Event Ideas

People work with people they know, like, and trust. We need to have a real relationship with our clients and business partners (i.e. not Facebook or email relationships).

The following is a list of ideas for appreciation events. I personally don’t want to do all of these but I’m recording the ideas as a reference for others. 

This list does not contain “business” or financial related topics. For those: see Lunch & Learn Ideas.

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Biggest thing: do NOT call them “client appreciation events.” Don’t call them events at all. Think about it: “hey, I’m having St. Patrick’s Day party; do you want to come?” seems way more fun than: “I’m having a client appreciation event and you’re a VIP so you’re invited.”

Host at your house if possible. Relationships transform once people come to your house.

A great “hack” is to participate in existing events that are hosted by local organizations and charities. They’ll do all the administrative work while we raise awareness and bring people. Think charity events, chamber events, organization events (like Home Builder Association), etc..

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Months

These are ideas that are specific to a month. 

January 

  • New Year’s Day Party (either at house via TV or in-person at parade)
  • New Year’s Day Spin Class (i.e. New Year Resolutions) and serve champagne afterwards

February

  • Super Bowl Squares – have portion of donations go towards charity or allow people to donate their winnings to a charity.  
  • North Texas Food Bank – Empty Bowls Event – Feb. 27, 2020
  • Oscar party at Studio Movie Grill
  • Valentines Day: death & divorce for Real Estate (get CE)

March

  • March Madness watching party (first Thursday of games)
  • March Madness Brackets – perhaps donate a portion to charity
  • St. Patty’s party
  • Byron Nelson Golf Tournament
  • Tax Class: CPA to teach
  • Ranger’s Opening Day

April 

May 

  • Cinco de Mayo / Margarita Taste-Off
  • May the 4th and Cinco de Mayo (CE class and “far out” concepts for Star Wars)
  • Taste of Addison – May 29-31st – http://tasteaddisontexas.com/

June 

July 

  • Neighborhood Flags – put flags in the yards of your neighborhood
  • Fireworks Party (but this could be muted by all the other festivals and existing family traditions)

August 

  • Summer Party (slip & slide, watermelon), Movie Day,

September

  • Dallas Arboretum – concert on the lawn (i.e. “Cool Thursdays”) – September
  • Oktoberfest – McKinney Brewery – had beer tasting. Melissa had an event there.  
  • Addison Oktoberfest 
  • Dove Hunt

October 

  • Texas State Fair
  • Holiday family pics at the Arboretum. Hire a photographer to take family pics for holiday cards.
  • Pumpkin Patch – buy pumpkins and have people come get them from your house or office
  • Halloween Costume Party – during the day/afternoon and before Halloween

November

  • Pie giveaway – Nick McCoy’s pie pick up (or nothing bundt cakes) – maybe go to the local since our office is hard to get to.  
  • Pictures with Santa – hire a Santa and a photographer
  • Fall Festival
  • Business Planning Class

December

  • Tree decorating class
  • Pictures with Santa – you rent the Santa
  • Cookie decorating
  • Polar Express in Grapevine 
  • Dallas Arboretum – Christmas Village
  • Galleria ice skating – I don’t want to but it’s an idea.
  • NCAA Football: Bowl Pick ‘Em
  • Holiday Zoo Lights*
  • Gift Wrapping Party (and/or Gift wrapping class)
  • *** All these ideas can do Toys For Tots, Can Food Drive, Pics with Santa, Ugly Sweater contest
  • Ginger Bread Contest (both remote and in-person). We did this before and raised money for women’s shelter.
  • Holiday Zoo Lights – Ross did this – $10pp.  It’s a 501C non-profit that the Zoo has to help their animals. They also help to get animals adopted. People can come in, say hi, gets Ross Team mittens, then go about their day in the zoo.  Quick easy, appreciative. He also brings in 100 kids from a charity that helps foster kids. Total thing costs less than $5,000. 

Food 

  • BBQ Class – how to
  • BBQ Trip “Best of Texas Monthly” in Ft. W and Dallas (Cattleack in Addison and the two in Ft. W)
  • Sushi Rolling – class where you can roll your own sushi.
  • Tamales 
  • Meat Class – Local Yocal – In downtown McKinney, it’s a three hour class on everything about meat. At the end they grill the meat for you to eat. 
  • Cooking class
  • Baking class / cake decorating
  • Cheese tasting – Scardello https://scardellocheese.com/

Booze & Cigars

  • Beer Brewing Class – make your own beer
  • Whiskey tasting – Len can do this. 
  • Wine tasting 
  • Cigar Night – a regular, recurring quarterly cigar night that is open to anyone and everyone. Mark currently does this but it’s for his personal friends.  The challenge will be finding a good, local cigar shop.  
  • Cigar Rolling Lesson – class where you can roll your own cigar.

Sports 

  • Rough Riders Game 
  • Rangers’ Opening Day – end of March (or any game)
  • https://www.crushitsports.com/
  • Frisco Hockey
  • Allen Indoor Soccer 
  • Allen Hockey
  • Bowling Contest (find charity doing one)
  • Mav’s Game
  • Cowboy Game 
  • Top Golf
  • Putting Class
  • Golf Lessons (small group) – in door with a simulator, it’s BYOB
  • TX / OU Party
  • Olympics Watching Party
  • World Cup Watching Party
  • Longest Drive Competition at local driving range.

Volunteering 

  • North Texas Food Bank 
  • Feed My Starving Children
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • St. Judes 
  • Wings 4 Warriors 
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
  • Susan G. Komen

Kids

  • Legoland 
  • Dallas World Aquarium
  • Grapevine Aquarium 
  • Perot Museum 
  • Frontiers of Flight Museum 
  • Archery class*
  • Putt Putt
  • Dave and Busters – power hour is $10 for all you can play

Fun Events

  • Archery class (for kids) – I would love this and I’ve wanted to get the girls there. It’s $10 for a one-hour session.  I can’t imagine a private class would cost very much. http://texasarchery.info/ 
  • Axe Throwing 
  • Breathing Class
  • Cider arcade – this is a bar that serves ciders and wine. They have tons of old school arcade games that you pay for free (after a $10 entry fee).  We can do this with two drink coupons. https://www.cidercade.com/ 
  • Clay Shoot – skeet and trap shooting – Jeff invited me to a Big Brothers, Big Sisters charity event at Elm Fork.  Not sure of the costs but it was really fun. https://www.elmfork.com/charity-fundraising-events/
  • Craft Cocktails – cocktail class that teaches advanced bartending skills and tricks (like lighting an orange peel on fire or using a smoke gun).
  • Coin store – teach us coins, or attend a coin convention
  • Cooking Class – at Sur La Table
  • Comedy club – https://www.dallascomedyhouse.com/ – Tickets are $10. It’s easy: people show up, say hi, get a drink, and then go see the show. Simple, fun, different. 
  • Curling – Addison location, may be expensive but could be awesome
  • Disc Golf
  • Escape Room
  • Exotic car driving – Cresson, TX (west of Texas) – https://drivexotic.com/
  • Flower arrangement class
  • Game night
  • Go Cart / Grandscape
  • Klyde Warren events – https://www.klydewarrenpark.org/
  • Movie.  Buy tickets and meet me in the lobby. 
  • Organizing class 
  • Painting with a Twist – have a charity involved 
  • Float Tank
  • Fly casting class – Tailwaters in Dallas does this
  • Frisco Gun Club – have class on how to shoot better. Perhaps a LTC class.
  • Self Defense Class for Women
  • Self defense prevention class (it’s not what you think) – Jeff shares stories and tips on how to be safe and not become a victim. 
  • Sushi Class
  • Spin Class
  • Tank Driving – Uvalde, TX (west of San Antonio) – https://www.drivetanks.com/
  • Wine Tasting, Whiskey Tasting
  • Workout – in park or at a locally-owned gym
  • Yoga (or Goat Yoga)

Hosting Venue Ideas

  • Lockwood Distillery – Richardson, TX (or any brewery)
  • Top Golf
  • Boutique Store – get owner to host, it brings people to the venue.
  • Bluffview Growler (or any beer garden)
  • Main Event – laser tag
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