One of the biggest challenges to any apartment party is simply getting more attendance.  So why not create a situation where every single resident is not only invited to a party, but is actually needed at the party?

This is a general scavenger hunt type party, where teams are created based upon their building number, floor number, or some other logical subgroup at the apartment community.  Prior to the party, each resident is given part of a treasure map, maybe in their mail box, with instructions on how to find the scavenger hunt items.  In other words, each resident has a vital piece of the puzzle, so there is an incentive for fellow teammates to get as many fellow residents to come as possible.  So residents are driven to reach out to their nearest neighbors and convince them to participate, or at least share their part of the map.  Yes, not everybody will come out and join the party, but at least there will be some sort of interaction that may not have happened before! 

I highly recommend having the party details on the back of each portion of the treasure map, with an explanation of how important it is for them to attend to help their team win.  Also, consider making team names for each group to help solidify them as a cohesive team.

It is important with any party to handle the “what if” scenarios so nobody feels left out.  Let’s touch on some of these, but it’s probably a good idea to brainstorm others:

What if a building has a vacant unit?  It’s best to probably keep all the excess map pieces in folders by building/floor, and when the residents arrive, you can simply give them the extra pieces.

What if only one or two people from a building show up?  If they are going solo, they will be at a huge disadvantage AND they will probably feel pretty lonely!  So have a plan where smaller groups can merge somehow.  This would be tricky given they would have different map pieces, so give some thought as to how they might be merged if that is the case.  (It might make sense to have spare map pieces for this situation)

I hope this gets some great attendance at your next scavenger hunt apartment party!