Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1431926
38 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2021 USICERINKS.COM , YOU WALK INTO A BIRTHDAY PARTY and hear kids running around screaming. Parents are yelling at kids to come and eat. The parents of the birthday child are trying to get everyone organized. The parents have no time to sit and enjoy the party. When the party ends, the birthday child's parents cannot remember who was there or what gifts their child received. They are ready to go home and go to bed. Having a party host eliminates this chaos and stress. A party host entertains the birthday guests, keeps the party flowing and makes the birthday child feel special. Your party hosts are the "wedding planners" of the birthday party. They create a complete experience in which the birthday child feels special, the guests leave smiling, and the parents get to relax. This is accomplished by entertaining, serving, and managing the party guests from the moment they enter your building until they leave. It takes a special person to be a party host. This person must have a genuine passion for working with children and a willingness to act like a kid while being professional. The host must be able to make quick decisions, communicate effectively, be open-minded, and stay organized while also being able to act goofy, have fun, and be full of energy. Innovation is a key factor. An exceptional party host takes care of everything, starting with being prepared and greeting the guests with a smile. The host will take the gifts, serve the food, light the candles, entertain the guests, tie their skates, provide skating lessons, play games, and make the birthday child the center of attention. The host will do all of this with a genuine smile. The guests never feel or see the chaos that may occur behind the scenes. Your best party host is the individual about whom guests talk positively about months after the party. Remember, the goal is to have a "HAPPY" birthday party! FINDING THE RIGHT PARTY HOST , Small things like having the right skate sizes and enough cupcakes for everyone go a long way. LEARN TO SKATE USA, BIGSTOCK to be more important than almost anything else. Bad parties make bad memories that last a lifetime. Like any powerful tool, birthday parties have a large good or bad effect on a facility's reputation. My mind started working overtime on the factors that make a good birthday party: • An interested, engaged, energetic host. • Perfect organization, from invitations to place mats to cupcake holders. • The right size skates. Nothing turns anyone off skating like wrong sizes, dull skates or broken skates. • A brief skating lesson. • Perfect quality food: hot pizza, cold drinks and everything in between. • Making the birthday person the center of attention so he or she feels wanted and leaves with great birthday party memories. • Adequate staffing for the party and, more importantly, upbeat energetic staff. • Tangible methods to control the number of people skating in the party, such as wristbands or coupons. I shifted modes after these points and worked into why parties are so important for the rink: • Good word of mouth, which leads to more community interest in ice programs. • More enrollments in the learn-to-skate and learn-to-play hockey programs. • More birthday parties, because everyone talks about great parties. • Higher attendance at public skate sessions. • More interest in skate camps at a place where they have great memories. For me, as an owner/manager, birthday parties undisputedly lead to bigger programs, more customers, and a more efficient business. Larger top-line revenue leads to a bigger bottom line every time. Brandi's eyes got bigger as I told her about facilities in the U.S. where birthday parties are their biggest business. She left the meeting recharged and convinced that birthday parties are important business for any ice rink.