Practically every builder and developer has held big bashes to celebrate grand openings, new models and other milestone occasions. But the Bonita Bay Group in Southwest Florida has taken the party scene to a new level.

Instead of inviting friends, local government officials, sub-contractors and the media, the Bonita Beach-based developer partners with other businesses which share the same upscale clientele to hold exclusive events inside million-dollar model homes. The affairs have been so successful the company now is looking into teaming with one of Naples finest resorts to use its sample homes as a venue for swank dinners for visiting boards of directors and conventioneers.

"It's a new way for us to find new prospects in a very competitive market," says Cheryl Garn, marketing director for two of the Bonita Bay Group's two high-end communities, Mediterra in Bonita Springs and TwinEagles in North Naples. "We can't show that their first contact was at one of our events, but we know of a lot of buyers who came to one of them."

Not only that, Garn says, but the parties have "turned into social events for people who are our market. We get complaints when people aren't invited."

The idea for joining with car dealers, jewelers, retailers and lifestyle magazines – all non-competing businesses which target the same affluent customers – is an extension of alliances with local non-profits and universities that have held soirees at the Group's communities. "After working on other events, we thought we should try one for prospects," the marketing director says. "We thought that if we partnered with certain businesses, it might give us better access to our potential customers than our normal advertising."

During the 2005 "high season" for Southwest Florida -- January, February, March and April -- the developer held four partnering events at Mediterra, a master-planned property that has been named "Community of the Year" by the Collier (County) Building Industry Association for four consecutive years. This season, TwinEagles hosted an even more lavish function.

At Mediterra, a six-year-old, 1,700-acre property planned for up to 950 residences, one party was held in four fully furnished custom home models by four different builders ranging in price from $2.1 million to $2.625 million. Collections of each partner's merchandise were on display in each sample house -- Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and BMW's were in the driveways; pearls, diamonds and watches from Yarmon Jewelers were on exhibit, and models wore the latest fashions from several upscale stores in the Waterside Shops.

Guests enjoyed vintage wines and hors d'oeuvres prepared by the Club at Mediterra as they toured the models, experiencing not only exquisite jewelry, designer fashions and fine automobiles but also the latest architectural and interior design trends. "The extraordinary models showcased this evening," the takeaway said, "provide a glimpse into the gracious lifestyle enjoyed by our residents."

At TwinEagles, a larger, 1,115-acre community planned for 716 houses and was started eight years ago, the event was "taken to the next level." When guests arrived at the guarded entry, they were greeted by valet parkers and escorted into a stretch limo that transported them through the property and a tour of the estate model homes, which had price tages ranging from $3.2 million to $6.6 million. To appeal to the philanthropic nature of the Naples' upper-crust community, the affair featured a charity element with a silent auction in each model to raise funds for Children's Hospital.

Guests were encouraged to bid on numerous items, including a year's membership in the private TwinEagles golf club, a shopping spree at the exclusive Waterside Shops and the use of a Jag for a month, all contributed by the event's co-sponsors. But the auction also served as an incentive for guests to register and indicate their interest in a home or golf membership. It was the first time guests were asked that question, and three our of five said they were.

At each event, the Bonita Bay Group underwrote most of the cost. Partners contributed $2,500 each and were allowed to add up to 300 of their top clients to the guest list. But the builders themselves paid nothing. They cleaned the models, before and after, and had their sales staff on hand. But otherwise, says Garn, "as a developer, we consider (the parties) part of our marketing for them."

The total cost was a heady $30,000 per gala, but the marketing director says "that's not a lot in relation to what we're selling. We give guests food, drink, entertainment and a takeaway so they have something to remember the community by. And we're very happy with the results. Prospects spend time actively engaged in the homes themselves, and they linger longer in each room than they would if they were simply touring the models."

Now the company is talking with the Naples Grande (formerly the Registry) about hosting small-group convention dinners and board meetings in its model homes. The idea is to provide an off-site venue that's different, more private and more relaxing than the resort hotel itself. And Garn says her builders are "very excited" about the concept.

"These events have created a lot of buzz," she says. "We've created a lot of word-of-mouth. People want to know who are partners are going to be. It gives them a reason to see the newest models."

Published: January 16, 2007

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When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.