There is something special about the holidays – the weather, the music, the food, time with family, the traditions, and of course – Holiday Resident Event Ideas!
For many apartment managers, the holidays also mean larger budgets for resident events. But because residents have so many other things going on, from family commitments to company holiday parties, you really have to step up your resident event game to get residents to show up for events in December. But fear not, Flamingo has you covered with these 20 holiday resident event ideas.
Sleigh your residents with these 20 holiday resident event ideas
But before we jump into the our list of the top 20 holiday resident event ideas to try this season, here are some tips from Flamingo’s resident events crash course. A successful resident event goes beyond the idea, it’s all about execution. To have successful holiday resident events, do the following:
- Spend a lot of time on marketing the event
- Incorporate social media into your pre and post event plan
- Make it easy for residents to RSVP
- Invite prospects to these holiday resident events
- Focus on offering experiences rather than just holiday resident events
- Get pictures from the events
- Ask for online reviews after the event. Doing this helped this Greystar community gain 2 reviews from one event.
So without much ado, here are our top 20 holiday resident events ideas:
1) Holiday-Themed Karaoke Night
A Holiday-Themed Karaoke Night is a fun event to kick-off the holidays because it’s fun, it’s social, and it’s something that resident typically wouldn’t do themselves.
It’s also a great holiday resident event idea because music is such a big part of the holidays. So this type of event would help get your residents into the holiday spirit instantly.
2) Holiday Outdoor Movie Series
A Holiday Outdoor Movie Series is highly recommended because this is an event that you can do every week. You can host an outdoor movie series where you host a new movie each weekend.
You can get even more engagement by involving residents in the process to pick a movie. Since this is an inexpensive event that can accommodate a lot of people, you can also invite prospects to this event.
3) Santa Meet & Greet
Christmas equals Santa. This is a no brainer holiday resident event idea especially if your community has families.
What is even better about this event is that since it’s cheap, you can invite prospects or even the whole neighborhood to increase foot traffic.
4) Winter Wonderland Soiree
A Winter Wonderland Soiree is a more formal resident holiday party. This can include drinks, food, music with a DJ or Live Band, decorations, photobooth and much more. You can amp up this holiday resident even more by inviting local restaurants to have different food stations.
What makes this event so special is that it gives your residents a reason to dress up. And who doesn’t wish they had more opportunities to put on a tux or a cocktail dress?
And don’t forget, you can also invite prospects to this holiday resident event.
5) Holiday Cocktails Making Class
A Holiday Cocktails Making Class is your typical cocktail making class but with a holiday twist.
What makes an event like this even more fun is that residents get to learn a new skill that they can then show off to their friends throughout the holidays and even throughout the rest of their life.
6) Holiday-Themed Wine & Paint
A Holiday-Themed Wine & Paint is another great event that you have probably done in the past. The only difference between this and your usual wine and paint event is that this one is holiday themed.
One way to make Wine & Paint holidays even better is to do them regularly throughout the year and then host an Art Gallery Event at the end of the year where residents can show off all the art they created throughout the year. You can invite local artist to display their work. And as always, this is a great event to invite prospects to.
7) Gingerbread Cookie Decorating
A Gingerbread Cookie Decorating is a holiday resident event idea that your residents with families and their kids are going to absolutely love.
This event is nice because a lot of people can attend. You can also combine this with a decorating contest where residents that attend can post their creations on your resident engagement app or on social media so that fellow residents can vote on who has the best decorate gingerbread cookie or house.
8) Holiday Trivia Hosted by Santa
Many of your residents have attended trivia events – whether as a building event or at a local bar. But not many of your residents have attended a trivia event hosted by old St. Nick himself.
What is even better? You can invite prospects to this holiday resident event because it can accommodate a lot of people.
9) Ugly Sweater Party
An Ugly Sweater Party event is one of those events that has a oversized fun to work ratio. It means the event is fairly easy to set up but the fun your residents will have is almost infinite. All you need for this event is food, alcohol, a DJ and some decorations. Then send a quick invite to residents and encourage them to wear their ugliest sweater.
You can take this event a step further by inviting prospects, having a runway contest to vote for the ugliest sweater, and then using all the great pictures from the event on social media.
10) Christmas Carols
Bring your residents into the holidays by hiring vocalists to serenade them. The carolers can set up in the lobby and sing their hearts out for a few hours for just one day or you can have them come for a few hours each weekend morning.
Looking for Instagram or TikTok content? This is the perfect event to get that type of content to use on those channels.
11) Mulled Wine Tasting
You’ve probably done a wine tasting resident event before. But I doubt you’ve done a Mulled Wine Tasting. If you’re not familiar, Mulled Wine is wine that has been heated and mixed with various herbs, spices, and fruit. It’s served warm on cold nights since cold weather shouldn’t stop you from living your best life.
This is another great holiday event that you can invite prospects to.
12) Santa Showdown Costume Party
A Santa Showdown Costume party is another resident holiday event idea where residents get to dress up and party like it’s…the holidays. Except for this one, they get to dress up like Santa.
This is another great event that you can invite prospects to and another event where you can have a contest that picks who is the best Santa.
13) Kids Story Time By Mr. & Mrs. Claus
A Kids Story Time By Mr. & Mrs. Claus holiday resident event is where you have the most famous couple in the world come read some great holiday books to kids. This is a great event if you have a lot of families living at your apartment community.
You can increase the impact of this event by making the event open to the general public. This will helpful you greatly boost foot traffic and maybe even get some press.
14) Hot Cocoa & Muffins Power Hour
A Hot Cocoa & Muffins Power Hour holiday resident event is extremely simple to pull off – get some hot cocoa or chocolate, get some muffins and let residents do the rest.
This event is just as easy to do as your typical breakfast grab and go resident event. This is a nice event that you can make a regular event during the holiday season. For example, you can have it happen every Sunday morning during December.
15) White Elephant Gift Exchange
A White Elephant Gift Exchange is an event that is a little more complicated to set up but it’s worth it. All you have to do is create a spreadsheet where residents can sign up and then you simply mix and match one resident with another resident. Each resident then has to get a gift for the person they were matched to.
This is a great holiday resident event idea because it forces residents to get to know one of their neighbors pretty well. After all, you can’t get a gift for someone without first knowing a little about them.
16) Wreath Making Workshop
A Wreath Making Workshop is a skill based holiday resident event that will teach residents a very useful and timely skill – making a wreath to decorate their doors. This event will bring out all the residents that love arts and crafts. And it’s another event that is very family friendly and kids will go bonkers for.
This is another one of those events where you can invite prospects to help edge them slower to signing their lease. Finally, this is a great event that you can combine with a door decorating contest.
17) Holiday Card Photography Day
A Holiday Card Photography Day is another timely resident event. Many people create personalized postcards that they send to their friends and family. So why not make it easier for them by hiring a professional photographer that can come to the building with various holiday backgrounds and take photos that residents can use to make their postcards?
Take this event to next level by inviting prospects to come participate. This event is so great because it’s such a useful thing that many residents will take advantage of the event.
18) Gift Wrapping Station
A Gift Wrapping Station is another practical event to do during the holidays. Residents are going to be sending out a lot of gifts to their friends and family. Why not make it easier for them by setting up a gift wrapping station right in the lobby?
This is a low effort event but one that residents will really appreciate.
19) Murder Mystery Show & Dinner
A Murder Mystery Show & Dinner is one that is always a winner. Simply hire professional actors to put on a ‘who done it’ murder mystery show with full participation and involvement from your residents.
This is an intimate event since the number of residents that can participate is limited. But many residents will be clamoring to sign up since it’s such a unique experience. A great time to do this event would be New Year’s Eve.
20) Contests Via Resident Engagement App
Fire up your residents competitive spirits by having a contest like a door decorating contest where residents decorate their door and then post pictures on their resident engagement app.
To really get participation, we recommend having a substantial prize for the winner.
Want more holiday resident event ideas?
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