Client appreciation events should be an integral part of every agent’s annual business plan. They are a superb opportunity for you to thank your clients for their business – and their friendship! You may be shocked at the number of leads and referrals a client appreciation event can produce.
A successful client appreciation event requires careful planning. If you want to hold an event before the end of the year, don’t waste another minute! Planning must begin now.
Regardless of the time of year you wish to hold your event, there are a variety of possible events that will be enjoyable for both you and your guests. Here are a few suggestions:
SPRING – “Spring Celebration” (an adults-only event)
- Location: A winery or series of wineries
- Consumables: Wine, appetizers
- Music: Live if possible
- Activities: Wine tasting / wine tours
- Photos: Hire a professional photographer to capture the event (posed photos and candid shots)
- Gifts: Make it really special by having a winery create a blend just for your event … or have them bottle an existing blend in a bottle which features your brand and a reference to your event.
SUMMER – “Summer Carnival”
- Location: A park or a rented facility
- Consumables: Catered food, provided by a “chuck wagon”
- Music: Not necessary
- Activities for kids – A series of “camps”:
- Art camp (painting, clay, beads),
- Pony camp (pony rides), etc.
- Fishing derby, with prizes for the biggest and smallest fish
- Baseball or T-ball game for the kids
- Activities for adults: Horseshoes; pie-baking contest
- Photos: Hire a professional photographer to capture the event (posed photos [family, individuals, etc] and candid shots).
- Gifts: Have a kettle-corn vendor on hand to make kettle-corn all day; send everyone home with a bag:
AUTUMN – “Harvest Holiday” OR “Pumpkins Plus”
- Location: A pumpkin patch or farm; invite everyone to bring their pets (on leashes, of course)
- Consumables: Warm comfort food; cider
- Music: Not necessary
- Activities for kids: Pumpkin picking, wagon rides, bobbing for apples, contest for best costume, magician, face-painting, caricaturist
- Activities for adults: Pumpkin carving contest; “best pumpkin treat” contest
- Photos: Hire a professional photographer to capture the event (posed photos and candid shots); have a separate area where the photographer will take photos of just pets or owners with their pets
- Gifts: A bag of apples to take home – use a bag that has had a seal or sticker with your brand on it, which references the event. Toss in a bag of caramels for a real autumn flare.
WINTER – “Winter Wonderland”
- Location: An indoor-outdoor venue
- Consumables: Warm comfort food; hot cocoa
- Music: Holiday tunes
- Activities for kids: Learn to ice skate, snowman-building contest, Santa visit
- Activities for adults: Listen to (join in with) carolers, romantic carriage ride, best holiday cookie contest
- Photos: Hire a professional photographer to capture the event (posed photos with Santa and candid shots);
- Gifts: A gift bag with special holiday cookies or holiday ornament and a beautiful holiday card from you.
One of the most successful winter events is a “Breakfast with Santa”. This is best held on the first or second Saturday in December.
WINTER – “Breakfast With Santa”
- Location: A country club
- Consumables: Catered brunch
- Music: Holiday tunes
- Activities for kids: Photos with Santa, coloring pages and activity books
- Photos: Hire a professional photographer to capture the event (posed photos with Santa and candid shots);
- Gifts: A gift bag with special holiday cookies or holiday ornament and a beautiful holiday card from you.
Have you noticed what all of these events have in common? There are a number of key elements repeated from event to event:
- CAEs must be family-friendly. The exception above is the “Spring Fling”, which can work well if you truly have enough clients without children. Remember though – if your clients have adult children, they likely have grandchildren … so a family friendly event may still be a good idea.
- With each event, there must be something that appeals to all family members.
- At the event, there must be activities specifically for children.
- While the events may be located at a remote location, do not expect your clients to ride together to the event (for example, on a bus).
- A window of time during which the client can “drop by” is more appealing than an event which demands that clients arrive at specific times.
Some clients I coach have even created events around sports games or movies. Get creative and begin planning now. Send out a save the date card at least eight weeks out and send the invitation no less than four weeks before the event. Call everyone on your list to either make sure they received the invitation or are going to show up if they have put in an RSVP.
Client Appreciation Events can be fun, and effective in keeping you top of mind! If you decide to do a Client Appreciation Event based on this article, please send an email to denise@thelonesgroup.com or comment below. I would love to hear what you have planned for your event!
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