Plan for a little miscellaneous fund, things always come up.  I have seen Grand Openings spend anywhere from $3k- up to $60k!  Some companies offer “off the shelf” event plans that come with a very detailed program to run an event very smoothly that cuts the cost way down. 

#4- Determine the Venue.  About 90% of the time, the location will be your property; but where is the perfect space?  Remember to determine the flow of the people coming in and where they will be most comfortable.  Sometimes an event will be sponsored at an off-site location.  That most likely will require collaboration with a partner to get the details correct and remember to determine parking needs.

#5- The Theme. this is the heartbeat of your event.  No detail should be left unturned when you choose and implement your theme.  Mood boards are awesome resources- my favorite right now is the Niice app.  Remember to carry your theme throughout the social posts, invitations, venue, tables, décor, music, after-blogs, everywhere!  Consider the dress code when selecting your theme.

#6- The Grub.  Make sure that you fill your guests’ bellies.  No one will enjoy an event if they are hangry.  Food can be a major impact on the budget, so be sure to weigh out the appropriate selections for your spread- if you go the appetizer route, just make sure to alert guests that this is what is being served.  Hiring caterers is sometimes necessary and a very nice touch.  Buffets, brunches, sit down dinners can all be appropriate if thought out and implemented well.  Bringing your theme into the food is key too- beer tasting, featured keg beers, introducing a new local craft beer,  wine-tasting, scotch & sausages, etc can all be excellent for a party.

#8 The Booze.  Is it Really a party if there are no cocktails?  Remember, this can be done very inexpensive, if you pre-order bottles of wine/champagne and create your own labels.  Depending on the property, you probably will need a bartender to pour.  Also, be mindful that if people are making speeches, you will probably need a champagne toast.  Beers stocked in the main party area and in the WOW fridges can be a nice extra.

#9 The Tunes.  Create the right ambience.  Jazz music, live music, acoustic guitar, a DJ- music should be a total compliment to the event going on.  If it is an intimate VIP gathering for Brokers/Developers- maybe a piano player?

#10 Organize the Speeches.  Depending on the event, more than likely, someone may make a speech.  Be sure to read the speech; have prompters to alert when the people making speeches should start, and make sure there is audible settings- a stage, microphone, etc.

#11 Enhance the event.  Buy fresh flowers, light scented candles, put out your fancy soap.  Hire a photographer and/or video-grapher.  Make sure to capture moments at the party.  These are vital to be shared afterward on websites, email blasts, blogs, etc.  How about having a memorable moment like a “step & repeat” or an “Instagram digital mural”.

#12—Organize the SWAG.  Get customized gifts that guests can take with them.  Don’t be afraid to ask local vendors to sponsor the Swag Bags and include their information, but let guests leave with a memorable item.  I once created very nice luggage tags for an event and received praise for that over everything else at the event.

#13- Transpo.  How will guests arrive, where will they park, how will they find the venue.  Figuring out wayfinding to get them to the event is critical.  It should be very clearly laid out.  There are things you can do with Uber to partner and shuttle guests, or even just having a very clear plan for parking, is essential.

#14- The Guests.  The Guestlist should actually be ironed out very early on in this process.  My best recommendation is sending out an invite through paperless post 30 days prior to the event, and a reminder 14 days out and 2-3 days out to say how excited you are to see everyone.  Ask for an RSVP.

#15- A good old Checklist.  Make a checklist for everyone on your team to resort to, in order to make sure that everything is organized and going according to plan.

#16- Attend the event.  Make sure the team is on-hand at the event and that you have appropriate people at appropriate stations including greeting guests and helping with photography, speeches, etc.  There should be something handed out at the event that tells guests where they can view pictures after- the-fact, if that information is not shared on the invitation.

#17- Send out a follow up and thank everyone for coming, and share any links from any bloggers, yelp elites, or other influencers/media that may have attended the party.

Relax, breathe, have fun.  Enjoy your hard work.