If you’ve been in commercial real estate (CRE) for more than a minute, you know the typical tenant event playbook: ice cream social in the lobby, maybe a summer BBQ in the courtyard, a few seasonal decorations. Those events aren’t bad, and they can still have a place, but tenants today are looking for something deeper. They want experiences that feel personal, thoughtful, and authentic. The good news is that this shift toward intentional programming can make your life easier, your budgets go further, and your retention numbers stronger.

Will Guidara captures it perfectly in Unreasonable Hospitality: “Intention means every decision, from the most obviously significant to the seemingly mundane, matters.” When you plan events with that lens, asking not just what you’re doing but WHY, you’ll see the impact ripple far beyond the day of the event.

Shifting from “Just Fun” to “Fun AND Meaningful”

Take a traditional tenant appreciation BBQ. You could just put out some burgers and a band. Or you could ask, “What do my tenants actually care about?”

For example, if you know a lot of them support rescue dogs, you can theme it “Dog Days of Summer” and invite local shelters to bring adoptable dogs, waive adoption fees, and host a building-wide drive for shelter supplies.

Suddenly, your BBQ isn’t just a free lunch. It’s a cause tenants feel proud to be part of and a reason they feel connected to the building, its management team, the community where they work, and fellow tenants in the building.

That’s the difference between a momentary event and a lasting experience.

The Power of Small, Intentional Gestures

Impactful programming doesn’t always mean spending more money. In fact, some of the most effective tenant experiences cost very little but leave a long-term impression.

Another example, if you have a tenant and you know they have a brutal busy season in June to meet international deadlines, you can show up in small ways all week long: a barista cart one morning; a basket of protein bars and energy drinks the next; a stack of pizzas with a handwritten note: “We hope this helps you push through your final deadlines. You got this! From, Property Management.”

It’s not just thoughtful; it’s strategic. You’re signaling that you see their hard work, that you care about their employees’ wellbeing, and that you’re a partner in their success. When renewal time rolls around, that memory is sitting right there alongside the lease paperwork.

Plan the Year, but Stay Flexible

The most successful property teams map out the year in advance. Think about the natural rhythms of your building: Are there months when most tenants are under pressure? When are new leases typically signed? When is feedback easier to collect? Build your event calendar around those cycles. Having a plan also makes it easier to control costs and show leadership how the budget is allocated.

At the same time, leave a little room for spontaneity. In “Unreasonable Hospitality,” Guidara talks about the “95/5 Rule.” The rule states: “spend 95% of your resources on what’s expected but keep 5% for surprise moments.”

In our CRE world, that might mean setting aside a small discretionary fund for those barista carts or pizza drops to show tenants that you see them. Those unscripted gestures often deliver the biggest emotional return.

Making the Budget Work

Property teams don’t have unlimited budgets for tenant engagement, but that’s not a barrier if you get creative. Partnering with your tenants to support their existing philanthropic efforts by hosting building-wide drives or volunteer events can double as marketing and engagement tools.

It’s also helpful to categorize your programming spend: your “signature” events that everyone expects, your ongoing wellness or volunteer initiatives, and your intentional fund for the unexpected. Thinking in these buckets makes it easier to justify costs to ownership and to measure results.

Measuring What Matters

If you want ownership support for these efforts, you have to be able to show impact. It’s sometimes difficult to measure success through tenant experiences, but here are a few metrics that are helpful:

• Attendance and participation. Who’s showing up and how often.
• Tenant satisfaction scores before and after events.
• Renewal rates and the timing of renewals compared to event participation.
• Qualitative feedback like those thank-you emails or social posts you get after a successful event.

Even anecdotal evidence matters. If a tenant renews and mentions your programming as part of their decision, document it. Over time, you’ll build a case that intentional events aren’t just nice to have, but a driver of retention and revenue.

Big Events Still Matter… but with an Intentional Twist

Large events are still important for visibility and morale. They show tenants and prospects that your building is vibrant and collaborative. But they work best when they’re anchored to a purpose. Whether it’s a themed appreciation BBQ, a sustainability day, or a vendor market, give people a reason to care beyond the free food or swag.

Think of these events as your anchor points for the year. But between them, sprinkle in smaller gestures and surprises to keep momentum going. The combination of high-impact anchor events and personalized “wow” moments creates a rhythm of care that tenants feel all year long.

Making It a Habit

This approach to tenant programming isn’t about a single event; it’s about creating an expectation of attentiveness. It requires curiosity about your tenants’ needs, a willingness to adapt, and a commitment to measuring outcomes. Over time, you’ll develop a reputation not just as a property manager but as a partner who genuinely cares about the people in your building. Trust me, people notice. As the great Maya Angelo said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

And when tenants feel cared for, they stay. They renew. They tell others. That’s not just goodwill, that’s ROI.
We’re in an era where workplace experience is part of the leasing decision. A pop-up ice cream social is fine, but an intentional tenant experience that makes people feel seen and valued will carry far more weight when lease renewal time comes. By planning with purpose, building flexibility into your budget, and measuring results, you can shift from transactional events to transformational experiences.
As Will Guidara reminds us, intention in even the smallest decisions can create extraordinary hospitality. Bringing that mindset into your tenant programming can transform your building from just another CRE address into a true community that people are proud to belong to and reluctant to leave.

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