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Holiday Party Planning and Some Great Tools to Help!

December 13, 2012 By Comments

Photo courtesy of chiaralily

‘Tis the season and all that jazz! Ask any party planner and they will tell you when it comes to a successful party success is definitely in the details. And when it comes to details success is in the planning, planning, planning. Especially during the holiday season when time is at a minimum and before you know it you’re throwing something together at the very last minute. So by taking the time to first consider the party type as well as the who, what, when and where of party planning and planning ahead will absolutely save you time, energy and yes stress.

For many planning a holiday soiree is the high point of their year. And who doesn’t want their party to be the best and brightest. Organizing and hosting a holiday party for your friends and family does not need the expertise and skills of a high-powered, A list professional planner. With some pre-planning, a bit of elbow grease and some great planning tools you can easily wow even the biggest of critics.

Holiday Party Planning with the Evite Party Budget Calculator

How many times have you heard; do we even have a budget for this? Holiday celebrations are exciting and enjoyable but frankly can be costly to host. When planning a party that bottom line is always forefront in our minds. With each party planned the feat of finding that perfect balance of how much to spend without literally breaking the bank can be so frustrating. Well now staying within a budget is as easy as one, two, three. Evite has a great handy dandy party tool, a Party Budget Calculator, to help. You simply enter the details, party style, number of guests and the party duration and poof the Evite Party Calculator will provide an estimation of expenses. Remember when it comes to holiday party spending it’s not how much you spend it’s how you spend it!

Holiday Party Planning with the Evite Party Planning Checklist

With Christmas and New Year’s Eve just around the corner everyone’s stress levels are snowballing. In a snap, party planning can easily become a hectic, all-consuming and nerve wracking situation. Repeat after me; this is the year to enjoy, not agonize and worry, about what is missing. A Party Planning Checklist will help you to set your priorities and schedule your time, allowing for a fun filled evening when it comes party time. A checklist will ensure you have thought of every single thing and will provide for a well-planned, stress free experience. Just enter the party information and the tool will provide a list of tasks with the matching due dates. And then just check off the items as they are accomplished and by the time the party arrives all the work will be done. Rumor has it the secret to party success is being prepared so in an effort to remain stress free and enjoy these special times a party planning checklist will be your best friend.

Holiday parties are special occasions to spend quality time with friends and family. So if you’re one who wants to relax and enjoy once it comes time to party then don’t forget to utilize that great resource, the internet. Right at your fingertips and there to help when it comes to creativity, ideas, templates and all things holiday party. So when the night arrives you and your guests will create memories to be remembered for a lifetime! Season’s Greetings!

 

 

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A Cool Tool for Your Christmas and New Year’s Eve Party Planning

December 12, 2012 By Comments

Bright Settings Set the Table AppAs the holiday season is now upon us, many of you are planning on hosting a Christmas or New Year’s Eve party. And many of those parties will be dinner parties.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve Parties Are a Time for Friends and Colleagues to Gather

This is the time of year where many people turn into part-time party planners. After all, what’s Christmas or New Year’s without having to attend some fun and festivities. Now, with the help of a tableware setup tool, you’ll be able to set your dinner table exactly like professional event planners. No more worrying about which fork to use and where to place the spoon.

A Party Planning Tool from Bright Settings

Bright Settings is a national table and linen rental company (they have also expanded to screen and digital printing). On their website they also have a category devoted to tools. One of those tools is a tableware setup application.

Here’s how Bright Settings’ tableware set up works:

Basically, once you know what you’ll be serving at your party, you check off all that is applicable. Then hit the “set the table” button and presto, a diagram with the appropriate way to set your table is displayed. This is a perfect tool for anyone that wants to ensure that they are setting their table properly for the meal that they will be serving.

So why not take a little bit of stress from your Christmas and New Year’s Eve party planning by utilizing the tableware set up tool. No more second-guessing which utensils are required for your menu.

 

Disclaimer. Bright Settings does have a banner ad that runs on this website. However, I stumbled across the tableware set up page as I was reviewing their website. Without their knowledge, I thought that this was such a great valuable tool that I just had to write a post about it.

 

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3 Fun New Years Eve Party Ideas for Kids

December 7, 2012 By Comments
New Year's Eve party ideas for kids

photo by reflectionstees. blogspot.com

While many of you are still thinking about the Christmas holiday, New Year’s Eve is also right around the corner. When we think of New Year’s Eve, many of us think of adult themed parties. But, more and more, many people are starting to plan New Year’s Eve parties with their kids.

And this isn’t a new trend.

I remember, as a child, being very excited about New Year’s Eve. My parents had decided that rather than leave us with a babysitter on the big end of the year night, that they would make us apart of the big celebration. And we had a blast. Most of the activities centered around homemade games and, of course, lots of great snacks.

Many Venue Prices Seem to Increase on New Year’s Eve

I think another factor that has a lot of people reconsidering their New Year’s Eve options is that a lot of venues have a prearranged party at a preset price. Not that there’s anything wrong with this format. I’ve been in the hotel industry for many years where we used to organize several various parties throughout our outlets. And they were always very popular.

When you’re planning a party that involves young people it’s always a good idea to have activities planned out ahead of time. It’s not like an adult party were we’re very comfortable networking with each other. Generally at these types of parties the events and activities unfold as they happen. In other words adults do not have to have every moment of a party structured for them.

Three New Year’s Eve party ideas

I’m sure many parents have no trouble thinking of activities that their children would want to do. Not being a parent myself, I talked to a few colleagues that told me they’re planning on staying home with their family New Year’s Eve. Here’s a few of the take away ideas from those conversations for activities that you can implement for your own party:

America’s Got Talent. An easy activity to organize. Basically at the beginning of the party tell the participants that they need to think up and then rehearse a small act that they can perform later in the evening. Trust me, children will not have a problem with this. Whether it be magic acts, a song performance or some other type of acrobatic act, the children will have a blast performing and the adults will have just as much fun watching. You’ll have to assign some judges for the competitions (but you can also make sure that everybody wins a little something…).

Name That Tune. This one I even remember doing as a kid. This one is also an easy one to implement. Obviously the selection of songs need to be recognizable by the participants. But after that it’s simply a matter of lining up the songs, playing a couple of seconds of them, and watching the contestants try to name the song they’re listening to.

Charades. This one almost speaks for itself. There are even many boardgames that are centered around this activity. This activity is a great group activity (and whenever I played charades I appreciated being part of a group and not left on my own).

These posts also provide additional party ideas:

For all of the activities listed above, you will want to have prizes that you can give away. That’s a task that you can split amongst all of the adults that will be attending.

New Year’s Eve is becoming, more and more so, and evening for children just as much as for adults. Many of us are opting for house parties as opposed to going out for the big night. For those that are hosting New Year’s Eve party for kids, it’s important to remember to organize some activities ahead of time. Then make sure you communicate to all the participants what will be happening and, for the adult crowd, what they can contribute to the big night.

 

 

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Planning an Outdoor Party? 3 Planning Tips.

August 15, 2012 By Comments
party planning in the rain

photo by ibnlive.in.com

Everybody loves an outdoor party this time of year. If you live anywhere north of the Mason Dixon line then you are probably planning to be outside as much as possible during the summer months. You see, we Northerners love the summer. Some of us like the winter as well but, there is something about those warm days sitting on a patio, while sipping a cool one, watching the world go by. And if you’re a party or wedding planner then, most likely, many of your clients are requesting outdoor events.

And that’s when your job just got a little bit harder.

Party Planning Tips to Keep Your Outdoor Event Running Smoothly

To say that a party planner enjoys a challenge would be an understatement. It’s not that planners necessarily like a challenge, rather, it’s just that their job seems to come with many challenges that need to be addressed. It’s funny watching a seasoned party or wedding planner versus a planner that is new to the industry. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not attacking anyone new to the industry. Actually, if you’ve read many of our blogs here you’ll know that we actually promote the industry to anyone considering a career in party planning. But like any other industry experience does speak volumes. Which is why often recommend to anyone considering the industry to go and work with a seasoned professional. Schooling is vital but it should be coupled with experienced on-the-job training.

So You Have an Outdoor Party Planned. Now What?

Tip # 1 – Can your party have a rain date? If you’re lucky enough to be planning a party where the attendees can be flexible on their dates, then pick an alternate or a rain date. If you are renting a venue for your outdoor events, make sure you check with the venue and secure the alternate date. As well, you will want to negotiate any fees for reserving that date up front. You do not want any hidden surprises that may throw your budget out of whack.

Tip # 2 – Is the event space large enough to move indoors? If the event space is in a large facility, make sure that there is ample space where you can move your party should the weather not cooperate. And then watch the weather reports. I strongly suggest that you set a cutoff time for your decision. That way it makes it very easy for you to have to make the call. When I was younger and running a patio for a hotel we had a cutoff time of 9 AM regarding whether or not our patio would operate that day. We also had made arrangements with the staff that anybody working that day would be notified by the cutoff time whether or not their shift would be operating. No hidden surprises for anybody.

Tip # 3 – Just rent the tent! Some people ponder whether or not they should rent a tent when they are at the initial planning stages of their outdoor event. I say yes. Depending on your budget and of course number of guests you may be surprised as to how little the tent would contribute to your overall budget. And communicate with your tent supplier. They may be flexible enough to allow certain cutoff times as they may relate to your costs. However, the rule of thumb here is that it’s better to err on the side of caution for your outdoor party.

Outdoor Party Planning Needs to Factor More Than Just Rain into the Equation

Planning an outdoor party takes a little more organization. You have a few more factors that you need to consider in order to ensure that your outdoor event is a success. In addition to the weather, it’s also recommended that you check with local officials (as well as other businesses in the neighborhood) to see if there will be any scheduled construction or interruptions that you want to be aware of. In the case of an outdoor party you can never be too cautious or too organized.

 

 

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Everything You Wanted to Know about 75th Birthday Party Ideas but Were Afraid to Ask

April 6, 2012 By Comments

Are you looking for 75th birthday party ideas? Well if you’ve begun your search then you know that the person in your life that’s turning 75 this year was born in the year 1937. To say that that person has seen a lot of changes in their life is probably an understatement. If you been reading any of my birthday party idea blogs then you know that I tend to look at the history and, in particular, milestones that have happened over the person’s lifespan – as well as focusing on the year that the birthday boy or girl was born.

75th Birthday Party Ideas Centered around the Birth Year 1937

Here’s a little walk down memory lane, as it were, regarding how much things cost us in 1937 (courtesy of thepeoplehistory.com):

  • average house cost $4100
  • an average wage in 1937 was $1780
  • a gallon of gas cost $.10
  • the average price for a new car was $760
  • unemployment was at 14.3% (and that was good news for that year as it had dropped almost 7% from the previous year)

Additional Events from 1937:

  • that was the year we heard the famous words “oh the humanity! The humanity”. I’m sure you don’t need a reminder that those words were the result of the Hindenburg explosion
  • the disappearance of Amelia Earhart
  • former King Edward VIII marries Wallis Simpson
  • King George VI is crowned King of England
  • the Golden gate Bridge in San Francisco is opened

Popular Songs Released in 1937:

  • Sing Sing Sing by Benny Goodman
  • one o’clock jump by Count Basie
  • they can’t take that away from me by Fred Astaire
  • I’ve got my love to keep me warm by Billie holiday
  • remember me by Bing Crosby

Popular Films Released in 1937:

  • Snow White and the seven dwarfs
  • conquest

So for 75th birthday party ideas what I tend to do is look at what occurred during the year that the 75-year-old was born (in this case 1937). As you can see from the lists above there is certainly no shortage of events to choose from. My recommendation is to match something that occurred (i.e. movies song or major event) and tie that into the personality type of the birthday boy or girl. From there you’ll start to develop your theme and you will be amazed at how your planning will begin to unfold. The take away message from this is to have fun and more importantly to make sure that the event is something that the birthday person would find fun themselves.

 

 

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60th Birthday Party Ideas Can Be A Lot Of Fun

April 3, 2012 By Comments

photo by partiesinabox.co.uk

It used to be that 60th birthday party ideas always centered around the birthday boy or girl becoming over the hill. However, today, anyone that’s turning 60 is by no means ready to retire. So some of you may be wondering if there are any 60th birthday party ideas that might fit the special person in your life. Well, I’m happy to say, there are many things that you can do to make a 60th birthday party one that’s a lot of fun for the birthday boy or girl as well as everybody that’s coming to celebrate.

60th Birthday Party Ideas-the Birthday Boy or Girl Was Born in 1952

Anyone celebrating their 60th birthday this year was born in 1952. Many of us are familiar with the term baby boomer. Well anyone approaching their 60th birthday was definitely on the beginning side of the baby boomer generation. Basically this is the term given to anyone born after the end of World War II up until the early 1960s.

Some Major Events and Happenings from 1952 Are:

  • the first US test of a hydrogen bomb (this one might be a hard thing for a birthday party ideas though).
  • Queen Elizabeth was coronated Queen of England and its Commonwealth nations
  • NBC’s “The Today Show” premiered
  • Agatha Christie’s “The Mouse Trap” opened in London. It is still running nonstop today making the mouse trap the longest running play in history.
  • Movies included; Limelight, High Noon, the Greatest Show on Earth
  • music from 1952 included; It Takes Two to Tango, Your Cheating Heart (again the song may not do well in the 60th birthday party ideas theme of things), Wheel of Fortune, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
  • TV shows in 1952 were; I Love Lucy, The Jackie Gleason Show, the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

My advice to anyone looking for 60th birthday party ideas is to look at what events were happening the year are the birthday boy or girl was born. Of course, as always, it’s important to match any theme to the personality of the person that you are honoring. Today anyone turning 60 is probably looking at this milestone as a reality check that time is moving along rather swiftly. Whenever I meet someone that is around 60, I am almost always impressed at how they are very much still an active middle-aged person. And from there, there are many activities that you can review to come up with a birthday party theme that fits the personality.

 

 

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What Are Your Expectations of a Meeting Planners Guide?

March 30, 2012 By Comments

photo by flickrhivemind.net

I keep hearing a lot of talk about how important a meeting planners guide is. While I don’t doubt that, it does make me wonder what exactly are planners’ expectations of a meeting planners guide. There are certainly no shortage of meeting planners guides to choose from. But, we thought for this post that we would review some of, what we consider to be, the key items that a meeting planners guide should cover.

Meeting Planners Guide Can Help You Develop a Checklist

We’ve often talked about how a meeting planner has to wear many different hats. So it only stands to reason that a good meeting planners guide will help a planner breakdown the various components of a meeting into workable objectives. So let’s review some of these “hats”, as it were, that a meeting planner is required to wear from time to time.

Important Items That a Meeting Planners Guide Should Include Are:

Planning. While this may seem like an obvious item, planning is crucial especially at the early stages of organizing and executing a meeting.

Budgets. With planning, budgets almost go hand-in-hand. Budgets are crucial, especially in the planning stages as it will help ascertain which components of the meeting are necessary versus components which can be eliminated should the budget not accommodate these items. Budgets help a planner determine what they need to achieve in order for the meeting to be a success and, in some cases, a revenue producer.

Meeting Room Set up and Requirements. A meeting planner needs to know all of the various meeting room set up configurations like the back of their hands. This is probably one of the earlier items that a new meeting planner learns as it is crucial in determining the type and size of meeting required. In addition, requirements can include items such as audiovisual needs and the type of speakers , etc.

Negotiating. This is probably one hat that sets seasoned meeting planners apart from the crowd. A good negotiator knows how to arrive at their desired results without offending or burning any bridges. A good negotiator also has to know what they are prepared to give up in order to achieve their overall results.

Contract. I remember studying contracts in my law classes in school. I dreaded those classes. But, lo and behold, understanding contracts has become a vital part of the meetings and events industry. So now I have to thank those professors for giving me the ability to read and understand contracts.

Suppliers. Many planners tend to think of suppliers as additional expenses to their budget. However, talk to a season planner about how they use their local suppliers and they’ll tell you quite often they request that their suppliers develop a program that works within the budget parameters assigned. Think of suppliers as the local experts in their field.

The above items will probably be found in most good meeting planners guides. Unfortunately the meeting planners guide cannot do the task for a meeting planner, rather they are designed to provide the planner with a map of key items that need to be addressed in order to make their meetings and events successful.

 

 

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17th Birthday Party Ideas

March 28, 2012 By Comments

photo by wishafriend.com

Do you know someone that will soon be celebrating their 17th birthday? If so, you’re probably wondering where to get 17th birthday party ideas. It’s no secret that, for many 17-year-olds, it’s hard to know what they’ll want for their birthday. For any of you that have a 17-year-old in the family, you probably understand what I mean here. But, lucky for you, I’m here to tell you that there are a few things that you can do that will make the birthday celebrations fun for the soon to be 17-year-old.

17th Birthday Party Ideas-Take a Look at the Events from When They Were Born

If someone is turning 17 this year, that means they were born in 1995. Yep you read that right, 1995! For too many of us, 1995 seems like just yesterday. However, for the 17-year-old, 1995 is a lifetime ago. Which just goes to show you that time is, very much, a relative thing.

So what did the year 1995 bring us? Well it was the year that Microsoft released Windows 95. Movies released that year include; Toy Story, Batman Forever, Apollo 13, Ace Ventura, Goldeneye, Jumanji, Die Hard with a Vengeance and Braveheart. For music lovers, the following musicians were popular in 1995; Smashing Pumpkins, Rage against the Machine, Van Halen, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Atlantis Morissette, Madonna, Garth Brooks and Janet Jackson.

What Should Your 17th Birthday Party Ideas Include?

At first you might think that putting together a birthday party for a 17-year-old is no small task. While you do have a point there, there are a few things that you can do to put a smile on the new 17-year-old’s face.

Some 17th birthday party ideas:

A Movie Night. You could do this in a number of ways. One idea would be to look at movies from when the 17-year-old was born (of course make sure they match what the birthday boy or girl likes). And then seem the party around the movie or movies that you’ll be showing. Another option might be to take a group of friends out for a movie night. Taking the birthday crowd out to a movie will incur some costs. But you can also check with your local movie theaters to see if there are any group discounts based on the number of people and the night of the week that you are considering. Another thing that I would recommend is that the parent not attend the birthday party. There’s nothing wrong with dropping off and picking up but it’s pretty safe to say that the 17-year-old would have a better time without mom or dad around (sorry).

A Music Event. Similar to movies from 1995 you can also make a compilation of songs from the year the birthday boy or girl was born. Maybe even take it one step further and, if there is one particular band that is enjoyed, see if there is a DVD of the concert that you can play. Asking the attendees to come in theme is also not a bad addition to the music idea.

Race Car Driving. This one, while I don’t rule girls out, might be more geared towards a 17-year-old young man. For any of you that live in and around a race track, you might want to check and see if they offer race car driving. After a few rounds of training, these new race car drivers will get a chance to go around the track in the same fashion that many of the season drivers get to enjoy. And why not make a picnic out of it and bring some snacks along for the event.

Paintball or Laser Tag. I actually went to a paintball birthday party for somebody that was in their 30s a few years back. At first I thought we might be a little old for it. But, I’m happy to tell you, that the 20 people or so that were there had a great time. What group of 17-year-olds wouldn’t enjoy an evening out doing laser tag or paintball.

Planning a birthday party for 17-year-old may seem like a daunting task. But there are many ideas for a 17th birthday party that you can easily implement without blowing the budget. Whichever idea you decide, the number one rule is that the event should be something that the birthday boy or girl has an interest in.

 

 

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70th Birthday Party Ideas

March 11, 2012 By Comments

photo by ehow.co.uk

“We can’t reach old age by another man’s road.” – Mark Twain on his 70th birthday

Do you know someone that is having their 70th birthday this year? If so then you are probably looking for ideas for a 70th birthday party. If mom or dad, or anyone you know, are celebrating their 70th birthday this year were born in 1942. Obviously we were in the midst of World War II. But there are other events and milestones that occurred that year that may help with your 70th birthday ideas.

Ideas for 70th Birthday Parties Ideas Should Focus on the Personality of the Birthday Boy or Girl

Some people like to theme their party ideas for a 70th birthday party around particular movies that came out the year the birthday boy or girl was born. In 1942 the following movies came out:

  • Bambi (1942)
  • Casablanca (1942)
  • Cat People (1942)
  • For Me and My Gal (1942)
  • Mrs. Miniver (1942)
  • Tales of Manhattan (1942)
  • Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

While some of you may or may not recognize the movies above, rest assured anyone celebrating a happy 70th birthday that was born in this neck of the woods is probably fully aware and has a favorite of their own.

Of course what would a party be without music. Here’s a sampling of what happened in the music industry, including songs that were released, in 1942:

  • White Christmas
  • Deep in the heart of Texas
  • while not released in 1942, the song Chattanooga Choo Choo became the first gold record that year

For those of you that are old, or young, enough to remember the popular TV show “Happy Days”, the characters from that show would be approaching their 70s now. I know, it’s hard to imagine little Richie Cunningham or the Fonz approaching their 70th birthdays. Just imagine 70th birthday quotes can now include  the Fonz. People turning 70 were teenagers during the 1950s. Of course the 1950s saw the introduction of rock ‘n roll music. Today’s 70-year-olds were the first path breakers  towards the music styles that we know and love today. So thank them when you see them. Or maybe not depending on your thoughts of today’s music.

Today, a 70-year-old can still be a very active person. As a matter fact many 70-year-olds are still employed in their careers with no signs of slowing down. So 70th birthday party ideas and 70th birthday gift ideas don’t have to dwell on over the hill (although let’s face it if the birthday boy or girl is lighthearted there’s nothing wrong with the little fun).

Some additional 70th birthday party ideas are:

  • a fun night at the birthday boy or girl’s favorite restaurant
  • a tasting night of their favorite premium liquor (i.e. single malt scotch, wine, cognac, port)

Whatever you end up with, planning a 70th birthday party should revolve around a fun time. Considering the time they were born, you can have a lot of fun with 70th birthday party decorations. The birthday boy or girl was born during World War II but that doesn’t mean the theme has to be all about war. There were great movies introduced that year, some interesting music and, just as they were becoming teenagers, rock ‘n roll came and was here to stay.

 

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Cars for Birthday Party Ideas

February 19, 2012 By Comments

Gentlemen start your engines!

Okay what boy or girl isn’t fascinated with cars? Cars birthday party ideas have been around since, well, pretty much since cars have been around. Birthday party ideas with cars as the theme are very popular and with a little know-how not that hard to execute. You might think you have to spend a fortune, but you’d be surprised at the packages available any budget.

Cars Birthday Party Ideas Are Crowd Pleasers

While we tend to think of cars birthday party ideas for boys, you’d be surprised at how many girls love the car birthday party theme. Whether it be a Disney theme or cars in general, there are many exciting ways that you can execute a cars birthday party.

The video below was put together by a birthday party supply company called Party City. It’s a great overview video as it shows you ways to invite as well as suggestions on decorations and party games. Of course all centered around cars.

So if you have a car enthusiast in your household that has an upcoming birthday you may want to consider cars for birthday party ideas. Not only will the birthday boy or girl have a good time, the car birthday party theme will have all the guests talking about what a great time they had.

 

 

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