Tag Archives: fun

Party games for little ghosts

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Incorporate a few fun Halloween games for kids into your monster bash. Having games at your Halloween party will keep the children entertained and having fun. When deciding what games to play pick ones that are age appropriate, easy to play, and accommodate all of the children at the party.  

You also want to make sure that the games are Halloween themed by including things like witches, ghosts, and pumpkins into the directions or rules. Here are a few easy Halloween games for kids between the ages of 4-10 to consider for your party planning: 

Pumpkin BINGO: This is a great Halloween party entertainment for kids because it is easy to play and fun. Make your bingo game spooktacular by using pumpkin tokens instead of bingo chips and ghost shaped bingo cards. Have a prize bag full of Halloween sweets and toys ready for the winners to make a selection.

Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin: Pin the nose on the pumpkin is an easy Halloween game for toddlers to play. To setup the game start by making an adorable pumpkin banner with black and orange felt. Have the kids “pin” the nose on the pumpkin after a few blindfolded spins. The closest to the actual nose wins!

Pumpkin Toss: To setup the game, start by carving a large pumpkin with openings for the eyes and mouth or group together lots of pumpkins. To play, have the children throw beanbags shaped like ghosts into the holes to score points. Have each hole be worth a different number of points. The child with the most points after three rounds wins a prize.

The Bone Collector: This game is a great way to get the children up on their feet because it is a Halloween themed treasure hunt. To set up the game, buy a big bag of skeleton bones. Next, hide all of the bones around a designated area for the children to find. For the really little ones, create a diagram of a skeleton so they know how many parts to look for.

Monster Musical Chairs: Musical chairs is an easy Halloween game for kids because all you need is chairs and some fun Halloween music. Have a playlist ready with Halloween songs and let everyone dance around the chairs. When the music stops everyone has to sit down as fast as they can. The child that doesn’t get a chair is eliminated. Each round another chair is taken away until only one child is left sitting.

Adult fun at Halloween

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Incorporate fun adult Halloween party games into your monster event this year. Halloween party entertainment for adults can be competitive, scary, or even silly as long as they are Halloween inspired. Adult party games are also a great way to entertain your guests and make your party more memorable.

Here are some easy adult Halloween party game ideas to play at your spooky soiree:

Mummy Wrap: Teams pair up and each get a roll of toilet paper. Then one person spins around the other turning them into a mummy. The person becoming the mummy generally also tries to spin to help the team finish first, which is the goal. With all that spinning and drinking, it’s bound to be entertaining for those watching and playing! 

Shot in the Dark: This is a great scary Halloween party entertainment for adults. Play a scary movie in the background or in a separate room. Set up some movie rules, like whenever someone gets shot, everyone does a shot. Or whenever a character screams, everyone drinks. Or whenever they say a certain word, everyone cheers. You get the point. You can get really creative, however it’s generally a good idea to watch the chosen movie ahead of time to get an idea of how many times you’re going to have people do each thing.

Monster Mash Dance Contest: Get everyone up and dancing with this Halloween party game. Have a monster mash dance contest and award the best dancer a prize. All you need is a Halloween themed playlist and two dance judges. Have several dance off rounds and eliminate a few people each time until one winner is left. Make a fake plaque that reads: “monster mash—best dancer award.” Everyone will want to keep dancing way after a winner is declared.

Who am I? This is a Halloween twist on a classic name game. Write down characters from famous scary movies on notecards. Tape one note card on each person’s back as they arrive.  The objective of the game to have everyone ask questions and talk to each other them if they are that character to give them hints. Once everyone guesses his or her “identity” the game is over.

When you plan the games and activities for your party, it’s always important to consider your audience. Most adult Halloween parties involve a lot of mixing and mingling so try to mix in a couple of your favourite game ideas to keep things interesting!

Halloween party ideas

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Halloween lands soon this year, so there’s no excuse not to make the most of it! You can throw together a masquerade-themed Halloween bash in a flash. This Halloween, throw the most interesting masquerade party in the world — 

Setting the Mood.

The trick to instantly creating a mood is to focus on overall effect rather than intricate decor details. Simply dimming the lights in favour of candlelight (electronic or flame) will immediately infuse the room with spooky ambiance. A quick draping of black netting over existing furnishings — tables, seating, etc. — provides instant spook factor with minimal effort, and a scattering of decorative masks will dress up everything from the food table to the bar. Finally, a scary film with a mask-related plot point (think Phantom of the Opera or one of the Saw movies) playing on the TV surround sound is a clever, effortless way to emphasize the theme.

Serving Drinks. 

The two most important things to remember about party drinks are quality and presentation. A choice of excellent lagers offered in ice-filled black cauldrons is much more interesting than a bunch of average Fosters crammed in the fridge. Serve a single signature cocktail jazzed up with themed stirrers or glassware and made with a premium spirit to make it feel special. Margaritas on the rocks are super easy and don’t require a blender (plus the mix can be made in batches in advance for easy pouring over ice once guests arrive).

Party Food.

A spicy pot of chilli served with tortilla chips instead of bread works perfectly with lagers and tequila, and a buffet of toppings allows guests to personalize their bowls. For snacks, a sweet-and-savoury dipping bar of crisps, fruit, and dips provides visual impact as well as variety. Salsa, hummus, and sour cream-based dips are must-have classics, while melted chocolate and/or caramels mixed with heavy cream make great accompaniments to strawberries and apple slices (just rub the apple slices with lemon juice to keep them looking fresh).

Playing DJ. 

Soundtracks to scary movies are a quick and easy way to infuse the room with doom. Extra points for playing spooky sound effects at the front door or in the bathroom. If you have extra time, make a playlist of your favourite horror movie themes and make a game of guessing which film goes with each tune.

Keeping Party Guests Entertained. 

Give the classic games you played as a child a slightly more sophisticated spin to keep guests happily occupied. Replace pumpkin carving with decorating lanterns with stickers, markers, and chalk that guests can take home with them, and trade bobbing for apples in water for bobbing for caramel apples on ice. Pick up a horror-themed video game for bonus points.

Dressing Up. 

Invite guests to simply add a decorative mask to whatever they’re wearing for the evening. Feel free to set a dress code (casual or cocktail attire) if you like, but letting guests come as they are makes it easy to accept your invitation. You can also set out masks on tables and let undisguised guests know that they can put one on.

Bond party ideas

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Are you a fan of Bond, James Bond?

If so, you will be well aware that the new 007 film, Spectre, is hitting the big screen in just a few weeks’ time.

With that in mind, here’s our guide to throwing the ultimate James Bond party to celebrate!

Dress Code

Asking guests to dress to fit the James Bond theme will really help give your party that special secret agent atmosphere.

Of course, there is the obvious choice of the classic 007 look with the tuxedo but there are more options available. We have met many villains over the years including the infamous Dr No in his classic grey suit, so if your guests don’t have a tux tell them not to worry and remind them of the vast array of outfit choices!

Of course for the ladies, there are a fair few Bond Girls to dress up as. Most of your female guests will have a simple and elegant red or black dress which is ideal, or if anyone’s extra brave they can don the Halle Berry bikini!

Decoration

Good party decoration can really make a party. From a grand entrance and red carpet to flame lights lighting the way to the big event, your guests will enter the party ready to really embrace the night and have a great time.

The Bar

It goes without saying that the bar should be well stocked for vodka martinis, shaken not stirred but champagne / sparkling wine will also go very well with the James Bond theme.

Games

It wouldn’t be a James Bond movie without some suspect looks exchanged across a casino table, so the likes of Blackjack and Roulette are a must. Just remember not everyone will be clued up on the rules of card games so a Wheel of Fortune, Play Your Cards Right or Horse Racing are all great fun and a good laugh. 

Music

Background music is vital at any party whatever the theme. There are of course some obvious choices for music including the classic theme song “Live and Let Die” or “You Only Live Twice”, but you’ll need more than two songs to play throughout the evening. Start thinking about a playlist well ahead of the party so that all you need to do on the night is plug in the speakers or PA system and press play!

Practical considerations

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Health and safety

Take care to do what you can to avoid accidents and injuries at your event. It is useful to conduct a risk assessment, to help make sure you have thought things through systematically. See our information on health and safety for community groups.

 First aid

Decide who will be responsible for first aid on the day. For large events, you could ask a first aid organisation to attend. Even if you are just using your own volunteers, you need to have a visible first aid point at the event and people who are taking the role of first aiders. Some of your volunteers may already have first aid training. If not, here is a list of first aid training providers.

Transport

How will people get to the event? Make sure your publicity gives details of public transport and parking. Will you need to put up signs in the surrounding streets to make the event easier to find?

Access

You should do what you can to ensure that disabled people can take part in your event. For example, if possible, choose a venue which is accessible for wheelchair users, and provide a British Sign Language interpreter for speeches and performances. Put information on your publicity about how accessible your event will be, so that people will know in advance if their needs are going to be catered for. You could also invite people to contact you in advance if they have a particular access need, so that you can adjust your plans to make the event accessible for them.

Children’s activities

If you plan to have children’s activities, be clear in your publicity whether you are providing care for unsupervised children, or whether children need to bring an adult to look after them. If you plan to provide childcare, you may find it useful to look at our information on running a crèche.

Photography

Do you want or need to photograph or film your event entertainment? You should put up signs informing people if they might be photographed, and you should gain parental consent before photographing children. Have a look at our information on photo consent.

Insurance

Consider whether you want to take out public liability insurance.

Top tips for organising an event

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Organising an event may seem like a scary and overwhelming task, but with good planning it needn’t be, and the rewards of a successful and memorable occasion will eclipse the efforts involved. Here are some basic top tips for organising a triumphant event.

Choose an Event that you will enjoy

Successful events are organised by people who believe in the occasion and who want to put a smile on everybody’s face. They are also run so smoothly that not only do the visitors want to repeat the experiences, but organisers too. 

When choosing an event, it therefore important something that you would enjoy attending. If you don’t like the occasion then the role will quickly become a chore and be evident to everybody.

Plan Carefully

Well organised parties and events leave people with positive experiences and make them want to come back for more. Events that are poorly organised will probably still be remembered, but for the wrong reasons. 

If an event is not carefully planned it will flounder. With event management it is not simply a case of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best – too much is at stake. One simple error regarding the organisation of such aspects as the toilet facilities or the catering might be secondary to the main event, but it could ruin the whole occasion for many people.

Consider drawing up an event manual or a calendar to chart let you and everybody involved know what needs to be done, by whom and when. This will also help you to chart your progress. It is useful to plan in reverse, by starting at the event date and working backwards.

Don’t take on too much work

Very few events are one-man missions, they are largely realised by people working together in a team headed by a manager or an active small committee. This is the most effective way because event organisation involves a great many different tasks, some occurring concurrently. The organisers should therefore not be afraid of getting as many people involved as they need. The less people have to multi-task and more they can focus on one job at a time, the less chance there is of something going wrong.

Budget Carefully

A key aspect of the event plan is the budget. The initial plan should be accompanied by an estimation of the total costs. This will enable you to firstly see whether the planned event is economically viable, and then whether you need to modify costs and plans, and how much funds need to be raised. 

The basic budget plan needs to include all the expenses and the all money coming in to pay for them. To avoid any damaging financial mishaps, it should be diligently followed. Records of what has been paid for and when should be maintained, and receipts and invoices kept. 

Timing

Timing is another vital factor in successful event organisation. The occasion needs to be planned for a date that gives you plenty time to plan and action it, and save any last minute panicking. The day must also be appropriate for the event type and its audience – if it’s aimed at children then school day afternoon would for instance not be advisable. It should also not clash with any other occasions that might steal its thunder and its attendees, such as a major sporting event.

Contingency Planning

Even if your plans are very sensible and thorough, you cannot anticipate everything, there is always the ‘what if…?’ It is therefore important not to overlook contingency planning, and consider a wide range of potential problems during the planning stage.

All about the Bride

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The big day is almost here and things can get a little stressful and hectic. Planning a wedding can take up months of a bride’s life and can leave her feeling more relief to get the day over with than excitement for the day to come. Because of this, it is important for the bride to take a day off. A day to relax, eat cake, spend time with friends and family, play games and receive some gifts. Throwing a great bridal shower will be just what the bride needs to regain some of her sanity after months of wedding planning. Red Masque has everything you need to help you plan the perfect Bridal Shower. 

Plan Ahead

Usually the maid of honour, bridesmaid, mother or sister will be responsible for throwing the bride her bridal shower. It does not all have to fall on one person though. It is actually a good idea to have two or three people assist in the planning and covering costs. You should allow yourself about 6-8 weeks to plan the shower. Some of the first things you need to work out: What kind of party will this be? Formal or casual? Where will it be hosted? Your home, someone else’s home, a restaurant, a park, etc.? Will there be a theme? Sometimes it can be fun to have a gift theme; such as, lingerie, travel items or kitchen ware. Once you have these basics nailed down, send out the invitations as quickly as possible. Purchase generic ones and fill them out or have specialty invitations printed that match the theme or colours you have chosen. This is a special day to be shared with people that are special to the bride, so have her help with the guest list. 

Entertain (and Maybe Embarrass) Her

Primarily, bridal showers are about both relaxing and getting gifts that are both fun and useful for the bride and groom. However, it is also important that everyone, both the bride and the guests, have a lot of fun. The most popular form of entertainment for a bridal shower are games. There are lots of resources online with lists and lists of different games to play. It’s important to choose games that match your bride’s personality. If she’s a shy person by nature, don’t pick the games that will embarrass her and make her uncomfortable. If the bride does not want games at all and wants the shower to be more of a party, then book entertainment. For a larger party, you might want to hire a jazz band classical ensemble or strolling violinist to provide background music as your guests mingle. It would also be interesting to hire an impersonator of one of the bride’s favourite celebrities for a meet and greet and to take photos with the guests. If the location for the shower is appropriate for it, perhaps you could hire a comedian or hypnotist to put on a short show for the guests. 

For a smaller bridal shower with just a handful of guests, you might instead want to consider something other than a party. Take the bride and small group to the spa for the day, go antique shopping or maybe even plan an entire weekend out of town somewhere the bride loves or has always wanted to visit. Really, it all comes down to what the bride wants, so it’s a good idea to keep her involved. 

Filling in the Details

No matter why time of day you have chosen for the shower, you must provide refreshments. Of course, the most important food to be present is the cake. Hire a cake decorator to design a cake that matches the theme or wedding colours. If the time of the shower lands between meals, then cake may be all you need in regards to snacks, but be sure to provide beverages as well or an alternative treat for those crazy guests that might not like cake. If budget allows, have the shower over a meal and hire a caterer to plan the menu and a waiting staff to handle all the work involved. If the caterer does not provide a bar service and you do want drinks provided, you might want to hire a bartender to serve cocktails, wine or champagne. Or to spice things up a little, hire a cocktail waiter! The guests can be entertained by juggling, flipping and magic tricks while also enjoying professionally mixed drinks! 

Once you have all your ideas and plans in place, it is time start putting them into action. Set the scene with some great decorations that match the theme you’ve chosen, or if there is no theme, then just decor or flowers that match the wedding colours. It is also a good idea to provide some sort of party favours to give to the guests as a thank you for their attendance and contribution to the bride’s special day. Some good favours for a bridal shower would be candy, candles, picture frames or for smaller gatherings, something personalized for each guest. One fun idea is to have each guest take a picture with the bride-to-be and have a copy of the picture for both the bride and for the guest. You could have the photos printed on the spot, perhaps in a photo booth style set up, or just have them printed after the shower and the bride can send each picture to the guest with their thank you card. You can handle all the picture taking yourself, assign it to another guest, or for a bigger event, you may want to hire a photographer to be there so that everyone can focus on the fun and no one has to worry about capturing it all through a lens. 

If all of this sounds like a lot to take on, you could always hire a party planner to handle it for you. However, with the right resources, and maybe a little help from friends, you can do it yourself and have a lot of fun doing it!

Children’s parties on a budget

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Gone are the days when a sandwich, bowl of jelly and a game of pass-the-parcel were enough for a jolly children’s party. Social media bragging and peer pressure have upped the ante.

Some parents admit to spending £800 on their little one’s birthday bash, with £300 being the average cost, according to a poll by Mums Show Live!

“The pressure to spend and throw elaborate parties is a growing trend – and one which parents are struggling with,” says Siobhan Freegard, founder of website Netmums.com “The pressure isn’t coming from the kids, but the parents.”

Extravagant kids parties include an entertainer for three hours at £435 (£145 an hour); catered food and drink for 30 at £3.95 a child (£118.50); hire of a hall at around £100; birthday cake £64.90 and party bags for everyone at £3.25 each add up to £97.50. Grand total: £815.90.

One mum recently moaned she had to do it three times over – goody bags at school for the 30 pupils in her daughter’s class, a children’s birthday party, and another for adult friends and family.

“Peer pressure reaches fever pitch and it can be a battle to keep expectations and costs down.”

Here are simple ways to stop your party parting you from you money.

Invites

Email invitations or download them for free from websites.

A fun idea from is to write the details on an inflated balloon, let the air out and ask the nursery or school to hand them out after class.

Share the party with one of your children’s friends with a birthday around the same time and keep it short, say two hours rather than three. Keep numbers down by making it clear that guests’ brothers and sisters aren’t invited.

If you can’t face having it at home, or don’t have enough space, summer parties can be held in a local park or free outdoor play area with a picnic and energetic party games.

If you don’t want to take a risk with the weather, get a quote from a soft play centre or local hall. Avoid peak times – weekends, school holidays and half terms – when admission charges are higher. Babies often get in for free. Ask if you can bring your own food.

If there is a play centre or child-friendly cafe near you, try to do a deal. Investigate offers for children’s parties on parenting sites such as Likebees and Littlebird. Or go to a Saturday morning movie where tickets can be just 99p.

Entertainment

Professional children’s party entertainers are expensive. There are horror stories of the family pet savaging the magician’s rabbit and little ones being left in tears by grumpy clowns. Keep the stress and cost down by doing it yourself.

Mums Show Live!, at London’s Alexandra Palace, is running clown classes for parents on how to entertain a bunch of boisterous youngsters. Classes include magic tricks, balloon modelling and face painting, as well as tips for making children laugh and what to do when they cry or misbehave

Alternatively, you can always organise traditional games such as blind man’s bluff, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and musical chairs.

Catering

Young ones typically don’t eat much, so don’t go overboard. Sandwiches, crisps and ice cream with a flake should be enough. Or ask family and friends to bring a dish and bake your own cake.

If you’re not a baker, and don’t know an enthusiastic amateur, buy plain fairy cakes and get the kids to decorate them.

Borrow a tablecloth and decorations from a friend. Or get a plain white paper cloth, scatter crayons and stickers on it and get the children to draw on it. Balloons are always popular, especially if you customise with glitter.

Party bags

These are a real bone of contention and thinking up what to put in them can be stressful. Even if you buy loads of plastic toys from a pound shop this can quickly add up.

One idea is to buy a set of books such as the Mr Men series and let the children choose one to take away. A book will last far longer than a tatty toy that will be broken by bedtime. Or do a lucky dip.

If you must have a going-home gift, decorate brown paper bags and buy seeds, multipacks of sweets and stickers to fill them and a slice of cake. Or fill a jar with sweets and tie a ribbon round it.

There are lots of ideas on the internet on how to throw a great party on the cheap. The mums’ websites have chat rooms where you can ask others for tips.

Booking entertainment

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Booking entertainment is a very important decision as it can make or break your event. Here are 10 things that you should consider when booking entertainment:

1. Type of entertainment for your event

What type of event are you hosting? There are different types of entertainment to suit different kinds of events. Booking the right type of entertainment is essential.

For example;
A Dance music DJ would be suitable for an 18th Birthday party but wouldn’t go down too well at a 70th birthday (Unless they are young at heart!).

Whereas a Country Band would be perfect for a 70th Birthday party but would not be suitable for an 18th party!

Make sure that the entertainment you book matches the theme and requirements of your event so that everyone can have a good time.

2. Plan Early 

Make sure that you plan and book your entertainment early. Don’t leave it to the last minute as the most popular Bands, Entertainers and Acts have bookings 2 – 3 years in advance (especially with weddings). Avoid disappointment and start looking for entertainment as soon as you have your venue booked. 

3. Location of Entertainer 

When searching for the perfect Entertainer for your event, try to find someone local which can save your precious budget instead of paying travel expenses. If you book an entertainer located over 200 miles away they are obviously going to charge extra for travel, or even an overnight hotel stay. One exception is when you are booking a completely unique entertainer that you won’t find in your local area. 

4. Date of event 

Be mindful of the date of your event. You may find that your entertainer charges a smaller fee for midweek gigs. Also consider that most entertainers charge more for events like New Year’s Eve and Christmas Holidays.

5. Experience 

How much experience does your entertainer have? Are they full-time entertainers? Have they previously performed at events like yours? Ask for testimonials – Every good entertainer should have them!

6. Setup Requirements

Different entertainers require different setups. Some bands will need a large stage area to fit their sound and lighting rig, while solo acts can stand in the corner of your room with just an instrument and microphone. Make sure that you plan the layout of your room and discuss setup arrangements with your entertainer. Ensure enough time for your entertainer to set their equipment up and sufficient access to load equipment into your venue. 

7. Contract

Does your entertainer use a written agreement or contract? If they don’t, how do you know that they will turn up on the event? Start late? Finish early? Charge you more? A written contract is essential when booking entertainment, as it guarantees that your entertainer will provide the service that is specified on the date and times you require. The contract should also specify the fee for the entertainer. 

8. Public liability insurance 

Booking an entertainer without public liability insurance can end up being an expensive mistake. Firstly some venues and hotels require entertainers to produce a PLI certificate. If your entertainers cannot prove that they are insured, the manager won’t let them in! Imagine you have a room packed full of guests attending your event and your entertainment is not allowed in… What a Disaster! Secondly you may be liable for the costs if the entertainer you have booked causes damage to individuals or property in the venue. What if your entertainer had equipment that fell on top of a guest or member of staff? For peace of mind; make sure your entertainer has Public Liability Insurance. Don’t take a risk! 

9. PAT Testing 

If your entertainers use any electronic equipment, they are required by law to have it PAT tested (Portable Appliance Test) for electrical safety. It is a UK legal requirement for your entertainer to have their equipment tested annually, to comply with The Electricity at Work Act 1989. PAT testing is also necessary to meet the requirements of the entertainers PLI policy. Does this matter to me? Yes, as some venues and hotels also won’t let your entertainer perform without a valid PAT certificate. 

10. Price 

When booking entertainment, don’t always go for the cheapest entertainer. Why? Because booking entertainment isn’t the same as looking for the cheapest TV or the best Insurance quote. Your entertainer needs to be of a professional standard and have the experience to entertain you guests. Their equipment needs to be of a professional quality, so that it doesn’t break down on the night. Also their service needs to be professional so that you are happy with booking. Notice the word professional is used a lot? 

Let’s give you an example of booking an Unprofessional DJ Joe Blogs decides that he wants to be a DJ. So he buys himself a laptop, some speakers and a set of lights on eBay. Joe doesn’t want to run his disco like a business so posts a free advertisement on gumtree. Linda is searching for a DJ for her wedding and comes across Joe’s ad on gumtree for a cheap Disco. It’s half the price of other quotes so Linda books straight away. Joe doesn’t ask for a deposit or signed contract and Linda just takes his word for it that he will arrive.

This is sometimes what you expect when booking unprofessional entertainment. A professional entertainer will know what to do and have lots of testimonials to back up their service. They will also have insurance, PAT tested equipment and offer you a written agreement. Professional entertainers will accept cheques as they pay income tax and offer great customer service. The old saying goes “the bitterness of poor quality lasts longer than the sweetness of a good deal”. Don’t book the cheapest entertainment as you get what you pay for!

Charity

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You are about to organise one of the most rewarding events possible, a charity event! A charity event takes time, organisation and a lot of patience. But when carried out correctly, your event could be the highlight of your guest’s lives. Charity events can range from the ever so pretty cake sale, or even a coffee morning, right up to a lavish black tie event. Whichever type of event you decide for your charity night the main aim is to create awareness for this charity and to hopefully raise some funds. Underneath are your top ten tips when organising a charity event. 

Top 10 Tips for a Charity Event 

Tip 1- The purpose – You should decide what the purpose of your charity event is and confirm this early to start initial planning. Is this a full on fundraising event? Or does it have other goals in mind such as gaining awareness, publicity and to reach out to a new network of people. Many charitable events have more than one goal and these need to be decided before any further action takes place. Confirming and planning the details for your charity event will depend on knowing what goals you are trying to achieve.

Tip 2- Date, Time & Venue – Give yourself plenty of time to organise any type of event. At least 3 months in advance. You don’t want this to be a rushed job so ensure that all aspects are planned to perfection. Your venue is also entirely up to you, yet should reflect your theme, your purpose and your charity. If you believe that your house can hold the demand then feel free to do so but for a large event then a venue such as a hotel may be better suited. Ask the venue for some freebies, if you don’t ask then you will never know.

Tip 3 – Budget Plan – Every fundraising event plan should contain a detailed budget plan of all of the expenses that will be required to hold the event. 

Your budget plan should include staff, invitations, venue, catering, entertainment, utilities, and anything else that will be required to make the event successful. Your budget should take into account your fundraising goal, ensuring that you raise that amount above and beyond all expenses. Top tip for your budget is to always have a spare amount, you just never know when an emergency will appear and that extra bit of cash could really help you out.

Tip 4 – Round up your troops – 

For your charity event to be a true success you will need a strong workforce behind you. This could be family and friends, volunteers of the charity or even try and recruit some new volunteers to help. Your team could help you in so many different ways such as helping you with the planning, collecting money outside supermarkets, selling tickets for the charity event and also on the day of your event it is always great to have a spare pair of hands. 

Tip 5 – Read All About It – 

You have to let the public know about your charity event, or nobody will know anything about it. Ask the charity to help by putting up the information on their Facebook page, create some simple flyers and leave them in shops in your area, create an “event” on Facebook and invite people, go and speak to your newspapers and get them to interview you about the charity event and if possible ring your local radio station and get a small interview slot. The more people know about the charity event, the more of a success it will be.

 

Tip 6 – Entertainment is key –

Your entertainment has to be fresh, exciting and fun. Why not hire a fun casino which is great fun and also brilliant for fundraising. Or a magician who can walk about the room and make your guests “wow” in amazement. You could even hire out a crazy golf course; you may even have the next Rory McIlroy in your mists. The entertainment needs to be organised quite early on in the planning process if you don’t want to be disappointed. 

Tip 7 – Stick by the law – 

We would advise anybody to always go and research the laws and regulation when organising any event, especially a charity event. There are certain guidelines which need to be put in place to surrounding fundraising in public areas; you would need to speak to the local council about these. They are only small regulations so should not be anything to serious to worry about, but always check and get support from your local council

Tip 8 – Collecting the money – 

On the night of your event, you have to collect the money if it is a fund raiser. You could collect the money by walking around the room with a branded bucket, have a raffle and collect the money when selling tickets or you could place an envelope for each guest at their table where they place their desired amount into and you collect at a designated time of the night. There are so many options on how to do this, but these three seem to be the most effective. 

Tip 9 – Mind your manners!- 

Always remember to say Thank You both straight after the event and in the days that follow. Your guests, volunteers and sponsors need to be appreciated. They have taken time out of their lives to help with your charity event. Make a small speech simply thanking everybody for coming along, send a personal email again thanking them or even send them a momento of the night. Take a group photograph of everybody who attended and print these out for each volunteer and sponsor. A simple thank you on the back is all that is need and it gives your event that personal touch.

Tip 10 – HAVE FUN – 

You have done your planning, you have done your research and you have everything in place. Now it’s time to have fun. Mingle with your guests and have a laugh, if they see you relaxed then they will also feel relaxed. And remember it’s for charity, so no matter what you do you are making a difference.