Celebrating 80 Years

Looks like everyone had a wonderful time at Jackie's 80th birthday party extravaganza! Congrats on a successful party!

Milestone Birthday Party

There are a few "big" birthdays in life that deserve special recognition: 16th, 21st, 30th, 50th, and so on! In fact, one of the nicest things we can do for each other is to remember and celebrate birthdays, especially these milestone birthdays, with family and friends.

This month's assignment is to plan a milestone birthday party for someone special in your life. To give you some ideas for what to do to make this party special, I am going to share some memories and pictures from my favorite party that I ever threw for someone: my grandmother's 80th birthday party. It was just last year!

My grandparents live in Vermont, and with the help of my mother and her three siblings, we planned a surprise party for my grandmother's 80th birthday. All of her family was able to be there, and all of her local friends managed to keep the secret for three long months of planning. And she sure was surprised! Here is a picture of her when she first arrived:

We wanted to add some "special touches" to the party, so we collected old pictures from family and friends and put them into giant collage frames. We told guests to bring memories and photographs instead of gifts, and we collected these momentos in a keepsake box that my grandmother now keeps on her side table. Here is a picture of my aunt giving a toast. You can see the collage frames behind her:

We also created a book of "Momisms," or the sayings and bits of advice that she used to say when her children and grandchildren were growing up. When printed with old photographs, the book made a nice keepsake and made everyone laugh! I then typed up all the "Momisms" onto favors and, with candy attachments, distributed them to all the guests. I got the advice: "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" and "You better eat it or you're going to wear it!" Finally, my aunt brought along her singing group and they serenaded my grandmother with her favorite Frank Sinatra songs, and of course, Happy Birthday! Here are some pictures of my grandmother's book, myself with my aunt and mother (holding up our "Momism" favors), and the chorus:

When we talked to my grandmother after the party, she said her favorite part was what everyone had said in their toasts and written on their keepsake notes. After all, if you have lived 80 years, you have touched a lot of lives and it is nice to feel appreciated and loved on such a milestone birthday.

After you plan and successfully throw a milestone birthday, please share your photographs here, too.

National Day of __________ Party!

There are popular holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, and then there are the "National Day of ______" holidays. Did you know that July 30 was National Cheesecake Day, and that there are National Days for hugging, grandparents, blue jeans, ice cream, and even pets?

Here are two websites that lists hundreds of "national" holidays. They are organized by date, so pay particular attention to AUGUST. Find a day that you think is funny and could lead to a good party. Plan a party around the special one-day celebration.

http://www.dailyholidays.net/

http://www.louderbacks.com/home/dict/days.html

Here are some of my favorites that make me laugh. What are yours??

National Underwear Day

National Fresh Breath Day

National Creamsicle Day

National Potato Day (mmmm french fries!!)

National Toasted Marshmallows Day (mmmm s'mores!!)

It's a Bird, It's a Plane... It's a Superhero Party!

Each summer, two big conventions celebrate superheroes, science fiction, comic books, and all things entertainment. First, there is "Comic-Con," held each July in Los Angeles. Then, there is "Dragon-Con," held this August in Atlanta. Thousands of people dress up as their favorite characters from movies, television, and comic books to attend the conventions, and there are all sorts of special parties and events planned during the convention weekends.

Taking a cue from the fans of Comic-Con and Dragon-Con, design your own theme party to celebrate your favorite superhero, science fiction, or comic book characters.

To help you plan, here are some articles about the conventions:

http://www.comic-con.org/

http://news.mmosite.com/content/2010-07-31/comic_con_2010_sumup_we_found_the_comics,1.shtml

http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/15368

http://www.dragoncon.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Con

New logo!

Great job designing a logo for the "Celebration Center"!

Creating a Business Plan

Over the past nine months, you have learned a lot about party planning. Now it is time to develop your "party brand" and create a mock company.

In order to do this, you must develop a business plan that includes some important features to attract customers. You are advertising yourself and your services, and you want people to want you!

In your business plan, include:

- Your company name

- A slogan/motto (This is a short, catchy phrase that describes what your company does. It should be memorable, so that when people hear it, they think of you. Some examples might be: "It's everywhere you want to be" (VISA), "Once you pop, you can't stop" (PRINGLES), "Just do it" (NIKE), or "I'm lovin' it" (MCDONALDS).)

- A mission statement (This is a longer statement of what your company's goals are. What do you want your guests to experience and/or remember about your parties?)

- A logo (This is a colorful graphic that represents your company. It should include some symbols of your company- like a party hat or streamers, for example- and the company name.)

To get ideas for your party planning business, including a name, slogan, mission statement, and logo, spend some time searching the Internet for other examples of businesses. What good ideas can you take from other companies to turn into your own?

Let's Make A Deal: Contracts

Now that you have a business plan in place, it is time to practice writing an event contract and perfecting your negotiation skills.

In your event contract, it will be important to identify the following:

- Date, time, and location of party

- Brief description of party project

- Cost

- Deadlines for payment

- What is included in fee (such as decorations, music, etc.)

- What is NOT included in fee (such as food, etc.)

- How conflicts/problems will be resolved

Tips for Writing:

http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-forms-contracts/business-forms-contracts-overview-writing.html

http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/contracts-agreements/2569-1.html

Sample Contracts:

http://www.businessknowhow.com/officesupport/samplecontract.htm

http://www.marinavillage.net/Special%20Events%20sample%20contract.pdf

What will your sample party contract look like?