Ho! Ho! Ho-liday Ideas!

Ho! Ho! Ho-liday Ideas!

The holiday season really sets the mood with warmth, happiness and kindness to others.  If you’re struggling with getting into the holiday spirit, here are some festive things you can do for your residents.  

The first few are promotions you can send electronically.  Establish a budget for each one and if necessary, limit the number of “gifts” to the first 20-50 residents who respond to your email. Be sure and let them know the “gifts” are available on a first come/first served basis:

Take & Make Kits:

• Pizza Party (1 Can of Refrigerated Pillsbury Pizza Crust, 1 Can of Tomato Sauce,1 Small Bag of Pepperoni, 1 6 oz. Bag of Mozzarella Cheese) 12” Round Pizza Pan (You can find these at most dollar stores) Be sure and include assembly and baking instructions. Est. Cost Per Gift: $9-11

• Christmas Cookies (1 Tube of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough-refrigerated) You should be able to find a variety of holiday cookie cutters such as Santa, Star, Angel, etc. along with some decorating sprinkles, icing and a cookie sheet at any dollar store.  Include preparation instructions with the kit. Est. Cost Per Gift: $7-10

• Hot Cocoa If your community has branded coffee mugs, include two of them in this kit. If not, a trip to the dollar store is a good idea! In addition to the mugs, add a box, or can of hot cocoa mix, a small bag of marshmallows, and/or a couple of candy canes for stirring. Est. Cost Per Gift $6-7

Here are a couple more thoughts on giving kits:• You can purchase bulk paper goods like bags and boxes in a variety of sizes at www.Uline.com

• In addition to the prep instructions for each kit, attach a “thank you for calling 'NAME OF YOUR COMMUNITY' home" card.

• Have a window of time where the recipients are allowed to come and pick up their kits at the office or make arrangements for them to be delivered to each recipient’s apartment.  Note: If there are perishables in the kits, let the resident know they need to refrigerate them immediately.

Need a few more ideas? Read on:

Consider Awarding “Turkey Bucks” - These big birds are fairly inexpensive and welcomed with open arms by most folks this time of year.  Check with the management at one of your local grocery stores to see if, in the spirit of the season, they’d be willing to give you a discount on a bulk purchase of frozen turkeys.  Once you’ve negotiated the deal,create simple “Turkey Bucks” that you can distribute to your residents for one free turkey.  This is another promotion where you might need to limit “winners”to the first 20-30 residents who respond to your email.

Schedule a Food Truck - to visit your property once a week.  Determine a theme for each week leading up to Christmas and promote it like crazy to your residents.  You could also do an email blast where the first ten residents who respond receive a ten-dollar credit for the food truck.

Outdoor Holiday Concert - Hire a local musician or band to perform at a gathering place somewhere at your community.  Let your residents know that social distancing will be required.  You could also combine the food truck and concert for a really amazing event!

‍Night at the Movies - Rent a big screen or hire a professional entertainment company and host an outdoor movie night (or two) and feature classic holiday films.  Let your residents know that social distancing will be required and encourage them to bring blankets and snacks to enjoy during the show.  Note:  If your budget allows, you could also provide individually-wrapped snacks and sodas or juice boxes.

Balcony or Porch Decorating Contest - What could be more festive than having your residents “deck their halls”—or at least their balconies for the holidays?  Let them know when you’ll be judging for the top three winners and what the prizes will be.  (On this one, it’s a good idea to have a set date for when the decorations must come down as well!)

Interior Decorating Contest - Another option for a holiday decorating contest would be to ask your residents to email you photos of the interior of their apartments once they’re all decked out for the holidays. You and your staff would choose the top three winners and email these photos to everyone (without disclosing the names to protect privacy) before Christmas.

In addition to promotions and activities you can plan for your residents during this special season, it’s also the time of year people enjoy doing things for others.

Here are some thoughts on things you and your staff might consider collecting at the leasing office:

•     New, unwrapped toys - Toys for Tots

•     Canned food - Local Food Banks

•     Warm clothing (gently worn) and blankets - Salvation Army

•     Dog and cat food and other pet supplies - Area Animal Shelters

If you’ve got some great holiday tips—especially ones you’re adapting for the challenges of 2020, please email them to me at Monica@theVendorGuide.com.  I’ll be sure and share them with other property management professionals on our social media pages.  In the meantime, let’s get this holiday season kicked off right by making the world a better place for everyone!

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