Source: Creative Commons (Flickr)

Hosting events is a great way for retirement communities to gain the trust of prospective residents and their loved ones. Inviting the greater community into yours accomplishes two things: it shows goodwill toward your city and region, and allows prospects to see how clean, comfortable, friendly, and upscale your facility is.

Here are 5 marketing event ideas for retirement communities:

1. Health Lectures and Classes. If you offer a continuum of care and have access to doctors and other healthcare professionals who are willing to speak, this can be a highly cost-effective measure for drawing in prospective residents. Topics can include everything from Understanding Medicare to Nutrition to Fall Prevention. What is interesting to your residents will be interesting to your prospects. Conduct a poll to find out what they want to learn about. Then make sure you promote your event in the local news outlets.
2. Holiday Events. Host a local church choir for a Christmas concert. Invite children to a community Easter Egg Hunt. Have a contest to see who can make the biggest matzoh ball. But whatever you do, get the word out to all the towns in your area. Sure, your current residents will invite their grandkids, but you want to draw children whose grandparents might be considering a move from their home to an active retirement community. Create a hashtag, and encourage attendees (i.e. children of prospects) to post pictures on social media.
3. Art and Theater Premieres. Not all of your events need to be hosted in your building. It’s easy to find art exhibits, performances, and movies that are relevant to your audience. For instance, nearly three years ago, a small museum in Israel housed an exhibit on ageism. This type of exhibit would be the perfect sponsorship opportunity for a retirement community, as the topic is relevant to your audience and, if negotiated properly, would offer you the chance to get in front of new audiences not only at the premiere of the exhibit or show, but also in museum or theater publications and on their websites and social media outlets.
4. Themed Lunches. Invite local clubs and organizations to co-host special interest lunches with you. By partnering with the local garden club, writers’ workshop, or crafting group, you can both gain access to their membership and prospects and provide your residents with another fun social activity. If your restaurant/dining room is particularly upscale, this method will be even more effective at planting the seed for future residents.
5. Financial Planning Consultations. Partner with a financial consultant who specializes in estate planning, and invite him or her to speak to your community briefly, followed by a Q&A session and the opportunity to schedule private appointments for more personal questions. It’s a win-win-win situation – for you, for the attendees, and for the financial consultant. This is a key concern for seniors and their children; offering help shows your general concern for the financial health of both your residents and the community.

These are just 5 of the most beneficial marketing event ideas for retirement communities. There are many other ways to recruit prospective residents and give an inside glimpse at what you have to offer. The important thing to remember is that events can’t work unless you advertise them. Make sure you have enough in the budget to both host the event and get the word out – otherwise you won’t make back what you put into the program. And remember: these should be fun and/or educational. Get creative, and you never know how many new prospects you’ll have coming through your doors.