Three years ago I spent $12,000 on a client appreciation party.
I had the DJ. I had the elaborate setup. I had printed invites—500 of them—each one handwritten, stuffed into an envelope, stamped, and mailed. I bought food for twice as many people as RSVP'd because I was terrified someone would go home hungry. I went home with a truck bed full of leftover hoagies.
Even if I walked away with four listings, I couldn't break even.
This year, our fifth annual event at Paradocx Vineyard on Friday, June 14th, 2024, will cost around $3,500. Maybe $4,000. We're expecting 150 to 200 people. And I'm confident it will deliver more value—both to our clients and to our business—than that $12,000 party ever did.
Here's what I learned.
You Don't Need the Extras
The DJ didn't matter. The photo booth was fun, but no one came because of it. People come to a client party to see you, to reconnect, to enjoy good food and a relaxed evening. They're not evaluating your event-planning skills.
We host our event at a winery. The wine is inexpensive—about $7 a bottle, which pours four or five glasses. It's a Friday happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m., so people aren't drinking heavily. The venue provides the atmosphere. We bring the relationships.
This year we're offering balloon artists, face painting, and caricatures—mostly to keep kids entertained so parents can actually talk. But none of that is expensive, and none of it is the reason people show up.
The Invitation System
Handwriting 500 invitations was a beautiful touch. It felt personal. It aligned with our boutique, handshake-deal identity. But when you're inviting 1,000 people, the math breaks down.
- 500 printed invites: $250
- Envelopes: ~$50
- Postage at $0.65 each: $325
- Someone's time to handwrite and mail them: hours
Total: over $600, plus labor.
Now we use email and text. I send three emails in the lead-up. I send a text Friday morning. I send a ringless voicemail. For people in our CRM who haven't opted out, they get the invite. Last year, one of those mass emails brought in a walk-in who said, "I'm ready to list. Do you have the paperwork? I got your email, so I figured I'd stop by."
I had never met him. We listed his house. It was one of the most difficult transactions I've ever had, and it started with a mass email.
You can't predict which touch lands. That's the point of sending so many of them.
Who Gets Invited
I invite everybody to this one, because a lot of the costs are the same no matter who comes. The only people I leave out are the ones marked do not call.
Our agents invite their own clients too. I cap each agent at 50 to 100 invitations.
The Touches
The party is really a reason to reach out. Three emails, a text on Friday morning and a ringless voicemail make five touches before anyone has walked in. Seeing someone in person is a sixth. After the party we send another email, either "sorry we missed you" or "thanks for coming," with the photos and the prize winners. Add it all up and I count about ten touches from one event.
The photographer matters for that reason too. The photos are great for video and for showing our culture, and when guests post them on their own pages, we reach their circle of friends.
Don't Be Scared of It
If this feels like too much, start smaller. Host it in your own office and get comfortable with the rhythm of the invitations and the follow-up. Or open a tab at a local winery and bring thirty people. You don't need a venue to rent or a DJ to hire.
Just do it. If nobody shows up, you still showed up, and you tried.
