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My annual client party is coming up, would you like to come?

I work a vacation home market in the mountains of Colorado. One year I realized that I had lots of clients that spend the summers here with very similar interests, but they didn't know each other. I had about 10 or 12 couples to my house for a barbeque so that they could all meet each other. I gave them all t shirts with my logo "we love mountain living" on it and they had a fun afternoon. Of course, the next year I had to do it again, but my house wasn't big enough, so I rented a larger home for the day (easy in a vacation home market) and asked everyone to bring donations of food for a local food bank, which I matched. I gave t shirts to those that didn't have one and ski pass lanyards with my logo.

Last year I hired a well known entertainer named Doo Wop Denny ( my clients are mostly baby boomers) and rented the gazebo at the historic park in Frisco and we had a party there.

Doo Wop Denny

I catered food and rented a tent in case it rained, which it did, and gave my clients small foldup chairs with my logo on them. A good time was had by all, but it was very expensive!

Client party 2006

Client party 2

It is hard to keep outdoing yourself and keep prices reasonable. Our party this year is a wildflower hike guided by the Continental Divide Land Trust, who I am paying to do it, with a catered box lunch. The hike is not strenous, and we will make frequent stops to identify flowers, but it is long enough that those who want to hike longer can do so.

mccollough gulch

Most people here are very fit, so I don't have to worry too much about people not being able to do it. I am ordering baseball caps and visors (logo'd, of course). We considered invitations on paper that was impregnated with wildflower seed so that they could plant them, but they were expensive and we decided to spend the money on other things instead. Would you like an invitation? Send me a referral and you will be on my "core Realtor" list, and together with my "core clients" you will be invited! I have about 300 people on my core client list, but with so many second home owners, don't get near that turnout as many are in Michigan or Texas or Florida. However , they appreciate the invitation and I have a few that schedule their vacations around it.

Posted by Summit County, Colorado Realtor l Joanne Hanson on 05/31/2007 11:49 PM

Comments (8)

client party, hiking, doo wop denny, t shirts, logo, visors

8 Comments on My annual client party is coming up, would you like to come?

MAY

2007

sounds like a really good time and I will have to steal this idea..

JUN

2007

Sounds like a good time.

Carolin Benjamin
Bob and Carolin Benjamin
The Benjamin Team
Keller Williams Integrity First Realty
Gold Canyon Arizona

Joanne,

Fold up chairs with your logo, now that's a new one on me. Sure sounds like you have some really great ideas. Your hike would be right up my alley, but unfortunately not many of my clients, we're all getting older. Since you have vacation folks, how far in advance to plan your events?

I'm always looking for new things myself, for my core group, my advocates. Last year I held a special event on the water during the Christmas boat parade in Newport Beach, CA. It was great, but the cost was more like a small wedding. I'm always trying to find small group events, I think I could really take a few lessons from you. I'd like to compare more notes out there with anyone else.

Btw, CO, more fit people there than anywhere else in the U.S. right?

Great idea. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Our population is very fit. I am a guide for the "Over the Hill Gang" at Copper Mountain ski area. Our member are 45 or older and most are over 60 and retired. We have people in their 70s and 80s who still ski 100 days a year, go on long bike rides over many mountain passes, hike miles at a time in the mountains, and in general, enjoy life. The guy in the photo that is singing with Doo-Wop Denny had just come off the Ride the Rockies bike ride that day, which is a week long ride all through the Rocky Mountains. It is so popular that they do a lottery for who can get in. They are a fun group of people to hang out with!

I start letting my clients know the date via emails and phone calls in the spring, asking if they will be here then. I have learned not to change the date based on if someone can come or not as there are too many to accomodate. I just set it and that is it. Then I send them an invitiaton about 3 or 4 weeks ahead. I start planning my next one, thinking of ideas and asking my clients what they would like, as soon as the last one is over. One year I just bought three or four tables at a concert that Doo Wop Denny was having, and that was the least expensive one I have done. That is how I ran across him and decided to hire him for myself. It is always a fun time, and I am lucky to have a team to help out with it.

wow Joanne - I am impressed! Sounds like a great time is had by all. How much help do you have to put these events on?

My husband always gets enlisted and I have a team that gives me lots of help. My daughter does a lot of the planning and implementation with me. She is my right hand! I generally have it catered as I am not into cooking, and all I have to do is order the food and they set it up, serve the food and clean up when done. My job is to mix with everyone and make sure they have a good time.

I had allot of fun at your client party last year. Doo Wop Denny was very entertaining. Look forward to this years hike sounds like fun, and I'd be interested in finding out which flowers are edible like rose hips.

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