Plug Party

Patricia Kagwiria Makhulo asked:


The party plan method is the use of social events – home parties to parade, demonstrate, show off and sample products.  The home party model of business has been used primarily to sell items whose main appeal is to women by women, such as Tupperware, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Kitchen utensils from Pampered Chef (which incidentally is owned by the richest man in the world – Warren Buffet). Also ome decor items e.g, home garden & party, jewelry e.g,. Lia Sophia, skincare e.g, Arbonne International, candles e.g, Mia Bella. Recent additions to the field include lingerie, and *** toys e.g., Passion Parties.

It is very evident that the home party plan traditional business idea is fresh once again as a new generation of sellers open their homes for direct sales. Home parties now account for approx. 30 percent of the nearly $30.8 billion in U.S. direct sales, and 15.2 million Americans bought or sold goods from home in 2007; according to the Direct Selling Association, the premier resource for all thing direct sales.  It is said that there appox. 1,500 home party business in the U.S.

With the growth of the internet, customers find that they continue to benefit from a personal and convenient way of purchasing products.  The Internet is fast becoming an essential element of home party plan business success. It gives both the home party consultant and their customer each a worldwide base.  The growing trend is to host virtual parties online.  Internet sales account for 14% of all home party sales!



The Elements Of A Successful Home Party Plan Business:



Home: As with real estate, location, location, location matters.  Let me share with you some statistics. Home parties account for roughly 70% of the 78% face to face sales made in the US.  Cozy, comfortable, social always wins out!

Party: It’s a party at your home–or better yet, at someone else’s. Customers socialize, and you make money. Need more convincing? Fun is the order of the day.



Home Party Plan Success Tip: Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun



Plan(ning): When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  You need to plan the party elements.  You need to plan your business element i.e., marketing, business plan, training, education & development.  Your party plan



Business |?biznis| ( bus.):

noun

2 the practice of making one’s living by engaging in commerce : the world of business | whom do you do business with in Manila? | [as adj.] the business community | [with adj.] the jewelry business.

• trade considered in terms of its volume or profitability : how’s business?

You are home party plan business consultant, you are in this of course to have fun, partying in your home or that of a hostess for the express purpose of making home party sales and profits.

It boils down to, COMMUNICATION, which in humans is facilitated by three things:

i) neurons,

ii) neurotransmitters and

iii) cells. 

Our bodies communicate through chemicals (neurotransmitters) that are released by the pituitary gland and passed on to the responsive cells by neurons. The chemical substance of interest that facilitates communication that provides the positive side effects of *** is called dopamine. You can think of dopamine as the “I’ve got to have it” neuro-chemical, whatever “it” is. It’s the “craving” neuro-chemical.

The more dopamine one releases, the more your reward circuit is activated. The more “reward” you experience. A good example is food. I get a much bigger blast of dopamine eating high-calorie foods than I do low-calorie foods. It’s why I choose chocolate cake over Brussels sprouts (yuck!)

Dopamine is your major motivation, not the item or activity.  The motivation is pleasure. direct sales marketing then should be about activating the reward circuit as often as possible.  Remember neurons that fire together, wire together.



Home Party Plan Success Tip: Let your prospects associate you with all things good, all things pleasurable all things that create status.  



Why Are Home Parties  A  Serious Consideration For Tradiitional Business Owners?

There is the dopamine effect that we have highlighted.  Then there is the money and practically on the other hand.

Traditional catalogers and retailers are among the companies contributing to the home party industry’s growth. Monroe, WI-based Swiss Colony, for one, launched a direct-selling arm, Swiss Colony Occasions, in February of 2007. Direct Selling consultants/agents use a 24-page Occasions catalog to help them sell food, serving bowls, and decorative items. Bristol, PA-based women’s apparel merchant Jones Apparel Group in March introduced Million Wishes, a party-plan program that sells accessories such as jewelry, scarves, and handbags that complement the company’s other product lines.

There have been other recent big-name entrants into home-party marketing including Jockey, Crayola, Aerosoles, and Reader’s Digest’s Taste of Home division.

1.    It is an activity that both men and women can and do enjoy.  It is not uncommon to host adult home parties for couples.  Men just don’t get into candles and jewelry or kitchen knick knacks

2.    Adult toy parties at home are purely about education.  It is almost as though the advent of Viagra has given women permission to explore, ask questions, experiment and try new stuff.

3.    The other big reason home parties are a big it is that you get to sample.  We’ve all been to Costco.  We all love to try before we buy.  Trust me, the market research in try before you buy shows a fool proof method of getting repeat buyers.  Women attending a in home  show party get to try the lotions, and potions, the tingly gels and massage oils. They get to touch the various items. They get to see and smell.  Any activity that involves the 5 senses is bound to be cash cow because it doesn’t leave room for thought since the brain is so overwhelmed by sensory data!

4.    The atmosphere is one of ease, fun and calm.  Because of the weighty nature of the subject matter of money, a little jug of margaritas and some hor d’oevres go a long way to sate the nerves.  Nervous people make the worst buyers and our friends in lingerie home party plans have it all figured out.

5.    There is little or no guilt associated with the purchases.  When it comes to it buyers remorse tends to be very low.  People **** to feel pressured.  But we all know the postive effect peer pressure has on us, use it your advantage you savvy home party consultant you ?!

Anne Mcculloch asked:


r/>With Christmas almost upon us lots of you will be thinking about having a party. 

 

Party ideas with loads of accessories to make your party go with a bang!  We will guide you through everything you need to consider to ensure all your guests enjoy themselves. 

“Lets party party!” shouts a friend, but do they realise that a party needs a lot of organising?  It needs more than inviting everyone you know and hoping it will all workout.  The fact is a party requires planning, if it is going to be a roaring success.

First of all get a piece of paper and pen.  Decide the theme of the party.  Is it an adult Christmas party or perhaps it is a kid’s party, maybe all the family are attending. Give yourself plenty of time to plan the party, at least a few weeks.  Avoid trying to throw a party the next day or evening, it just won’t be successful because you just will not have enough time to do everything that you want and you will be left frustrated at its failure.

  

With the theme sorted your next stage is to set a budget.  We would all like to spend thousands on a parties but very few of us can.  So be realistic.  Set a reasonable amount to spend and try and find ways to stick to it.  When the party is in full swing you can tell people where you got the various items at bargain prices!   When writing down your budget  give an amount to each area of the party.  For example, food including the cake, banners, invitations, balloons, table decorations, party bags, outfits (if needed), presents, cost of DJ – if required, etc.  See these are the accessories that need your consideration!  Write a checklist of these items and find out where you are going to get them.

 



Next thing you need to think about is where to hold the party?  Is there enough room at home?  Or are there so many people coming that you need to use the garden?  For example, buy or hire a gazebo or marquee.  Perhaps a local hall is needed?  The local club or Scout hall could all be hired for a reasonable price.  They may even offer to do the catering for a small fee.  As a last resort a hotel function suite could be hired.  It would cost more but the facilities would be much better.  Remember to consider the time of year when thinking of the venue.

 

Planning a party around a theme is easier than doing it any other way.  It may be a year – 1970s theme;  a fancy dress theme;  a murder mystery theme;  a Disney theme for children; whatever the theme the planning will be easier to do if you know these certain things.  For example the cake. 

Try and get other people involved in the planning and tasks.  This will also help with spreading the costs and time.  Especially if a DJ is going to be hired.  A good DJ can cost £100 in 2008 and will probably need to be booked a few weeks in advance.  Around the same time as you send out the invitations.  Ask them to reply that they will be attending the party as this saves catering for 100 when only 30 are really intending to come along on the day!    A word about invitations, it might seem obvious to most but make sure you clearly state in the invitation the following.  The place, date, time, who the party is for, who is throwing it and finally a ‘phone number to contact saying that they will be attending.  Take a note of who you sent the invitations to as this can sometimes cause problems later, believe me!

If the party is for children only, then say parents are also welcome.  Make sure you have contact details of all parents.  Ask if their child has any food requirements ( allergic to nuts, for example), vegetarian, etc.  If it is a children’s party then you are definitely going to need some form of entertainment.  Computer games like a Wii or playstation, or maybe an entertainer, a clown for the young ones, a magician, or comic needs to be considered.  If it is the summer then a lot of people hire a bouncy castle.  I have some reservations about these as accidents can happen if they are not supervised.  If you do hire a bouncy castle then make sure safety is the main priority.  No shoes on, only a few kids on at a time, no ‘carry on’, only kids of roughly the same size on at one time, etc.

Always have a back up plan if the party is outside.  The weather can often control the success of a party.  It is better to have too much of something than too little.  Plenty of food and drink (soft or alcoholic)  can have a major influence on the outcome of a party.

Make sure all the guests get involved.  Circulate the group engage all guest in the party, tell stories of how you organised it etc.  Give them a task if they are struggling to integrate so they feel involved in the whole proceedings.  Once you have made sure everyone is mixing and feeling good then you can relax, a little. 

If you can do all of the above your party will be a roaring success and people will talk about it for months if not years from now.  Lets partyparty will be their greeting everytime they meet you!

For more information on how to stage a successful party and get supplies, visit letspartyparty.co.uk

 

Patricia Kagwiria Makhulo asked:


Home Party Business Marketing is largely a matter of understanding what one is getting into. The party plan method is the use of social events – home parties to parade, demonstrate, show off and sample products used primarily to sell items whose main appeal is to women by women, such as Tupperware, Mary Kay Cosmetics, kitchen utensils, home decor items e.g, home garden & party, jewelry, skincare e.g, Arbonne International, candles e.g, Mia Bella. Recent additions to the field include lingerie, and *** toys e.g., Passion Parties.

It is very evident that the home party plan traditional business idea is fresh once again as a new generation of sellers open their homes for direct sales.

Home parties now account for approx. 30 percent of the nearly $30.8 billion in U.S. direct sales, and 15.2 million Americans bought or sold goods from home in 2007; according to the Direct Selling Association, the premier resource for all thing direct sales.

With the growth of the internet, customers find that they continue to benefit from a personal and convenient way of purchasing products.  The Internet is fast becoming an essential element of home party plan business success. It gives both the home party consultant and their customer each a worldwide base.  The growing trend is to host virtual parties online.  Internet sales account for 14% of all home party sales!



The 4 Elements Of A Successful Home Party Plan Business

1. A Home: As with real estate, location, location, location matters.  Let me share with you some statistics. Home parties account for roughly 70% of the 78% face to face sales made in the US.  Cozy, comfortable, social always wins out!  So be sure to host home party plan fun monthly meetings at the least.

2. It’s A Party: Success with home partys lies in the fact that it’s a party at your home–or better yet, at someone else’s. Customers socialize, and you make money. Need more convincing? Make fun is the order of the day. Party like a rockstar!

Home Party Plan Success Tip: Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun

3. Plan(ning) : When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  You need to plan the party elements.  You need to plan your business element i.e., marketing, business plan, training, education & development.  Your party plan hostess must be coached and prepared.  The Home party demo must be planned before hand.  Don’t get side tracked and have a show that goes on for 3 hours.  No one makes great purchases when they are tired

4. It’s A Business |?biznis| ( bus.):

noun

2 the practice of making one’s living by engaging in commerce : the world of business | whom do you do business with in Manila? | [as adj.] the business community | [with adj.] the jewelry business.

• trade considered in terms of its volume or profitability : how’s business?

As Max Sanborn asserts, “The ultimate objective of a business is profit. The primary purpose of a business is to create customers. Profitability without customers is an impossibility.”

You are a home party consultant, you are in this of course to have fun, partying in your home or that of a hostess for the express purpose of making and increasing home party sales and profits.

Party like a rock star,

Andrea Ayling asked:


Having written some articles on party games for kids, I was asked to explain my formula for a successful kids party. So here it is… in this 4-part series you will find out my 4 essential rules for planning a successful kids party, why a party plan works, the 7 steps of a good party plan and how to use a party plan to ensure a successful kids party.

The key to my formula for a successful kids party is concentrated around 4 essential rules.

1.      Keep it simple. By this I mean simple food and simple games. Simple really can be best.  Keep the party simple and you will have time to enjoy preparing and participating in the party. Keep the party simple and it will also cost you less.

2.      Make a party plan. In other words be prepared. You need to plan ahead, know what you need to do and do as much as is possible before the day of the party. You will create great memories for yourself and your kids because you will have time to enjoy the party with them.

3.      Party Games. Use party games as your party entertainment. Your party will be full of fun and laughter. The kids will love you for planning party games as the entertainment and they are inexpensive too. In my book of party games for kids the games fall into one of four categories, food games, races and relays, musical games and memory games. Four to six games will be enough.

4.      Designated areas. I have found that having a designated area is essential. All the party equipment and supplies are given a designated area where they can be stored and found with ease. This makes it easy leading up to the party and especially the day before and day of the party. This may seem like an unnecessary thing to spend time on, however, it will save plenty of wasted time and stress trying to locate items you know you bought and have forgotten where you put them.

One area in both the fridge and freezer where you can easily locate all the frozen and cold items. Cupboard space, table or the corner of a room for all the non - perishable items.

 

A party plan is key to a successful kids party. Why do party plans work? My next article in this series will explain how a party plan helps reduce stress, keep you on budget and manage your time.

Dee Adams asked:


Is it time to plan your kid’s birthday party again? Every year around that time you’re wondering - has it been a year already? What are we going to do THIS year? I don’t think I want 20 kids at my house again… so, what other options do we have?

If you’re that mom (or dad), here are some suggestions:

Build-A-Bear Workshop

For the kids who love Teddy Bears - this is the ultimate Teddy Bear birthday party. Kids get to choose a Teddy Bear (or any other animal within the price range selected) and give it a personality by stuffing it, fluffing it, giving it a voice, dressing it up, accessorizing it, and giving it a name. There is also a “Heart Ceremony” where each kid gets to choose a “heart” and make a wish, before placing it inside his animal.

Each kid gets a “Birth Certificate” with his Teddy Bear’s name, and a little cardboard house to take the Teddy Bear home as a goodie bag. Teddy bears, voices, clothes and accessories all vary in prices. You can designate a price range (starting at $10) for each one of the categories that suits your budget. Parties are for 6 kids or more and include a “party leader” who manages the party process and entertains the kids.

Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese is a chain of family entertainment centers and has been a kids’ favorite for many years. It offers indoor fun activities and games for kids of all ages. From play structures, tubes, slides and small rides to Air Hockey tables and arcade games.

Birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese are fun and affordable. Parties are scheduled throughout the day, every day, and combine playtime with party time. Party tables are decorated and set up by the Chuck E. Cheese staff (as well as clean up) and are reserved for 90 minuets.

Every party gets a birthday performance featuring “Chuck E. Cheese and his musical friends” who entertain the kids with a little song and dance show. In a typical party each kid gets Pizza, soft drink, cake and game tokens (number of tokens depends on the package you choose).

The birthday kid gets a collector’s cup, cotton candy, a crown, and a helium balloon. Additional party options such as extra cake, goodie bag, or collector’s cup are available for purchase. You can also bring your own cake and/or ice cream.

Golfland Entertainment Centers

There are currently 9 Golfland Entertainment Centers throughout California and Arizona. Each Golfland has a unique theme and many combine different kinds of attractions. Birthday party packages at Golfland and SunSplash entertainment centers vary for each location. Golfland Birthday Party package ranges between $8.50 - $12.99 per kid (depending on the location) and requires 10 kids minimum.

Basic package may include One round (18 holes) of miniature golf, pizza and soft drinks, arcade tokens, party supplies, and complimentary round of golf for the birthday kid.

The Sunsplash Birthday Party package is for kids 14 years old or younger, and require 10 kids minimum. Each package costs $23.00 per kid Monday - Thursday, and $24.00 per kid Friday - Sunday, and may include all day admission to Sunsplash Waterpark, Hamburger & fries or Pizza and a soft drink, party supplies, and complimentary Waterpark Pass for the Birthday Kid.

There are also add-ons and upgrades that can be purchased for each package (where available): Miniature Golf, Laser Tag, Race Cars, Bumper Boats, Golfland Waterslide, Golfland Arcade, Birthday cakes, Goodie bags, and Ice Cream.

LEGO

For kids 6 and older who love LEGO - this is a dream come true. This ultimate LEGO party offers 1 - 1.5 hours of creative play activity in the LEGO store. Each party is customized for the birthday kid and is led by LEGO party host.

There are different themes for boys and for girls to select from:

BIONICLE

LEGO Star Wars

Mosaics & Creator

LEGO Racers

LEGO CITY

Party package starts at $10 per child, and the minimum number of kids is 5. Each kid get to take home a goodie bag with a set of LEGO, and the birthday kid also gets a LEGO Birthday Brick.

My Gym Children’s Fitness Center

Each birthday party at My Gym is age appropriate and tailored to the birthday kid’s favorite activities and games. Birthday party packages vary from one location to another and may run for 1.5 - 2 hours.

Cost for each party also varies depending on the location and the number of kids, which can be from 15 - 25. Each package may include exclusive play in the gym and is facilitated by My Gym trained teachers.

Activities include games, gymnastics, Space Flight, puppets, rides, songs and other birthday festivities, where the birthday kid is at the heart of the celebration. All kids get to participate in all activities.

My Gym staff will setup and decorate the place, serve the refreshments and even clean up after the party. Party goodie bags can be added to the package at additional cost.

Pump It Up

Pump It Up offers indoor birthday party packages for kids ages 2 and up and features huge inflatable play structures in different shapes and sizes for climbing, sliding, jumping and playing. There are two birthday party packages to choose from:

“Classic party” is for up to 25 kids and “Mini-Classic Party” is for up to 14 kids. The kids get to spend some time in one play area, then move to another play area, and then at the party room.

Both Party packages include Color invitations, party supplies, supervision by trained staff during play time, and Party set up and clean up. Pump It Up goodie bags and inflated helium balloons can be added to each package for additional charge.

The Little Gym

Each birthday party at The Little Gym is tailored for the birthday kid and is facilitated by friendly staff. All parties feature fun activities with movement, and exclusive use of the gym for the duration of the party.

Birthday parties are 90 minutes long and can be scheduled for Saturday or Sunday. Birthday party packages vary for each location.

The cost for each party depends on the location and the number of kids, and may include Two staff members to facilitate the party, setup and cleanup, “The Little Gym” invitations, party supplies, and “The Little Gym” T-shirt for the birthday kid.

YMCA

The “YMCA” is a world-wide not-for-profit community service organization with a special emphasis on community development and

young people. The YMCA’s mission is building a healthy spirit, mind, and body and its motto is “We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities”.

Birthday party packages at the YMCA vary from one location to another. Depending on the facility, some parties may include swimming, games, and sports activities. Cost varies for each location.

For more details about each party place and photo gallery please visit the Birthday Party Places section of our website: http://www.cool-kids-places.com/birthday-party-places.html.

Shawn Chua AKA Captain Amazing asked:


Planning is the TINY secret to organizing a the perfect birthday party for your child. Here are a number of key points that you should cover when planning your party.

Choosing the Party Date & Time

Needless to say, the date of the party should be as close to the birthday child’s actual birthday as possible. If your kid’s actual birthday falls on a weekday and you can’t have a party on that day, do not fret. You can throw the party on the weekend closest to the actual day. For example if your kid’s birthday is on a Monday, you can choose to have the party on the day before, which is a Sunday. If your kid’s birthday is on a Thursday, then consider throwing the party on the coming Saturday.

However, if your child’s birthday falls during the school holidays, it may be prudent to have the party earlier as many of his/her friends and classmates may be out of town on vacation. Have your child inform all friends and classmates at school about their upcoming party and make sure that they know who can and cannot make it. Alternatively, you can contact the parents of your child’s friends directly to inform them about the party.

Next, choose a party time that would suit most kids. It is seldom possible to choose a date and time that would suit everyone perfectly. Late mornings or mid-afternoons on weekends are a great time for a party. As some children may have other extracurricular activities (e.g. swimming lessons) in the late afternoon, it is best to have the party earlier in the day, leaving the rest of the day free for your guests to enjoy other activities. Simply choose the time that would fit most guests and your entertainer, if you are hiring one.

As a general rule, set two possible dates for the party and determine the actual party day based on which day most people are able to make it.

Now that you know what you’re going to have at the party, where you’re going to have it and when it’s going to be, you can now start sending out party invitations! Send your invites out early to make sure you get as many RSVPs as possible so that you can adequately prepare for all of your guests.

To ensure a smooth program, don’t forget to indicate the expected time for the guests to arrive in your invitation cards. You can also include the program in your invites so that your guests know what to expect and will be eager to arrive on time! You can also indicate if the party is just for the kids. This means parents will drop off their kids at the party and be back at a designated time to pick them up.

Budget

The second step in planning a great birthday party is to plan your budget. You should allocate how much you can or are willing to spend on things such as food, decorations, renting a venue, hiring an entertainer and so on.

You can consult the birthday child to help you along with some of your choices, it’s their special day after all! Find out what your child wants or would like to have for their party and provide certain options so that they understand the benefits and drawbacks of each option before deciding. However, do note that you do not have to give in to every one of your kid’s demands. Consulting the birthday kid is meant to make it easier for you to decide who (guests, entertainer, etc) and what (decorations, type of food, etc) to have at the party, which can then help you plan your budget better.

Venue

Choosing the right venue for the party can play make or break a party. The choice of your venue can affect the number of guests you can comfortably hold, the party activities you want to have or whether you have to deal with the weather (for outdoor venues).

You also have to consider if the venue is easily accessible to most of your invited guests. While your child may enjoy having the party at the zoo for example, it might not necessarily be the most convenient location for some of his friends to get to.

From our experience, we have found indoor venues to be better suited for party activities or venues with both indoor and outdoor facilities. Naturally, if you are looking for a specific venue like the Zoo, Birdpark or amusement attractions, a large portion of the party will be outdoors. However, many of these venues also have indoor function rooms or restaurants that can cater for an indoor program.

If you choose to have an outdoor venue, try to secure the use of a sheltered pavilion or tentage for food and various party activities. This will also be shelter should the weather turn wet.

Here are some common and recommended party venues:

Multi-Purpose/ Function Rooms

If you are able to book your condominium’s function room or hall, it would be a perfect party venue. If you do not live in a condominium, you can try asking relatives who do to help assist you with the bookings accordingly.

You can also consider function rooms available for rent at affordable prices at your nearby community club. A typical function room has enough space, tables and chairs prepared for guests to enjoy the food and any entertainment you have planned.

Restaurants

Many restaurants have private rooms which you can use. Similar to a function room, it meets all the requirements needed in throwing a great party. In such cases, you get a 2-in-1 as you don’t have to worry about catering separately, since food would be provided by the restaurant.

A popular restaurant venue for a party is the Lion’s Den at The Hard Rock Café. Not only is it easily accessible, this private room is big enough to comfortably hold about 80-100 kids and adults.

At Home

Why go out when you can stay in? If you’ve got the space to throw a party then having the party at home has many advantages. You won’t have to source for a venue. You can comfortably prepare the food for the party if you want. Plus, when it’s party time, there’s no chance that you will forget or leave anything behind. Doesn’t that sound sweet?

The only disadvantage to having a party at home is that you have to personally clean up after everyone has left. It’s a small bummer but at least you’ll have all the convenience of home!

Food

You can hire a venue that can cater your food at the same time, or have the party at home which would save cost. Once you have decided on the number of guests, you can allocate the budget for food.

You may want to cater separately for kids and adults or simply just cater for everyone. Choose a reputable caterer for your party or you can choose to prepare your own food. Whatever you decide to do, always remember that the food at a party is one of the main things that guests will remember, so do not spare any expense in getting the best.

Decorations

Decorate your venue so it truly looks like the place for a really cool party. Get a “Happy Birthday” banner or even a customized banner with your kid’s name on it for that special touch! A great way to add color to the event is to add some balloons. Balloons are always a hit with kids and a hundred colorful helium balloons to decorate your venue should do the trick. You can get them yourself if you have the time and resources or you get them at an affordable price from professionals.

You can also use decorations to highlight a specific theme for the party. For example, some kids have specific preferences and likes such as Superman. You can then theme the party by having Superman decorations (i.e. balloons, coasters, banner, paper plates, etc) or just have a generic superhero theme. However in this case, having a generic superhero concept might be a lot more cost effective as you would not need to source for specific decorations and can instead find more economical alternatives.

Party Host/ Entertainer

A professional party host or entertainer can make a great difference to the success of a party. If you’ve decided to hire an entertainer but are unsure where or how to start, you can always search the internet or get recommendations from friends. If you have a theme for your party (i.e. Superhero), then it would be a good idea to find a suitable entertainer who can fit into the theme as well

An entertainer plays a HUGE influence on the kids as s/he will be the one who directly interacts with them at the party. While a good entertainer is one who can keep the kids entertained, s/he should also be a good role model. Choose a professional entertainer who speaks well as they are very strong influences on the kids. Also ensure the entertainer or entertainment company boasts a good track record and this will be reflected on their website, party rate sheet or promotional material. Take heed of entertainers whose marketing material contains bad English such as multiple typos, grammatical mistakes or poor sentence structure, this is usually a reflection on the quality of the entertainer. Lastly, you do get what you pay for!

Timeline

While a kid’s party is a relatively simple event to organize, you still need to allocate enough time to ensure all elements will be in place on the big day.

Purchase all party items such as prizes, gifts and party treats early. This is so that you have ample time to make sure that you’ve stocked up on everything you need and that there’s time to get more if necessary.

Book your professional party host or entertainer as early as you can! Popular ones will require at least one month’s notice to ensure an available timeslot.

Prepare your party program in advance. Decide on the time you want your invited guests to arrive, the time for the food to be served, the games to start, the time for the birthday cake cutting and so on. When planning your program, the key thing is to keep everything as organized as possible, so that the party flows smoothly.

Finally and most importantly, involve the special birthday kid in the preparations as much as possible. It is after all their birthday party!