Birthday Party Planning - 3 Easy Steps to Turbocharge Attendance
We've all been at an awkward party that nobody else showed up to.
As a host it's both frustrating and embarrassing.
You feel like an outcast.
All of your hard work over the previous weeks was a complete waste of time! If you feel that way as an adult, imagine how it makes your birthday child feel! Birthday's are supposed to be a wonderful part of childhood where you feel special.
You owe it to your special birthday boy or girl to make sure as many people show up as possible.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to maximize attendance.
They require a little time and effort, but they're worth it in the end! Canvas the Parents for Potential Conflicts Contact as many people as you can in advance.
Have a few date options available and find out what the best option for everybody is.
Be sure to jot down conflicts such as vacations, school events, and religious activities.
You won't be able to please everyone, but knowing about these conflicts up front will help you pick the best date possible.
Send the Invitations Two Weeks in Advance This is the optimum time to send them out.
For better or worse most people don't organize their lives with personal day planners.
If you send the invitations out much before two weeks the birthday party will be forgotten about and your guests will accidentally plan other activities over top of it.
If you send them later than two weeks folks will already have other plans.
Send Out Reminders 48 Hours Before the Party People are busy and tend to forget things easily.
The difference in attendance at parties where reminders were sent is remarkable.
This doesn't need to be done via the expensive postal system.
Here are a few effective options I've seen work really well.
As a host it's both frustrating and embarrassing.
You feel like an outcast.
All of your hard work over the previous weeks was a complete waste of time! If you feel that way as an adult, imagine how it makes your birthday child feel! Birthday's are supposed to be a wonderful part of childhood where you feel special.
You owe it to your special birthday boy or girl to make sure as many people show up as possible.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to maximize attendance.
They require a little time and effort, but they're worth it in the end! Canvas the Parents for Potential Conflicts Contact as many people as you can in advance.
Have a few date options available and find out what the best option for everybody is.
Be sure to jot down conflicts such as vacations, school events, and religious activities.
You won't be able to please everyone, but knowing about these conflicts up front will help you pick the best date possible.
Send the Invitations Two Weeks in Advance This is the optimum time to send them out.
For better or worse most people don't organize their lives with personal day planners.
If you send the invitations out much before two weeks the birthday party will be forgotten about and your guests will accidentally plan other activities over top of it.
If you send them later than two weeks folks will already have other plans.
Send Out Reminders 48 Hours Before the Party People are busy and tend to forget things easily.
The difference in attendance at parties where reminders were sent is remarkable.
This doesn't need to be done via the expensive postal system.
Here are a few effective options I've seen work really well.
- Text Messages This is the best method if you have an unlimited texting plan.
You're certain that the messages are received because they go directly to everyone's cell phones.
The down side to this is that texting all your guests from a normal mobile phone takes a while.
Your carrier probably has a place on their website you can send texts.
This is MUCH faster and easier! - Email Next best is an email blast to everyone reminding them of the party.
Most people check their email at least once a day so this is an attractive option.
If you're emailing a large number of people, make sure to use the BCC feature.
This hides everyone's email address and protects their privacy.
It also prevents anyone from clicking "Reply to All" and spamming everyone else when they respond to you.
- Social Networking Websites If you belong to websites like MySpace or Facebook, they're a great way to get your message out quickly for free! Send direct messages, or just post a bulletin for everyone to see!
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