How to throw a birthday party

Here are some pointers I'd like to share on throwing birthday parties(for more than 100 guests)

• Once thebudget has been decided , fix a good venue that meets the following criteria:
• Convenient Location
• Required Capacity
• Good Ambience
• Ample Parking
• Adequate infrastructure and staff support
• Most venues offer a package with separate rental and facilities charges . You can therefore ask for only those facilities that you need or ask for extra stuff . Some things that are typically included in the facilities package are tables, chairs( with covers ),basic lighting, fans or coolers , green carpets , dias and all the cooking utensils , stoves etc.The things that don't get included are extra lights, sound system , speakers,power cans , landscaping etc
• The next step is to book a caterer. Typically , the good ones charge around Rs 270/- per plate. They usually take care of the landscaping as well at around Rs 3000/- extra.These rates may vary from person to person.
• In Hyderabad,Permission is needed from the police department if a music or dance concert is a part of the entertainment. They typically charge Rs 100/- per speaker and the money is to be paid in through e seva.
• Then comes the decoration and the entertainment part of the process. Once the theme has been decided( keeping in mind what your child will enjoy) , the stage decoration , flower arrangement , balloon decoration, invitations , goody bags , the interactive games, the game gifts , the birthday cake, posters etc have to be arranged corresponding to the theme.
• The entertainment elements could include interactive games to engage the children ,magic show, music or dance performance( western or classical), puppet show, ventriloquism , portrait sketching , tattoo artists, balloon sculpting , hair braiding , mehendi artists, inflatable bouncies , camel rides , merry go rounds, electronic game rides , mimicry shows, theatre performances, game stalls etc
• Sound system arrangement ( including DJ system) , lighting arrangements , arranging for a dance floor (in case of a dance performance) are some of the other details to take care of.

During the party these are the things that need to be done :

• It's best if the host and hostess personally welcome the guests when they walk in. The children are usually thrilled to be welcomed by clowns or cartoon characters with balloons / party hats / whistles for each of them.
• The live entertainment can start once the majority of guests have arrived. Until then game stalls with games like toss a ring , dart boards, bouncing castles etc will keep the children and adults entertained.
• It's best to have a compere welcome the guests and conduct interactive games for children to involve and entertain them. Then a puppet show or magic show or dance or any other more structured entertainment can be arranged.
• When you are ready for the cake to be cut, the cake can be set up on a decorated table and the candles can be blown by the birthday boy/girl and the cake cut to the accompaniment of the birthday song.
• Last but not the least , the party is for the children to have a good time, so ensure that they have enough room to run around , dance, sing/talk on the mike and have their favourite songs playing
• When the children start leaving after dinner , the goody bags can be distributed to each child.

One can engage an event manager to handle everything from the venue booking , caterer booking and coordination ,theme based decoration , entertainment , welcome gifts and goody bag distribution etc .The entire task of coordination with atleast 10 different service providers , entertainers , artists etc can be handled reliably by a good event manager. However when using the services of one , ensure that

• You are comfortable with the way he/ she works. Discuss clearly what you expect - how you want the place to look, what gifts you want , what entertainment you would like. If the event manager is good , he/ she will creatively suggest themes , work within your budget and also be up to date on the latest trends . He/ she should know what will be popular with your guests.
• You involve yourself as much as you like - go for shopping trips , see the prop pictures if possible, go for ordering the cake , decide the music you want , the artists you want etc