Booking, planning and organizing entertainment for a child’s birthday party seems simple, until parents find themselves drowning after a flurry of vendor calls about entertainment options and feeling frustrated with pricing and entertainment in general and then wondering just what happened to their plan and schedule – and why it has turned into disastrous chaos. The entertainment industry for children’s parties has so many ways for families to waste (and waste) money and experience frustration and disappointment long after the last kid has gone home!
Most parents doing party entertainment come into it with good intentions, but little experience finding their way through planning unrushed entertainment for a child(‘s party). Often this results in those expensive mistakes when we have not even a minor insight into how this field of services will work.
The Problem of Timing: Rushed attendance.
Timing creates more headaches than any other consideration about party entertainment. Most parents waiting too long to book entertainment will have very poor options unless they’ve planned to have the highest quality. Most parents find themselves paying way too much for bad entertainment, or agree to use “entertainment” that should never have been considered as party entertainment.
On the flip side of this, booking too early can also present issues. There are entertainment companies changing their pricing, policies and even going out of business months in advance of parties. More still, parents sometimes find the entertainer that they had “booked” never actually booked to date or double-booked.
Six to eight weeks out seems to be the sweet spot, for the most part – this is enough options without taking the extreme risk of booking too early, which brings needless headaches. Entertainers who are popular in peak seasons may require more advanced notice, however, parents should be cautious about any entertainer requesting all of their payment months in advance.
Don’t Assume You Understand What is Included
There are a lot of potential disasters for the party day that stem from the clients misunderstanding the entertainment packages. Often times, the parents book a “magic show” without understanding that they will get a full hour of entertainment, the “magic show” is actually a 20 minute performance with minimal interaction.
Many families have learned this the hard way, but “party entertainment” can mean drastically different types of entertainment for different providers. One company may have a package with several activities included while another simply is a performance with parties scrambling to have enough coverage during the party. Some families have found that Childrens Party Entertainment Adelaide services offer more comprehensive packages, while others focus on single performances that leave gaps in party coverage.
The details matter tremendously. Is it an entertainer who brings a sound system; do the parents provide the speakers? Is the cost of craft supplies part of the package or an additional fee? What is the actual performance time versus the setup and breakdown time? Probably seem obvious, but I have seen countless parents surprised by unexpected gaps in the coverage.
Choosing entertainment that is not appropriate for the audience.
Age appropriate entertainment should seem easy in theory, however, it is often an incredibly complicated undertaking in practice. For instance, a performer who is amazing with toddlers may have completely lost the attention of eight year olds, and entertainers who are designed for older children may be boring or even frighten younger children.
When a party has mixed age groups, this may be a particular area that a lot of parents overlook. The entertainer that seems like the perfect match for the birthday child may not hit the mark at all for their siblings and various peers with different developmental levels. Some families find entertainment that appeals to none of their guests because it is attempting to please everyone.
The size of the birthday party also affects what entertainment the birthday child will experience, and is something that parents may not have considered. Entertainment options that work wonderfully for small parties hosting six children at a time can be horrendous disasters for parties of twenty children or more. Alternatively, options that are built around larger group attendance may feel less personable or fun for smaller birthday parties.
When parents fall into needing to stick with unrealistic pricing for the entertainment needs of the birthday child they may not be saving the money that they think they are.
The children’s entertainment market has huge swings in pricing that often do not equate to quality. Many parents think that if they pay more they will receive something better. Others go with super cheap offers without truly understanding why that entertainment is less expensive.
If an entertainer is really inexpensive parents may not be aware that it may be because they are new, have poor equipment or are charging significantly less for the parents to bring games or supplies later. Parents may be booking a “deal” entertainer only to find out later that they need to provide tables, chairs or supplies that more reliable entertainment would have included as part of the package.
Conversely, sometimes families will spend way more than needed for excessive uses of entertainment packages which do not relate to their needs and/or cost expectations. The most expensive performers aren’t always the best entertainment options for every party celebration because implementing types of entertainment is not always the right choice for the children at the party.
Neglecting Weather and Venue Challenges
Outdoor events come with challenges that many parents do not consider when hiring entertainers. Some performers who do actives outside may not have the same backup plan in place to execute their event if the weather takes a turn, leaving the family scrambling for an alternative indoor event at the last minute.
Indoor venues can present their own set of challenges. An entertainer who requires plenty of space may not be able to perform in a tight venue, or an entertainer that includes a lot of mess materials may violate the venue’s policies. It can also come as a big surprise to find out at the venue that the entertainer the family hired will not fit the fit the location.
The prep time and the amount of time required to clean-up an entertainer is something that does not get considered, and I wished that it got more attention than it currently does. Some entertainers you book may take a significant amount of time to prepare or they may leave a significant amount of cleanup for the final host after the event. This can play an important role in the timelines of the party, and increases the stress for parents that they did not know they would have to do extra work after the event.
Communication Breakdowns
SOS – Communication is key to preventing a potential disaster with most children’s party entertainment, but many families bypass this important step. Too many parents assume the entertainer will simply “get it”, instead of actually confirming all the details of the party where important details typically get agreed upon, such as arrival times, duration of the performance, and requirements for them to work as they described.
The week of the party should include follow-up calls to get verification on details but again, many families believe they have followed-up, or assumed it was agreed upon by the entertainer. Last minute changes in cancellations, time changes, or simply not connecting with the entertainer about the logistics of the party can derail a great party celebration, even the best and planned.
Learning from Other’s Do’s or Don’ts
The children’s party industry relies heavily on raving fans and strong referrals, which leads to quality entertainers hoping for happy customers. Parents who ask the entertainer many questions, read the contracts, and share their expectations on what they are hiring for tend to avoid the pitfalls that create costly, stressful experiences that some act too many times for one party.
The intention is not to make perfect entertainment, but to provide a suitable and reliable service that fits the family and budget. Once parents learn the potential do’s and don’ts by hearing the mistakes, they are much more likely to provide a celebration that everyone enjoys, especially the parents who are doing the organizing and all stressful work.
