Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1431926
USICERINKS.COM NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2021 / 37 S aturday morning hit with a bang, as always. We were busy with skate school and running a little short because someone had called in sick. I sent my birthday party hostess, Brandi, to the party rooms to start setting up the parties. Wouldn't you know it? The sales person forgot to pick up the cakes, so now I had to send someone to the store. Brandi wasn't happy. She knew she had more work than usual, and due to the facility being short-staffed, she had to go to the bakery to pick up the cakes. She wanted to know why we bothered having birthday parties. After all, they are a pain, aren't they? I had to agree with her that birthday parties do have many moving parts. Brandi and I set up a time on a weekday when the rink was slow so I could explain why birthday parties are so important. During our meeting, Brandi started off strong. Her first objection was that the moms are too fussy. Moms are indeed very fussy over birthday parties. I never understood why until I attended Programming, Marketing and Promotions at NARCE. Frank Price of Birthday University made a presentation that year where all of us had to think of our most memorable birthday party. To my surprise, a few people had negative parties they remembered. All the parties we discussed were more than 20 years ago. Frank's point, which I agree with, is that when moms know they are making such powerful memories they are going to be fussy. Any organization offering birthday parties has only one chance to throw a great party for a birthday child. Mistakes can be damaging. Hosting great parties is a heavy responsibility that the facility has to fulfill. Birthday parties, since they are a powerful memory-building tool, have