Parties That'll Bowl 'Em Over

If you're thinking that kids are coming to your birthday parties because they want to bowl, you need to re adjust your thought. They're coming to celebrate the one day of the year, where they receive all the attention from the people they care about the most. It's a day where they can have fun, feel special and be the envy of all their friends. In fact, next to Christmas, it's the one day of the year that kids look forward to the most.

It's not the act of bowling or any other play attraction for that matter that makes an out of the home birthday party special. It's the personalized value, human interaction and emotional involvement that surrounds the attraction that truly makes each party memorable and relived through story for a long time. Your bowling center acts as a stage or place for these memories to be created. Bowling is just one of the actions that contributes to making parties extra fun.

Party facts for the Bowling industry

Forty percent of families will have at least one out of the home birthday party each year. Find out where they are going!
The average cost for "full service, value enhanced" out of the home birthday party is $150 for 10 - 12 kids. Bowling Centers typically undercharge!
Eighty percent (80%) of birthday parties will be children between the ages of four and ten years old. 20% will be preteens (tweens), teens and adults. Follow the 80 - 20 rule; concentrate on the larger number!
Birthday parties are more than a group of ten playing ten games of bowling. The average profit margin on a full service birthday party is 50% - 60%. Increase the services! The higher the price of the party the more profit you'll take to the bank!
Your bowling attraction is fun and creates an initial reason to celebrate at your business. What they experience while they are bowling, is why they return!
Bowling centers wishing to capture a larger slice of the birthday party market understand that it's the human element that adds back the tender loving care that Mom's used to put into their parties. Put the "TLC" back in!
The typical reasons Moms have birthday parties out of their home, is to eliminate frustration and the amount of work they have to do, most importantly not having to clean up. Make sure you take care of all of these!
Bowling center parties will continue to thrive only when they understand the growing awareness for of a higher level of consumer demand and an expectation that goes way beyond good service. Service is now expected; go above and beyond "Good Service".
Bowling centers joining in this evolution will move up the economic ladder, shaping memories in a meaningful way, by engaging guests in a very personal manner.

"Satisfied party parents, touched by positive emotion, who leave with long lasting personal memories, never ask … "How much does it cost?"

Frank Price - Founder Birthday University

An all too acceptable practice in bowling businesses is their willingness to undercharge for the party services they provide. Why do they sell themselves short? Maybe they're afraid that no one will choose their high priced, quality party place or feel their parties should be affordable for everyone, in all income brackets. It could be they're trying to offer just a little bit more and charge just a little bit less than their competitors, in an attempt to get more parties. Still others feel that when they are "Booked Solid" they are successful and must have a great party program. Unfortunately, undercharging for a full service birthday party presentation, is a strategy for slow or no growth and maybe even a failure to survive.

Survival goes way beyond high tech lanes, special effects, leagues and service.
It is crucial to be preparing for the next generation of family recreation and entertainment services that must be delivered through an experience, that's meaningful to each individual's needs. No longer can bowling businesses hang their hopes on leagues, high tech scoring devises, the cosmic revolution or even great service. League play, the bread and butter of the bowling industry has joined the ranks of racquetball leagues and close to extinction. While cosmic bowling has created its own unique draw, it interacts one dimensionally, with a limited audience. Good service is expected … not always delivered, yet no longer sets you apart. Fortunately there has been a renewed and nostalgic interest in bowling that allows families to interact and enjoy special times together.

The future depends on your ability to continually evolve and stand well above the rest of your competitors. Who, by the way, are not only bowling centers, but any fun oriented business competing for recreation dollars from today's time starved families. The key is creating something more unique, entertaining and fun than the next guy, while still offering great service. Birthday party programming is becoming a major source of stable income for many family oriented businesses. They are re-engineering their businesses plans to change with market demand, while at the same time re-thinking their delivery to create a more unique experience.

"Experiences are events that engage individuals in a personal way," explained Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in their latest book; The Experience Economy. Experience based birthday businesses are creating new sources of value in the minds of their consumer, by engaging guests in a personal way and creating more memorable and special times. These experiences remain top of mind and live longer, repeated over and over through stories, even after the presentation of the party is complete. They have lasting memorable value to create an emotional bond, which increases the chance for future visits of your core business offering.

Many successful bowling centers and birthday party businesses have been achieving these results, without even knowing it. Others will find it the missing key, to unlock the treasure of building loyal guests that come back more often and tell others all about their experience. All inclusive birthday party offers have increased their appeal to parents seeking to save time, energy and solve their inability to entertain children with expected, modern day birthday fun. Birthday parties are such a special time for families; it's only natural to create long lasting positive memories. Yet for many birthday centers, it's just as easy to create long lasting negative memories (birthday nightmares).

The Evolution of the Birthday Party Business
The following story (a takeoff from Pine and Gilmore's example) depicts how the economic value and price of a birthday party has evolved over the years. Each offering - pure ingredients, (commodities), packaged mixes (manufactured goods), finished products (services), and out sourced parties (experiences) greatly increases value, because the buyer finds each level more relevant to what they truly want (in this case, the giving of a fun and an effortless birthday party)

A birthday party evolution: (Restatement: The Experience Economy, Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1999)

Remember Mom baking a cake from scratch. When, she actually touched the ingredients such as eggs, flour, milk, sugar, cocoa and butter (Commodities). Combining all those ingredients with her own labor, she whipped together a birthday cake that was the highlight of the party and didn't cost very much to produce. The result was exactly what she needed for her child's birthday party to be special. Her secret ingredient, a dash of "TLC" (tender loving care), gave her cake the emotional flavoring that told her child that she cared for them very much.

Along came companies like Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker, who packaged the necessary ingredients into cake mixes and canned frosting. The additional cost of a dollar or two was well worth the time and aggravation Mom saved. The enhanced flavor, consistent texture and ease of mixing were also benefits Mom enjoyed. It cost a little more, but in the end it was worth it. Nothing's too good for my child when it comes to their birthday.

Soon parents stopped baking cakes because now it was just as easy driving to the grocery store, ice cream parlor or local bakery and buy one complete with their child's name. They could order the exact type of cake, frosting and design, with a simple phone call. Sure it cost more, $10 to $15 dollars, but this service was a value to Moms who could customize their child's cake and spend more time applying her special "TLC" into the planning and hosting of the actual party.

Today's Mom looks for businesses to out source the entire party. A variety of businesses have answered the call, from family entertainment centers, bowling centers, movie houses, children's museums to hair salons, health clubs and even farms. Many of these businesses plan and host the entire party experience from soup to nuts. Now Mom's are paying $100 - $250 for these parties that claim to eliminate all the time and effort to throw a successful birthday party. All they need to do is show up. Most of these parties provide fun activities and a place for celebration that's outside the home. Others eliminate much of the work associated with children's birthday parties, such as set up, serving and especially clean up. It's easy, less risky and far more convenient. Moms are willing to pay a greater price for this convenience, but only if it's worth it in the end, will she ever come back.

Ideas to Personalize and Enhance Your Party Concept
The idea of customizing each party in a personal way an "out of the box" method of thinking and will enable you to stand far above your competition. In order for your offering to be unique, each individual must feel that each party has been designed just for them.

Examples of engaging party Moms/Dads in a personal way:

Assign a personal Party Hero to stay with the party and facilitate all aspects of the party from start to finish.
Ask personal needs questions in a pre-party call, before the party starts.
Find out their personal frustrations or greatest fears, regarding their child's birthday party, then be sure to go out of your way to eliminate them
Finding out what they are expecting and what they want to see, hear, touch, taste and smell to make it an awesome party, then give it to them plus one.
Make them feel important - use their name, be attentive, anticipate what they expect.
Give them something to brag about.
Point out special "Emotional moments" by having them look through their child's eyes.
Invite them in a photo opportunity, you take the picture.
Include them in the fun; invite them to play in the bowl games or activities.
Involve Mom and Dad in the jokes - be sure to ask permission first.
Show you care by giving them undivided attention, asking their permission and constantly checking in with them. Take care of any problems immediately.
Pay special attention to their child.
Create very special moments for the Party Mom and birthday child.

Examples of engaging the birthday child and their guests in a personal way:

Teach them how to bowl. Encourage with high fives and enthusiasm!
Stay with the group throughout the party, make sure the birthday child is the center of attention.
Pay special attention to the birthday child. They always go first, pick the bowling game style, or choose what fun activity is next.
Play unique bowling games, with themes they choose: like intergalactic space bombs, Scoobie Doo bowling or wackey bowling (bowl a different way each frame).
Play their favorite music in the party room.
Call them by their favorite movie character's or cartoon hero's name.
Use language from their favorite cartoons or movies.
Play word games, puzzles, and riddles or telling stories, jokes, and silly one liners. Be goofy.
Make a personal, special made to order balloon sculpture for a child.
Perform a magic trick that happens in the child's hand.
Teach them something new about things they like and can relate to.
Sing their birthday song in a special way.

There's good news! Raise Your Price!!!
When you add value and save time, you can charge more!

As the value of your birthday offering increases, it generally saves the consumer time and energy, while eliminating more and more of their typical pre-party frustration. The good news is you can charge more for your birthday parties. Today's time starved families are willing to pay top dollar for personalized positive experiences, especially when it comes to their child's happiness. Yet when "their" value perception of your offering, doesn't match what they paid, your business will suffer. They may tell others of their negative feeling or simply don't come back!

The common denominator for success remains the same, outstanding, consistent presentations at each and every party. Build positive, ongoing relationships and create emotional attachment by showing you care. Failing to progress with this natural evolution and remain status quo, will eventually mean competing against these concepts. Look not at what other like you are doing, but become the market trend setter. Always remain ahead of the pack and let others catch up to your creative lead. Continue to grow, innovate and look for ways to improve and you'll always remain one step ahead.

Design or enhance your birthday party concept to include a unique offering that eliminates guest and party team frustration. Personalize with the human touch and add memorable value. These are the main ingredients to elevating your birthday party concept, price and profit.

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