This is going to be one of those strange events that has almost nothing to do with your actual residents. I know that sounds strange, but bear with us. Although our clubhouses can be absolutely beautiful, as they should be considering the investment we make in them, another descriptive word can also apply: Empty. Of course this does not apply to all communities, but oftentimes, the clubhouse is an attractive wasteland, used only to entice prospects into moving into the community, but not really serving much function beyond that. So the next question is, "does it really matter"? Does it matter that our community clubhouse is deserted? Well, maybe not, but here are some thoughts we should consider about the apartment community clubhouse: · ...

Thinking of throwing a Resident Appreciation Week at your community? It doesn't have to be costly or too far-fetched from resident events already in your arsenal. At CMC Apartments in Florida, we have hosted an all-portfolio Resident Appreciation Week (or RAW) for the past three years. The following is an snapshot from various properties during CMC RAW 2013. For more photos and ideas, check out #cmcRAW. Do you host a RAW? We'd love to hear about it. Send us a tweet - @CMCapartments In 2013 our leasing and maintenance staff in Gainesville, Winter Park and Lakeland, Florida engaged in cutthroat healthy competition to outshine the other participating CMC communities for our annual CMC Apartments' Resident Appreciation Week - a fun, festive and free lineup of events offered to all residents. Here's a recap of Day 1....

Ah, the joy of a cardboard box when you are 5. Something so simple can turn into something magical when you have the imagination of a child! This idea is to make a simple drive in movie experience, even though it is doubtful any kids in your community have actually experienced the real thing. They get to decorate their cars with wheels, brake lights, racing stripes, and anything else they can think of. Then let them watch an outdoor movie in their new rides! Maybe my own imagination is getting away with me, but I think it would be a blast to arrange the cars like they were racing and do quasi action shots with the kids looking like they are in a bitter race for first. Could probably get some great pictures of the event this way! ...

Part of creating a lifestyle for your residents is keeping a pulse on what is popular when it comes to group events. Several years ago Texas Hold 'em took the country by storm, as did UFC fighting a few years later. Over the past few years, creative fun runs have really come to the forefront, and now it is just a matter of leveraging these events to create connections between your residents! Fun runs used to be simple 5K, 10K, etc runs that catered to fitness oriented people, but over the past several years they have exploded into a variety of themed events that now cater to a much wider audience! From a Zombie Run to a Hot Chocolate Run, themed events offer a variety of creative ways to entertain runners as they compete. Also, races that...

What’s better than a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies? Well, a plate filled to the brim with an assortment of homemade cookies, of course! Hosting a cookie swap in your community is a fantastic way to bring your residents together to get to know one another and enjoy the holiday season. It’s easy to do: simply invite your residents to bring their best, favorite sweet treat – enough to share, of course! You can either request that they also bring an empty plate or container to hold treats, or you can provide a treat bag for each participant to use to collect their sweets. Set up tables in your clubhouse or gathering place for participants to place their cookies. Consider providing notecards and markers, so each person can put the recipe title (and their name!) in front of their cookies. Once all of the...