6 Underrated Events You’ll Learn to Throw in Party Planner School
Party planning by nature, is an exciting career. But when many think of party planning, they think of grand events and sparkly milestone birthdays. There is much more to the party planning industry than meets the eye…
Read on for our list of 6 underrated events that you’ll learn to throw in party planning school!
1) Modern Baby Showers
Baby showers are no longer about onesies and diaper practice. Some moms and dads-to-be are opting for modern baby showers. This means more baby showers are co-ed and their planning doesn’t need to be so traditional!
All the rules about baby showers can go out the window. Modern baby showers are anything but boring. Have you seen some of the viral gender reveals lately? Planners can choose to incorporate more gender-neutral activities as well. The goal of the modern shower is to encourage a fun day, and to celebrate the parents and their new adventure.
Party planners shouldn’t shy away from any opportunities. Especially if they are underrated. This shows you are willing to take on any project. Plus, there is a ton of room to exercise your creativity when planning a modern baby shower.
2) Graduation
Graduation parties are for all ages. Graduates don’t usually plan their own parties, so there can be an element of surprise and discretion involved. A friend or parent may be the one to hire you!
A good graduation party should celebrate an accomplishment. This means that as the planner, you need to pay attention to detail and make the graduate feel special. Find out as much as you can about the one graduating. If family and friends describe them as shy, try to limit the amount of speeches and toasts. After all, you’re in charge of a party meant to celebrate a huge milestone for the graduate. So, make sure they enjoy it!
3) Halloween
Halloween parties are not just for kids. In party planner school, you’ll learn how to throw themed events for adults and children alike. Halloween is one theme we all love because there is so much room for creativity.
Halloween parties are often associated with spaghetti brains and mystery jars. When planning a Halloween party for adults, the food, drink, decor, and music take on new shapes. Impressing guests requires out-of-the-box thinking. We all know how many cliché Halloween party ideas are out there.
Hopefully, you’ve learned to shy away from these clichés in your party planning courses!
4) Office party
The fact that the company is hiring you to plan their office party is a step in the right direction. This means that they are in fact ready to leave their potluck days behind.
Your goal for planning an office party is to make people actually want to attend another one. Office parties have a reputation for being boring, awkward, and stingy. Every company will have a budget, but it’s your job to stretch it as far as you can. Hardworking employees deserve a night to remember!
Professionalism is hugely important when planning an office party. If you are going to incorporate games or activities, make sure no one winds up embarrassed.Be sensitive to the fact that these people will need to see their coworkers Monday morning.
Dress the space for success! Whether the event is to occur inside or outside of office walls, make guests forget that they are at a work event. Use your event decor skills to transform the space. Throwing an office party will also strengthen your portfolio – you’ll be able to demonstrate how you can turn any scenario into a fun celebration!
5) Wedding Anniversary
Wedding anniversaries have a reputation for being less fun than first time weddings. However, if you’re interested in wedding planning, these events will be very important to your portfolio. Underrated as they may be, these parties are key to securing returning clients. They also may be more similar to your clients’ first big day than you think – especially when vow renewals are involved! The great thing about anniversary planning is that you get to plan all the best aspects of a wedding, without having to deal with nervous clients. After all, they have done this before.
Your party planner school likely focused more on the wedding industry. But the skills you learned will be just as applicable to anniversary parties! You will need to accommodate an older guest list but the themes will likely be the same.
We aren’t entirely sure why anniversary planning is underrated. Maybe that’s because we know their value. If your clients enjoyed your wedding planning services, and know you offer these services, they will likely choose you again in the future. If you’re business minded like us, you know how amazing these opportunities can be for your career!
6) Retirement
Retirement can be a strange time in a person’s life. They have likely worked for the last 30 or so years of their life, and are moving on – ready or not. You will be either planning an office party or a celebration for friends and family.
When the retirement party is for family and friends, you can really have some fun! Hopefully you will become good at it too, as more and more of the workforce heads toward this milestone!
Retirement parties should be fun and reflective of the retiree’s hobbies and interests. They will have a lot more time to do what they love now that they aren’t working, so emphasize their interests to personalize the party.
Make the retiree feel special! Ask close colleagues or friends to say some nice words that draw attention to their successes. Appreciation goes a long way. If you organize a party’s schedule to allow for these special moments, you will be doing a lot more for the retiree than you think!
Parties don’t need to be glitzy to be rewarding for your career as a party planner. Often times, you will feel more accomplished when you plan events outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to take on these 6 underrated parties. We promise – it will be more fun than you think!
Do you have any experience planning underrated events? Let us know how you made them special in the comments below!
