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Introduction
Bowling Birthday Parties
Big Question: Why have Bowling Birthday Parties? Easy Answer: Because everyone has a birthday! This section focuses on youth birthday parties; however, you will not want to miss the opportunity to plan for the “Over 40” adult experience and remember that teens are a tremendous market as well. Exposing young people and re-exposing adults to bowling is a good thing! Birthday parties are a great resource when it comes to bringing everyone to the bowling center! This section of the BPAA Youth Toolbox will provide you all the resources you will need to maximize the revenue potential of a strong birthday party program. Many bowling centers already have established birthday programs. However, just like all products, this one may need refreshing. We hope that you will find many ideas in this section that will either help you begin or enhance your party program. We would love to have your feedback and hope that some of the ideas in the Bowling Birthday Parties chapter of the BPAA Youth Toolbox will be a tool that helps your center realize more revenue!
Objectives 1. To help you develop a birthday program or enhance your existing program; 2. To maximize the revenue potential of a strong birthday program; and 3. To gain repeat customers by providing a memorable birthday experience.
Action Plan This bowling birthday party segment will clearly define the systems that you will need in order to develop a birthday party program that can succeed. We will take a four step approach that places the emphasis on: 1. Development of a strong product; 2. Planning that goes into a system that will allow you to flow a maximum number of people through this program with a minimum amount of chaos; 3. Selling the product—It will not matter if you have a great product and a wonderful plan if you have no one dedicated to selling the product; and 4. Execution—The birthday party experience will determine how successful your program really is at the end of the day. We can think of it as the D-P-S-E of Birthday Parties! 1. Developing a strong product There are some interesting findings of a survey commissioned by industry leader, Redemption Plus. In conjunction with www.surveyMonkey.com, Redemption Plus gathered statistics regarding birthday parties. Over 100 Family Fun Center locations took part in this survey.
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87% said that they do hold birthday parties
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26% said that they hold < 25 parties per month
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43% said that they hold 25-50 parties per month BPAA Youth Toolbox
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31% said that they hold 50-100 parties per month
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22% said that they hold 100-200 parties per month
Where does your bowling center fall in comparison to these results listed above? Where would you like to fall? Additional statistics indicate that : •
54% of the parties were for boys and 46% were for girls
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Average attendance is 10-12 partygoers.
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Average age was 6-11 years.
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86% of the respondents told us that they use balloons with the following colors in mind o
red
o
blue
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yellow (the color that they use most for plates cups and napkins)
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50% of the group expressed an interest in using themes or that they did use themes as a way to up sell the party experience
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The most popular themes chosen were:
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o
Sponge Bob Squarepants
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Spider-Man
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Disney Fairy Princess
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Scooby Doo
Other up sell items that received high marks were: o
Piñatas-Over 60% of those surveyed said that they utilize string piñatas as a way to add value and revenue to the party.
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Mylar Balloons-50% of the group provides a Mylar balloon as part of a balloon bouquet.
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Goody Bags-More than 80% said they sell goody bags as part of the birthday experience.
Now that we have some data, we have an overview of how to assess where we are in the birthday party scheme of things. Take a look at how you have structured your party. Are you appealing to the right age group? Can you enhance your experience by adding new products to your existing program? It is no secret that a strong birthday party program can improve your bottom line. When you begin to assess your current product, you want to be sure that you are meeting your customer’s needs. If you are not already using customer comment cards so that you can measure whether or not you are meeting their needs, then make a commitment today to survey mom and dad. Ask the children what they liked best about attending or having a party at your bowling center. If your center is a Bowlopolis branded center you may purchase Bowlopolis birthday party materials, as well as in-center marketing materials to use for your birthday parties.
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Let’s take a look at your product. It may be wise to invite an outsider in to your center in order to evaluate what they think you have to offer. Many times, we can’t see the forest for the trees. Take the Assessment - Product, Space, & Food Does your facility offer a birthday party program for your customers?
Y/N
How many birthday parties are you holding on a weekly basis? •
During the week Monday-Thursday? ________
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Friday? ________
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Saturday? ________
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Sunday? ________
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What does your birthday party product offer? (Check all that apply) • Bowling 1-Hour
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• Bowling more than 1-Hour (this is too long for age 12 & under)
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• Table setting
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• Tablecloth
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• Plates
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• Cups
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• Napkins
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• Lights & Sound Program
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• Balloon Bouquet
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• Private Party Rooms
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• Bowling Birthday Pin for everyone to autograph
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(This item is a great up sell product!) • Themed Party Products
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(This item is a great up sell product!) What other activities are included in your Birthday Party Program? Highlight each activity and note activity time in the space provided. How much time is included for an activity? What activity choices are available?
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• Mini-golf
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• Go-karts
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• Laser-tag
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• Soft-play
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• Arcade play-tokens or game card
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• Skating
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• Inflatable based activities
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• Billiards
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• Animal-land
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• Organized games/activities provided by host? ________ • Other rides or attractions-please describe _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ • List any other additional activity based programs _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
Food Highlight your current offerings and brainstorm about additional food ideas. 1. Pizza (# 1 choice for most parties) ** • Cheese • Pepperoni **As a facility, you must analyze how many pizzas you can produce in a given period of time. It will not matter if you have the space to hold 10 parties on the hour if you cannot produce the pizzas for those parties. Remember, great sales training will require that your hosts and hostesses suggestively sell additional food for the adults at the parties. Over scheduling for a growing birthday party program is a recipe for disaster if you are unable to deliver the product. Food is a very important ingredient for the success of the birthday party. One additional note: Even if you are able to provide enough pizza for the party goers, you must remember that other (non-party group, open play) customers in your facility may want to order pizza as well. What should you do? • Add another pizza oven. • Call Dominoes or another pizza delivery company close to your facility. • Offer other types of food (see below). 2. Hot Dogs 3. Chicken Fingers 4. Hamburgers A final note about food: Staffing and communication with the food and beverage area is critical. The Food and Beverage Manager must be included in all event scheduling. Having the staff and the product available is the only sure way to deliver a memorable experience for every guest in the facility. Correction: a bad experience can be memorable. That memory happens to be one of those “un-selling” moments that we all should avoid! Host/Hostess Do you provide private hosts/hostesses?
Y/N
If you answer no to the private host/hostesses question-why not?
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How many party hosts are employed with your facility at this time? Do you believe they are well trained?
Y/N
Is there a gratuity program in place?
Y/N
List your Hostesses/Hosts in the space provided below
Evaluate your space How many party/meeting rooms do you have? Are they private? Do you have a large party area space? Are your parties held on the lanes from start to finish? What do the rooms look like? Describe the size ____ Walls--Paint, Color, Murals?
Storage? _______ Inventory of Usable Tables and Chairs? •
Number of 6-foot Tables
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Number of 8-foot Tables
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Other table areas
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Number of Chairs
Are there other areas of your facility that may not be private rooms but could be designated areas that could accommodate groups of people? Describe
Developing the Best Packages
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While you may not have all the items listed above, it is easy to take the best ideas and create a strong birthday party product. KEEP IT SIMPLE. You want to make it an easy product for your staff to sell and your customer to buy. Choose a Good – Better - Best approach. When talking to customers, always offer the Best package first and go backwards. It is easier to save customers money than to talk them into having it all, once they have heard the price of the cheap package. This is basic psychology, and it works every time. GOOD: Package 1—Basic Bowling Bash This party includes all the basics of every party we give: •
Bowling for 1 hour which includes shoes & lightweight balls
• A private party host who will tend to all the details and play games with the children •
A balloon bouquet
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8 tokens for every child and 10 for the birthday child
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This package does not include food.
BETTER: Package 2—Upgrade the Bash to a Deluxe Bowling Bash You have already told the customer about the basics and the deluxe event adds food. Be specific. Are you offering a pizza and a pitcher of soda per lane, or are you offering 2 slices per child and one drink, or is it their choice of hot dogs, chicken fingers etc.? BEST: Package 3—The Super Deluxe Bowling Bash This product may include: • A “ light and sound” experience • A private party room • More tokens or larger amount of arcade play on the debit card • An added lane for parents to bowl on • The bowling pin as a gift for the birthday child • Additional in-center activities
Pricing Birthday parties are a “for profit” product. You must price these packages so that they are a genuine source of revenue for the center. They can be labor intensive, but this customer is a prime target for repeat business and we must charge enough so that we can provide the best product and the best time for the customer so that they will return! You can set up an easy “Revenue Generator Calculator ” to determine what you should be charging. ©
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You may structure your pricing based on 8-10 children as a minimum. It is logical that you will want to calculate the value of that lane either by the game or by the hour. The example above is by the game. However, if you must have your entire event on the lane, then it may be wise to calculate your price point based on the hourly rate of your lane at the time you would be selling your party. For instance, if the party included 1 hour of bowling and 45 minutes to 1 hour of game play, then you will want to calculate the bowling rate at the price it would be based on two hours of play: 10 children, 2 lanes for 2 hours $15.00 per hour per lane = $60.00. Now it looks like your party package just went up $3.00 per child. You see, when pricing any product, you need to be mindful of not only what you can make but what will it cost. Pricing is a tricky part of marketing. You must consider:
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What the market will tolerate.
What revenue you would generate in the same time slot. If the answer is very little, then you can afford to charge less.
That whatever you start with will be the basis for the customer to understand how valuable the product is long-term. For instance, if you introduce your parties at a cheap introductory price, no one will ever want to pay full price. The perception is that you could make money at the cheaper rate, so why should they pay more? Also, BPAA Youth Toolbox
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keep in mind that sometimes cheap sounds like it is not worth the money and believe it or not, the customer will not purchase because they will think it is not good enough for their child! Whether you choose to sell your product by the child, the group, or the lane, be consistent. Get sold on why you want to do it the way you are doing it. A terrific business mentor once said in a management meeting that when it came to making decisions and developing products that we were, as a team, to “debate, decide, and then commit.” As a follow up to that great lesson, you must then train your staff completely so that they will know how to present and sell the product to your customer. 2. Planning--Creating a System to Hold a Maximum Number of Parties with a Chaos Free Schedule Most centers will either have the entire birthday event on the lanes or you will have the opportunity to move the party off the lanes and into a party area or party rooms. This section will line out a system for both options so that you may hold the most number of birthday parties. Are you holding parties during the week? A 4:30 time slot in the afternoon is an excellent opportunity to enhance the number of parties you may already be holding on the weekend. A simple question in the “Sales Qualification” process will help you help the customer: ”Mrs. Standlee, will you want to hold Jordan’s birthday party during the week or on the weekend?” Many times a parent will respond with, “Wow, I didn’t even think about a weekday event. I bet it is less hectic.” Try it. You can expand your birthday revenue numbers with this simple hint. So by now, you have assessed your staff, your product, tables, chairs, etc. You should know by now what your capacity is. One thing that you will not want to do is to fill the entire house with birthday parties. If you book all of the lanes, then the perception to the rest of the world is that they cannot bowl on Saturdays. Dedicate a certain number of lanes to this product and leave the rest of the house open to walk-in business, leagues, or tournaments. One of the best tips that I have seen in the marketplace is a center in Florida that does not offer their lights & sound birthday package every other Sunday. This gives them the freedom to book a Sunday tournament. Another Tournament Club in Texas simply schedules a squad that includes the light and sound program and everyone is able to work around the traditional and the contemporary products that bowling must offer in today’s marketplace. These ideas are the things that you must think about when designing systems that will make sense for your operations, your staff, and all of your customers. With this thought in mind, let’s look at two different scenarios. A. Parties on the concourse B. Parties that include bowling and a party room or area Parties on the concourse An Example of the Concourse Birthday Party Schedule for Saturday, May 20, 2006
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You will notice that the lanes used are based on 10 guests at each party. A simple method to control overbooking and unhappy party parents is to mark off the next reservation on the schedule if there are 18 guests for example. This system takes into account: •
how many hosts you have (if reservation # 1 has eighteen 6-year old boys attending that party, then it is wise to use the host that would normally be scheduled for the number 2 reservation as a helper for this four lane event.)
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how much pizza/other food you can deliver at a time
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the number of lanes you have dedicated to the birthday program
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the timing of the event which is critical to the success of the program for your operations and for the customer.
The following chart shows low-end parties only in order to give a visual to the flow of the party.
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Parties that include bowling and a party room or area Now let us look at a schedule that utilizes:
the lanes for one hour
a party room/area for 45 minutes-1 hour
2 teams of hosts so that the down time on the lanes is only 30 minutes
It will be easy to see the advantage of having some place to take the party guests once the bowling portion of the party is completed. The Birthday Party System (DIAGRAM 1) A very small example follows. You are only limited by your space and the willingness to hire enough staff to cover the business. 3 Party Rooms/6 hosts A 2-hour party is the most common (1 hour bowling + 45-60 minutes in the party area)
DIAGRAM 1
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How to set up the room or the party area Each party room or area will require a “set up or staging” table (6 foot) as well as an 8 foot table that will accommodate 10 guests. If the space allows, you may set up chairs around the outside perimeter of the room for adults or siblings. It is also a good idea to use some type of bin in which a host can place the birthday set up for each party as they prepare for the day. Presents for the next party could also be place in these bins, and then the host could slide them under the table for safe-keeping as guests arrive for the bowling portion of the party. DIAGRAM 2
Diagram 2 shows a room large enough to host three parties. The tables lining the walls labeled 1 and 2 are the staging areas for each party area. Usually a 6-foot table is adequate. i
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This set up, or staging area, may be built-in cabinetry. A design that would accommodate shelving would provide an efficient space for storing party supplies. A party supplies inventory list should be placed in the storage area. If cabinetry is used, then restocking the actual party area should be part of the daily closing procedure. The double grouping of staging tables is to maximize time. Typically, an activity occurs, and then the birthday party guests move into the room for games, food, presents and cake. The second set of “staging” tables is for the next shift of parties. This set allows the incoming guests to have a place to put their cake and presents while they are bowling. Divider walls, curtains, or other partitions may be placed between the parties in order to provide some privacy. If your facility is designed with private party rooms, you will still want to set up the second staging area. It is important that the customer understand the layout of the party. If your facility provides the affordability of a party area rather than private rooms, then you must be sure the parent planning the party understands that there will be other parties taking place at the same time. Your space is valuable, and renting square footage has a cost. Many bowling birthday packages have been designed for affordability and do not have a cost built in that would cover the expense of renting a private space. You will need to staff six hosts. There are two teams for the three party spaces as indicated in the schedule (DIAGRAM 1) and the room design (DIAGRAM 2). •
Team 1 will utilize the team 1 cake/gift tables,
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Team 2 will use the team 2 cake/gift tables, and so on.
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Team 1 must have three hosts.
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Team 2 must have three hosts.
We now have doubled our capacity for parties. Please note that it is critical that hosts be in place to cover each area, and that they are assigned to one team for the entire day. •
Team 1 will be the opening team and will do the set up for all the parties in the beginning of the day.
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Team 2 will be the closing team and will do the final cleaning, storage, and inventory for the day.
The Flow There is a great saying “Plan your Work and Work your Plan.” efficient system places that strategy first.
The philosophy behind this
Let’s assume for this example that we have one type of birthday program. i
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Party Plan #1 has activities that take approximately 45 minutes to one hour to complete. Therefore, the party is planned for 2 hours (one hour of activity, one hour of party room activities). It is a good idea to plan a one-hour gap until the next session begins for that team. Explanation: The schedule in Diagram 1 shows that Party #1 is scheduled for: •
10:00-11:00 a.m. - Bowling
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11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Party Time in the room.
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Waiting until 1:00 p.m. (1 hour) for the next party for the Team 1 host allows this host to: o
Help the customer with final payment
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Take presents to the car
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Clean up
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Prepare for the next group, which will actually be group 2
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Take a short break
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Be ready at the door to great the next birthday party.
The great news is that the rooms do not go empty during that hour. There is only 30 minutes of down time which is needed to assure a smooth flow for clean up and to cover any of those parties that might get off schedule. 3. Selling the Event-Getting the Customer to Say, “YES” Now that you have great systems in place, how do you get the customer to book a birthday party? What should we be asking a birthday mom or dad when they call to book a party at our bowling center? Here’s the scenario: The customer calls in and says, “I’d like to have some information about your birthday parties.” The cashier, front desk person, or maybe even a dedicated sales figure dives right in answering the customer’s request. This sounds like a reasonable thing to do. However, let’s say you have three party packages. One of those parties is for teens and you have a parent who has an 8-year old child. The teen party is not appropriate for this age group. We do not need to waste our time or the parent’s time explaining that package. Therefore, if we agree that we want to be efficient with everyone’s time, then the sales qualification process is the only way to assure that we can close the sale. The customer has called us. They may be “tire kicking” or shopping when they first reach us on the phone. However, there is no reason why that call should end without a happy parent who has booked their next birthday party at our center! Here is a sample conversation demonstrating the sales qualification process: Center Representative: “Hello! Thank you for calling XYZ Bowling Center. How may I help you?” i
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Party Planner: “I would like some information about your birthday parties.” Center Representative: “Terrific, XYZ Bowl is the best place to have a birthday party. Please tell me about our Birthday Honoree…are we planning a party for an adult or a child?” Circle one: Adult Child Three things happen with this question: 1. We have planted the seed that we could hold an adult party. 2. We are interested in this event and their child. We are asking questions and becoming a partner in the planning process. 3. Finally, notice the use of the words we, us, and ours. These words are collaborative. They show support and care. Planning a birthday party for a child is an emotional undertaking. Frank Price from Birthday University says it best when he talks about the fact that we get one chance to make this child’s 5th, 7th, or 10th birthday the best they’ve ever had. Building this parent’s confidence that their child’s birthday is as important to us as it is to them is the key to closing the sale. Party Planner: “Oh this party is for my son. He’s going to be seven.” (If the parent had not given us the age or the sex, then that would have been the next question.) Center Representative: “Wonderful. We give the best parties for seven-year olds! What is your son’s name?” ______________________ (This is all information you will need anyway.) Party Planner: “John.” Center Representative: “Super. John is going to be seven. Will you be inviting adults as well as children? Approximately how many of each?” C_________ A_________ Party Planner: “About 12 children and probably 6 adults, but I’m not sure.” Center Representative: “No problem. We can plan for the totals in a bit. Were we thinking of having the party during the week or on the weekend?” Circle one: M T W TH F Sat Sun Many times, the parent will say, “Oh, I didn’t think of having it during the week. I bet that is less hectic.” This is a no-brainer way to grow your party program. Maybe you have all the weekend business you can stand. Now the parent has thought of a way to make the party better with you guiding the decisions. Party Planner: “I think a Saturday will work best.” Center Representative: “Great! Let me tell you about our party choices. All of our parties include: (Name everything that is the same about each of your parties. This will save you a great deal of time.) •
Examples: plates, cups, napkins, a balloon bouquet, a dedicated party host/hostess, party area or room, a cake.
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BE SPECIFIC with this piece. If you have a party AREA, be sure and explain to mom or dad that they will be with a number of parties during the party time.
Now, introduce the most expensive package that you have first. It’s always easier to go down than to go up. Center Representative: “In addition to all the features I just listed, you have a choice between the super, deluxe, and standard package. The super package includes food, 1 hour of bowling, and X amount of arcade play. (i.e., this package has a value of $15.00 per child, but we have our birthday program that sells for $13.99 per child.) i
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Now, ask for the order! Center Representative: “Does this package sound like something John and his friends would enjoy?” LISTEN and WAIT for mom to respond. Party Planner: “It sounds great, but I think I’d like to know about the standard and the deluxe packages as well.” Center Representative: “Good. We do host a lot of deluxe birthday parties as well. The only difference is that our party guests will bowl for 1 hour and have X amount of arcade play. This package is valued at $13.99 per child but we sell it for only $11.99 per child. Finally, the standard package has the same play as the deluxe but does not include food. It sells for $8.99 per child. Of the three, which one do we want to reserve for John?” Party Planner: “I definitely think that I have to have food for a bunch of 7-year-old boys! So, I think that I will take the deluxe package.” Center Representative: “I think you are wise about the boys and food! You’ve made a great choice. Ok, you want to have the party on a Saturday. When is John’s birthday exactly?” __________ (Record the date). If John’s birthday is on a day other than Saturday, ask, “Would you like to have the party on the Saturday before or after his birthday?” Party Planner: “I think I want to have it on the Saturday before.” Center Representative: “Super! Let me check the schedule. I believe you talked about having approximately 12 children and 6 adults. We set the party table for the children and have chairs around the room for the adults. I have an opening at 10:00 a.m. and another at 2:00 p.m.. Which would you prefer?” (You may also ask if they prefer morning, afternoon, or evening. You will want to look at your schedule and availability and then offer choices that match your available time slots.) NOTICE 1. We never said, “So, do you want to have a party?” Assume that they do. That is after all why they called. Otherwise, you open yourself up for hearing, “No, thanks.” 2. We did not say, “When would you like to have your party?” If the customer says 1:00 p.m. and you don’t have 1:00 p.m. time slots built into your schedule or you have none of those slots available, then you have to tell the customer no. We do not want to tell the customer no if we can help it. 3. Make it easy. Notice how seamless this transaction is. From start to finish, we have gathered all the information we need in order to complete the booking process. DEPOSITS 1. Ask for the deposit. 2. Be flexible about taking a credit card over the phone. 3. You may have a party contract that you want the parent to sign and invitations that you provide if they stop by your center. These options are a terrific way to reinforce the product and to manage the customer’s expectations. Be careful with a “party agreement”. You are selling a party and not a house. Keep is simple. Explain the details to the customer again rather then assuming they read everything on a party agreement. 4. How much should you charge for the deposit? There are two major philosophies:
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a. Set amount. Be sure that it is enough to assure commitment. While $20.00 may be appropriate in your market, a $50.00 set deposit is much more of a commitment. b. One-half of the party total. This amount helps the customer feel better the day of the event. They are also likely to spend more money at your center because ½ of the party has already been paid. COLLECTING THE DEPOSIT •
A deposit reserves the space. Place the order in a pending file and do not fill in the blank on the preformatted schedule.
•
Center Representative: “Mrs. Smith, we can schedule John’s birthday party with a $50.00 deposit. Will you pay with a credit card over the phone or would you prefer to stop in?” Most of the time, the busy customer will pay with a credit card over the phone. If they say they will stop by, ask them when they will be there so you can show them the facility.
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A follow up system to check the pending file each day will improve your rate of close dramatically.
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The deposit is a commitment to do business. Get it. You are committed to them and a deposit is their commitment to you.
4. Execution-Holding a Memorable Event that will Keep Them Coming Back for More! As you prepare for the day, remember that this birthday party happens only one time in this guest’s life. You have an awesome responsibility to provide a memorable experience. You get one chance. Each of the details listed below is designed to allow the party host to focus on the guests at the party because each detail of the event has been completely covered. Good luck, and have a great time!
Team 1--Set up team for the day Team 1 should arrive 1 to 1½ hours prior to the start of the first party of the day. Use this checklist to prepare for the day. Daily Checklist
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Review Party Sheets.
Communicate with Food and Beverage area as well as other scheduled activity areas to ensure that everyone from an operational perspective understands the flow of the day. Addressing this step early in the day before everything begins to happen can eliminate most of the chaotic moments that could otherwise occur.
Prepare all the balloon bouquets for each party scheduled for the day. Blow up all the balloons for the entire day.
Use primary colors unless you know the child’s favorite color. If this information is available, then use the child’s favorite color for the four latex balloons. Twelve-inch balloons make the nicest bouquet. If a themed party has been sold, be sure that the Mylar balloon corresponds to the theme. BPAA Youth Toolbox
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Prepare a table tent for birthday guest of honor. There should be shells that the center can use to overprint the child’s name on an in-center color printer.
Hang signage from the front of the building welcoming the party.
Hang signage at the party area/room or on the concourse if that is your party area.
Place 2-3 lightweight balls on each pair of party lanes. Remember, only one ball can be thrown at a time, so there is no need to have a ball per child.
Use individual bins for each party to store: •
Plates
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Cups
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Napkins-7-inch and 9-inch
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Tablecloths
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Be sure and pay attention to whether or not the birthday booked is a themed party or a generic party. Missing this detail can really derail the experience for everyone!
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Forks/sporks
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Candles
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Tokens or play cards
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T-Shirt or gift for birthday honoree (if your program includes a gift)
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Loot bags/gift bags for guests (if included)
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Any other optional pieces that may have been purchased like a piñata, fun camera, etc.
Store these bins under the “6 foot staging tables” or built in cabinetry. And finally, if you are providing cakes, be sure you check the details of the cake early in the day. Unless you have a bakery in your facility, a cake can be one of those details that can create a lot of dissatisfaction. It might be best to leave the cake to mom and the professionals! Remember to smile, keep your energy level high, and have a great day! IT’S PARTY TIME-WELCOME This script assumes that the bowling will occur first. If your facility provides a system where the food, games, presents, and cake is first, then simply reverse the order.
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•
The host will need to be at the front entrance waiting for the arrival of the party.
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Holding an “airline-type” welcome sign that says “Happy Birthday John” can be a great way to indicate to the parent that you are the host.
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Take the cake and the presents to the appropriate staging area in the party room/area or to their party area on the concourse.
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Gather the party guests and take them to the lanes.
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If guests are late: Often times, a parent will want to hold up the event to wait for a late child. The problem with this is that you have a group of children that are already there on time and your activities are dependent upon the time schedule that has been laid out. BPAA Youth Toolbox
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Use these words to overcome a “wait situation”. “Mrs. Smith, for the benefit of the children that are here on time, let’s go ahead and get them started. Our experience is that they want to be busy and are excited to be here at our facility. When Sammy gets here, we will catch him up and make him feel very welcome. He will not feel bad at all about being late! I will be sure that he feels like he is part of the group.”
IT’S PARTY TIME-LET’S BOWL! •
Whether you are bowling, playing mini-golf, racing go-karts, or running in circles, it is all about them! Focus on the fun you can have with the party guests.
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Clarify the rules.
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Show and tell as often as possible.
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Take turns, set up a system of teams, number the children, or give them a color group to be in. Make it simple.
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If a guest doesn’t want to participate, see if you can help this guest by doing it with them. If that doesn’t work, this child may be able to help in other ways. The goal for you as a host is to help every party guest to have fun. Sometimes you will need to be very creative to make that happen!
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Keep everyone busy and involved.
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Remember, it’s a party. Make FUN a priority!
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Watch the time so that you can gather everyone together and head for the final phase of the party.
IT’S PARTY TIME--THE PARTY ROOM •
Use music in the room. High-energy party music can make the difference in everyone’s mood, including the host’s! If there are several parties in a single area, then the hosts may use the music as a timing mechanism to create a consistent flow for each party. o
5 minutes - Get everyone there, and start with a greeting.
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5 minutes - Introduction game (Refer to the end of this section)
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10 minutes - Game: Hand Dance Game (Refer to the end of this section)
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10-15 minutes - Food Time
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Remember to place food-serving plates on the staging table. Serving pizza or anything else hot over the backs of party guests potentially sets someone up to be burned. Serve hot food from the staging table and pass the plates around. Cake plates should be set on the table.
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10-15 minutes—Presents o
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You may want to have a gift list that the host completes for the parent as the child opens the presents.
5-10 minutes—Cake o
Candles
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Pictures
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Happy Birthday--What about a location-based unique Happy Birthday song? This could be a fun project for your host/sales team.
5 minutes—Piñata (optional)
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o
It may be necessary to include a quick add-on game if no piñata has been purchased.
o
Purchase piñatas 1.888.564.7587.
from
Redemption
Plus.
www.redemption-plus.com
or
IT’S PARTY TIME-THE BIG FINISH A big finish with the Cha-Cha Slide, Macarena, Hokey Pokey, or any other dance of choice with the entire group can create a signature moment for your parties. •
5 minutes—Transition guests so that you can close the party and clean. An easy way to accomplish the transition is to hand out play cards or tokens and send the guests to the game room.
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Give them a reason to return! o
Pass out bounce back or party club registration forms to each child at this time.
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Close out the party with the parent. Present the final bill and handle the details. The parent should NEVER have to go to the front counter. You are providing a full service event. (Note: This step could be done during cake eating time or a manager could come around and thank the parent and take care of the final payment.)
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This is also a good time to ask the parent to fill out a party survey form.
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Gather the presents together. You may want to place them in a plastic trash bag. That may sound weird, but it is a great way to pack everything so that it is easy to help the parent to the car.
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Clean and reset the room for the next group of parties.
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Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
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Take a little break.
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Get back to the front door 10-15 minutes prior to the start of your next party.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU JUST CREATED A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE! Whether this guest was turning 10, 7, 15, or 50 today, you made it a day to remember! Team 2—Closing team for the day Team two should plan to stay one hour following the last party of the day. Addressing the needs of the supplies, storage, inventory, and cleaning on a day-to-day basis makes the job much easier. Cleaning Checklist
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Wipe down all the tables and chairs. Wiping the equipment down on a daily basis saves a great deal of time later on. Have you ever tried to get week-old frosting wiped off of a table? You will need a chisel!
Reset the party room. From a sales point of view, the ability to show a party room as it will look during the party is a terrific way to sell the event to anyone walking in or by.
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Put the excess tables and chairs away.
Stack the party bins together and place in the storage area.
SUPPLIES & INVENTORY At the end of each weekend, count your supplies. Create a detailed inventory list that includes:
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Plates (by the theme or color)
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Cups (by the theme or color)
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Napkins (by the theme or color)
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Forks or sporks
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Balloons, 12-inch latex (by the color)
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Balloons-mylar (by the theme)
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Ribbon (by the color)
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Candles
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Helium (must be chained and locked in a secure area)
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Ample supply of rental shoes in young people sizes—Velcro fasteners make it easier for the younger children
GAMES AND OTHER IDEAS The get-to-know you game
Have the guest (always start with the birthday boy/girl) introduce themselves and then say something wonderful about themselves that begins with the first letter of their first name! As they go around the room they repeat what the others have said that have gone before them. i.e.: “Hi, my name is Leslie and I’m lovable. The next child says, “That’s Leslie and she’s loveable, and I’m Amanda and I’m awesome.” The third child may say, “That’s loveable Leslie, awesome Amanda, and I’m jovial Jordon!”
Lights, Music, FUN---The Hand Dance
Gather everyone together around the table. Make a big deal out of the birthday guest. Say, “This is the honoree of the day!” Start the music. Demonstrate that each person will stay in their seat but will come up with some type of seated dance move. Guest one will go first. Guest two will create their own move and copy the move of guest one and so on. This game brings lots of giggles and fun. If you have a child that is too shy to participate, then simply go on to the next child. It may be a good idea to help the shy child with their own fun move. A little help goes a long way, but you should never put any guest on the spot.
String Piñatas •
Fun! Fun! Fun! And an up-sell for the party!
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This product is available from Redemption Plus at 888.564.7587
A Scavenger Hunt can be fun with an older group i
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•
8- or 9-years old and up
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Use the arcade or areas of the facility that make sense. A laser tag arena could be fun, as well as a mini golf course.
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Create the list here o
Split into even teams of three or four
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Collect a certain number of tickets
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Play one game and tell about it
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Other ideas
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Costumes for your staff: •
It can be GREAT fun to have a costume room so that the staff can be a themed host or hostess.
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Helpful on a day when a staff member might not feel like being at work: Creating an environment where they can wear a costume and simply be someone else for the day may improve their mood in an instant!
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A mask can turn a shy, introverted team member into an extroverted performer!
The Cha-Cha Slide •
Use this dance activity, or others, to provide the big finish! This is very easy on a large concourse. The YMCA is always fun too!
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With a younger group you could do the Hokey Pokey or the Chicken Dance.
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From month to month, it would be a good idea to change it up. You might choose the Macarena or you might create a birthday dance that is unique to your facility!
The idea is to keep it fun and provide a big finish! Experiment with the space. It seems as if this could be done right in the birthday area with all the parties at one time. Or you might use the bowling concourse space at the end of the bowling time. Any large area with music can serve as a terrific big finish area. CLOSING Birthday parties are a tremendous way to grow your revenue and your business. A customer comes to your bowling center for many reasons. A memorable birthday party experience can increase the frequency of a child’s visit for their lifetime. Commit today to developing a system that will provide your customer with a terrific product, supported by chaos-free systems, and executed operationally so that this customer’s expectations will be not met, but exceeded! Watch your business grow with this valuable product! And, most of all, have fun doing it!
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Waccamaw Bowling, Myrtle Beach, SC. parties. They offer two packages:
Waccamaw Bowling hosts very successful birthday
$9.50 per person includes: •
$6.50 per person includes:
1.5 hours of bowling, shoes, balls, and bumpers (if needed), birthday place and setting, invitations, 4 arcade tokens for each child, a bowling pin for each child, and Noble Roman’s pizza.
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1.5 hours of bowling, shoes, balls, and bumpers (if needed), birthday place and setting, invitations, 2 arcade tokens for each child, and a bowling pin for each child.
Northrock Lanes, Wichita, KS Northrock Lanes offers 3 birthday party packages to choose from, ranging from $8-$10 per child. See the flyer on page 24 for more details. Marketing Materials The following full sized examples of these Marketing Materials can also be found on the CD-ROM located in the Youth Toolbox.
Coming Soon! New Templates Please check back with the Youth Resource Center!
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Coming Soon! New Templates Please check back with the Youth Resource Center!
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Coming Soon! New Templates Please check back with the Youth Resource Center!
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