Party people have to be festive! If we don’t set a gala example, how can we inspire our customers to celebrate at the drop of a party hat. At the beginning of your business year set a calendar of promotions and let people know about them so that the anticipation can build. Mix and match your promotions so that they involve whole families and individual members as well. Include an on-going promotion or two, especially if it brings customers into your store regularly. Make your store an inviting, active, informative and entertaining hub for party planners.

The following is just a small sample of in-store promotions, you’ll find more on our Web site.

Seminars: (Teach them to have better parties and they will have more parties.)

Party Planning, General

Wedding Planning

Holiday Planning

Party Decorations (with decorator and crafter)

Flower arranging

Recycling for Parties

Table Setting (Linens, serving ware, napkin holders, place cards)

Cooking/baking/candy making/cake decorating

Creating invitations, programs, menus, place cards, games (Computerized and handcrafted)

Scrapbooking

Photography/Video

Gift creation/Gift wrapping

Costume making/makeup/hair

Party Planning on the Internet

Entertainment: (Festive activities to celebrate most any occasion.)

Music, face painting, balloon twisting, craftsman like glass blowers, caricaturists, dancers or singers, choral groups, Karaoke recording sessions.

Celebrity book signings or autograph sessions: (Works best with fund raising groups.)

Great press release subjects.

Mini-expo of party vendors showing their wares. (Works best before a holiday party season) another great press attention-getter

Photo Sessions: (Ideal for costumes and make up)

With costumed character for holidays, whole family for summmer (reunion theme), First Birthdays, 50^th Anniversary, Valentines, etc. Polaroid special event packages.

Contests: (Seasonal competitions)

Judged: Best Photos, Best Costume, Best Decorations,

Drawings: Party suggestions, recipes, (to be used in a winner’s pamphlet or on your web site.)

Brainstorming Center: (Invite planners to use your resource files to design their event.)

Set up a corner or small area with a table and a few chairs, a shelf of party planning books, files and catalogs (create your own), note pads, photo albums, and samples. Announce your brainstorming center with a press release, invitations to fund raising chairs, in-store flyers and signs for customers. Brainstorming center can be reserved. For a hospitable touch offer coffee, soft drinks or mineral waters to “brainstormers.”

Merchandise Drawings: Collect contact information on drawing slips. Award free party goods monthly. Start a Birthday Club. Hold a Win a Party Grand Prize. Twice a year.

Birthday Certificates: (Given with purchase)

Computerized “Day you were born” certificates printed in seconds on festive paper.

Scheduled Planning Consultations (in collaboration with an expert planner)

1^st Birthday Photo Promotion (memento photo with purchase of 1^st Birthday Products)

****Extensive and comprehensive additional information, along with dozens of resources for this presentation can be found on our website www.partyplansplus.com/earlybirds.htm

You will also find one of the longest link lists for party sites.

Patty Sachs & Phyllis Cambria authors of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Throwing a Great Party, available at here. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter.

Party Planning Reports, Contracts, Worksheets (Over 50 documents on disk—prints out to 200 pages) by Patty Sachs and Dawn Hogan, this information is not available elsewhere. Complete information at www.pattysachs.com/diskdeal.htm

All new!! Complete Idiots Guide Books can provide another profit center in your store or on your website. See our new Catalog Sheet or check website: Our bookstore here

Fun and Frugal Theme Party Plans, outline a complete party from invitation to clean-up. The most popular themes are available for only $6.00 each. Complete information at: Our store.

SongSendsations Custom Songs for Special Occasions. The hit of the party, no other service includes as many personal facts. You can sell these songs to your customers for an unforgettable event maker. Complete information www.pattysachs.com/songs.htm

Explore Polaroid’s great in-store promotional packs with branded film, photo mats and more. For use as on-going or special event in-store draw. E-mail: [email protected] or check website: www.partyplansplus.com/polaroid.htm