This document is still in development. Areas highlighted in yellow are still “under construction.”
BIRTHDAY PARTY
PACKAGES
A Manager’s Guide to Success
DRAFT
This document is still in development. Areas highlighted in yellow are still “under construction.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 4
The Party Package - What’s Included 5
Bowling 5
Food 5
Food Selections 6
The Party Attendant 6
Pricing 7
Size of Party/Minimum Number of Children 7
Selling/Booking the Party 7
Begin with Inside Advertising 7
Word-of-Mouth Advertising 8
Telephone Greetings 8
Telephone Hold Messages 8
Outside Advertising 9
The Media 9
Giveaways 9
Children attending birthday parties 9
Brochures 9
Counter Cards 9
Scoring 9
Ad Slick 10
Handling Inquiries 10
The 60-Second Response Form (Attachment 6). 10
Booking Times, Taking the Deposit, and Calendaring the Event 10
After the Party is booked……..follow up………………………… 11
Duration of the Party Event 11
Recruiting the Birthday Party Attendant 13
Compensating the Party Attendant 13
Training the Birthday Party Attendant 13
Setting Up for the Party – Location Options 14
Bowling, Ball Selection, Shoe Selection, and Assistance 14
Bowling Instruction and Safety Advisory 15
The Bowling Segment of the Party 16
Scoring Setup 17
How to Keep the Party Flowing – Tips for the Management of the Party 17
Presentation of Food Products 18
POS Register Ring Up and Accounting Instructions 18
Deposit Ringing Procedures for Touch Bowl Centers 18
Deposit Ringing Procedures for Non-Touch Bowl Centers 19
Party Package Ringing Procedures for Touch Bowl Centers 19
Front Counter 19
Ringing Procedures for Non-Touch Bowl Centers 20
Follow-Up 21
Party Goods 21
Invitations and Thank-You Cards 22
Add-on Options:
Birthday Bowling Pin 22
Birthday Cake 22
Video Arcade 22
Party Contract/Deposit Form/Invoice and Receipt 23
Database Marketing for Birthdays 23
2
This document is still in development. Areas highlighted in yellow are still “under construction.”
The Birthday Party Program
Manager’s Guide
Introduction
Kids’ Birthday parties are an integral part of our customer’s lives and an important part of Bowling Center, Golf and our varied FB&E facilities revenue creation and positioning strategy, for the following reasons:
¨ Birthday Parties are profitable
¨ Birthday Parties initiate youth to bowling/golf at early ages.
¨ Birthday Parties initiate parents to bowling/golf and our FB&E facilities early in their tours.
¨ A well-run party stimulates other parents to follow suit when it comes to their own children’s parties
Nowhere is the need for strong management and on-target execution greater than with kid’s birthday parties. Proper execution will create repeat and referral business, as parents see the value of having their parties at our bowling/golf centers and FB&E facilities. This business grows exponentially provided that you do your job well.
To be successfully-executed, a party must be:
¨ Hassle-free for the parents
¨ Fun for the kids
¨ Clean and safe
¨ Properly-timed
If these four things are accomplished, the party is a success, assuring repeat business and referrals. This guide will show you how to accomplish the above, by giving you the necessary tools to execute a party. But the essential ingredient, that which we cannot provide in this guide, is your management style and focus. Communication and coaching of your staff, in goals and service approaches, rapport with parents and kids, follow-up of details, and recognition and rewards for well-done jobs, is all part of what you must bring to the table.
So, let’s get started.
The Party Package - What’s Included
Not all of our facilities will have bowling lanes. Some may feature a driving range or a disco dance floor and DJ. The below suggestions can be adapted to each environment with a minimum of creativity, imagination and coordination between your MWR Activities on post and your Business Operations Chief.
Bowling Center Party Package includes:
¨ A bowling segment - timed bowling (1 hour standard)
¨ Shoes and ball
¨ A food and beverage segment
¨ A party attendant
¨ Video games (optional if center has token capability and at least 6 video games).
¨ All paper goods and invitations
¨ Gift for the party child – an official bowling pin which will be autographed by all party attendees.
The total event should take two hours, plus arrival and departure times, set up, and clean up time. You should allocate two and a half hours in total for the party event, set-up and clean-up.
Bowling/Golf/FB&E or Themed Activity
Timed bowling, at sixty minutes, is the standard for our party packages. For older children, one game of bowling is an alternative. Bumpers should be made available for young children and should be offered at the initial sales meeting. Shoes and balls are, of course, included. For golf programs, an hour on the driving range or access to the mini-golf where available are always winners. These are supervised activities and cut down clubs and range balls should be included. Our FB&E facilities can substitute an hours “sock hop” or dance for the guests featuring Disco light shows and other means to showcase our entertainment venues and build excitement in our guests both old and young.
Food
The parent should select the food option in advance of the party. The Party Commitment/Deposit Form (EventMaster Contracts are recommended) has a place to indicate the menu selection, as well as the expected number of children/attendees. This allows the kitchen staff to plan for the party twenty-four hours in advance, and to make certain that all products are in place. Do not plan to ask each child what he or she wants. It is the parent of the party child that must make this decision, as to menu. This should be done at the time of the party commitment. Then, on the day of the party, you will only need to confirm child counts and provide exact production numbers to the kitchen staff. Upon the arrival of the children, the party attendant will count the exact number of children attending, confirm the order of food and beverage products with the parents, and submit the final F&B Production Form (Attachment 3) to the kitchen staff.
It is better if you guide the parent to select only one menu item for all children - all burgers, all hot dogs, all chicken tenders, or all pizza (centers with pizza capability). If multiple menu products are offered, it may become confusing, affect party timing, and can even aggravate children, who may see something that they want and can’t have. Of course, you will honor special requests, due to dietary issues, etc. Also, there will be times when parents will demand a variety. You must honor these requests from parents.
Suggestions for Food Selections
¨ Kid’s Burger Meal
¨ Hot Dog Meal
¨ Kid’s Chicken Tender Meal
¨ Pizza – a) 16 “ or 22” assumes 1 slice per child; or a personal pizza ( 7”) assumes cut in ½ (2 kids served per 7” pizza)
¨ Fries – 3 oz. per child (with burger, hot dog, or chicken tender selections only)
¨ Soda – small party cup – unlimited refills
¨ Cake – optional selection
The Party Attendant
Bowling/Golf Centers & FB&E Activities offer only supervised parties, with a party attendant dedicated to the kids. One of the primary functions of the party attendant is to insure the safety of the children. Our party package and pricing assumes that a party attendant will be present throughout the party. There must be one party attendant for every twenty children attending parties. It is essential that this be followed. The party attendant may not be a shared person, who must split his or her attention with another job, such as running the snack bar or the control desk. There should be nothing to interfere with the attendant’s focus on the success of the party. This is essential to building a reputation for successful parties. Do not try to get by without a dedicated attendant. The commitment to have an attendant on-hand during the party must be made up-front, when the party is sold. The driving range should be dedicated to the children during the period of these parties to preclude accidental injury.
The attendant must provide all of the following services:
¨ Be the primary contact at the center for the parents of the birthday child
¨ Welcome the parents and children
¨ Review all safety procedures with parents and children, and insure ongoing safe operations
¨ Help all children with shoes
¨ Help all children locate suitable bowling balls
¨ Help all children locate suitable golf clubs and sufficient range balls.
¨ Escort children to the party area, lanes or Driving Range positions.
¨ Keep the party moving on schedule and move children through each activity
¨ Set the tables and decorations
¨ Serve food and beverage products to the children and parents
¨ Provide or arrange for preliminary bowling/golf instruction/tips for all children
¨ Set up the scoring for the kids
¨ Coordinate the bumpers
¨ Escort and oversee related activities (e.g., Disco and video games)
¨ Settle the invoice at the end of the party
¨ Ensure that the party area is clean, orderly, and sanitary, at all times - before, during, and after the event
¨ Represent your activity favorably with all parents and children
Party attendants must be properly screened in advance of hiring. Proper training is another essential piece of the equation. The party attendant must be fully trained in running all aspects of the party, the bowling/golf activities, and interaction with parents.
Pricing
There are three price tiers for party packages (Attachment 1). Your Community Operations Director will determine the pricing of your package. You must stay with that authorized price only.
Size of Party/Minimum Number of Children
It is necessary to establish a minimum number of children, in order to make the use of a party attendant cost effective and to provide a properly managed party. This minimum is generally calculated locally but utilizing the break even analysis software included with this guide. For an example we will stipulate eight children. If the party attendance is less than eight children, we still must charge for a minimum of eight to meet our pre-established financial goals and objectives.
Selling/Booking the Party
Exemplary operations sell birthday parties. Clean, sanitary building and F&B areas, immaculate bathrooms, help to give parents confidence that we can properly execute their party. Selling the party will take a properly-trained representative who can clearly explain how our Birthday Bash parties work, how they are supervised, and can provide intelligent answers to questions parents may ask. In addition to the Central Catering Manager, Activity/Center Manager and Asst. Manager, at least one additional center staff member should be trained in all procedures relating to the birthday party. Only staff members fully trained in discussing the party package may handle party inquiries and meet with parent/prospects of party children.
Begin with Inside Advertising
Set up a Birthday Party display. Include those things that are a part of the Birthday Party Package: paper plates, cups, invitation, the birthday child’s gift, birthday T-shirt, brochures, goodie bags, scorecard, etc. An eye-catching display will draw more attention to your flyers and brochures. Also work with marketing to develop Powerpoint presentations that can be displayed in the video monitors throughout the center when they are not being used for score display.
Word-of-Mouth Advertising
Bumpers are the primary appeal of a kid’s bowling birthday party; mini golf and “Disco Lighting” enhance our other venues and should be emphasized. But, your employees are the keys to success. Encourage them to promote birthday parties for kids to your existing customers. They can use phrases such as:
¨ “Every child can do it!”
¨ “Every child knocks down pins and has a good time”
¨ Never too young for your first “Hole-in-one”
¨ Dance or Karaoke in our Fantasy Disco, just for the little ones!
In Bowling Centers remind league players of the availability of bumpers. Before practice begins, you could demonstrate how user-friendly the bumper system is. It will only take a moment—and will definitely help to generate interest among your league players.
During league play, an announcement could be made over the PA system:
“Birthday packages are perfect for children ages three and up. Contact the counter for more details.”
Remember, existing customers and league players already enjoy bowling, so they are the most likely to spread the word about our birthday party program.
Telephone Greetings
Birthday party sales can begin with a telephone greeting, such as:
Thank you for calling your Bowling Center/Golf Course/FBE Activity. Ask about our birthday party packages to celebrate your child’s special day. May I help you?
Be creative with your greeting. This type of advertising is effective and it doesn’t cost anything!
Telephone Hold Messages
Telephone hold messages are also effective. If you do not already have a pre-recorded hold message, now is a good time to consider one. It provides a great way to promote birthday parties as well as other special events in your center.
Here’s an example:
“Thank you for holding. Someone will be with you shortly. Ask about birthday packages for children ages three and up. It’s a great way to share your child’s special event with friends and family. Fun—and affordable!”
Make sure you change your messages frequently to keep your customers interested and updated.
Never forget that “Disney” built an empire on the reality that you never fully “Grow Up”… many of our younger soldiers are just as excited about a cake, noise makers and pizza and a beer with friends on their special day!
Outside Advertising
The Media
You may want to use the ad slick in your package to place ads in local elementary school newsletters, community newspapers, yearbooks and handbooks for community organizations (Little League, Boy and Girl Scouts and Boy’s and Girls Club of America).
Because bumper bowling is still relatively new, it should be emphasized in all of your advertising as well as your Glow Bowling/Disco capabilities.