Venue Finding
When planning an event, the venue is the most fundamental aspect, so please contact the Happy Times team to discuss what type of venue will be best for you.
Below we have outlined a few pros and cons to hosting events at certain types of venues. Once again if you wish to discuss venue finding further, then please call the Happy Times team and we will be more than happy to help you choose a suitable venue, whether it be your own living room or a more obscure venue like London Zoo.
@ Home or The Workplace
The most popular venue to have an event is at home or your work place as you are familiar with the facilities in and around the space. However sometimes the burning questions that are constantly asked are;
Is it big enough?
Will there be lots of mess to clean up?
With regards to space, certain elements of the party can be made to fit some extremely small spaces i.e. instead of using our tables and chairs, We would recommend putting down a large rug or bed sheet and getting the kids to eat from the floor space. As for the mess, leave it to us! Here at Happy Times we can provide you with a host to clean away all aspects of the catering. We also have a team of removal men who can take away all big and bulky items from your home or office to make a larger area to play in.
Please note whether you have an event at your home, work place or somewhere else the mess always needs to be cleared away.
Private Gardens
Everyone knows the weather in London is never predictable so always ensure a
contingency plan if Mr. Sunshine chooses to cry.
On a positive note, gardens can be great fun for kids as they get to run wild, feeling as if they are in control and if the weather is good, it perks up the mood of the party automatically. Space is always a good thing as well, so that various attractions can be set up and enjoyed from Fun Fair Rides to Go Karts, and Candy Floss and Pop Corn Stalls to Bungee Runs.
For entertainment purposes I would recommend a shaded area out the way of any major attractions (i.e. Inflatable Fun or a tree house) to not take away the focus of the entertainment they have planned, so that they can sit there for up to 40 minutes either doing arts and crafts, watching a magic show or perhaps interacting with one of our other entertainment ideas.
However when in a garden, perimeters are always needed and all access routes to the public are needing to be thought about whether it be someone manning a gate or blocking off the area to prevent kids getting out and unwanted guests getting in.
Please note if you choose to have an event outdoors, make sure shelter is available in case of bad weather and if it is good weather make sure there is plenty of water, a hat and sun cream!
@ A Restaurant
Many restaurants are willing to cater for kids events and generally the concept makes things very easy for you. If you choose a venue with a separate function room, usually downstairs or at the back it makes the set up of the party straight forward so that no other guests are disturbed.
The Restaurant will take care of all the food, tables and chairs and tableware, leaving the entertainment, décor and party extras to you. One thing to be aware of in a restaurant, as their focus is on food, is that the kids are usually seated longer than they need to be in order for the waiters to get all the food out. Therefore, table entertainment (i.e. Balloon Modeler, Games, DVD’s etc) is highly recommended so that no kids run around and get up off their seats.
When deciding entertainment ideas please be aware of the rules and regulations that a restaurant has to abide by, as it has been known that most food establishments do not allow live animals or loud music in to there facilities. Another point we strongly recommend is that you split up the meal with entertainment ideas (i.e. a Circus Show between main course and desert).
Please note that having a set menu pre decided upon before the party is recommended so that orders do not need to be taken during the party which can take up to half an hour to get around 30 young kids.
Hotels, Health Clubs and Conference Centers
Depending on your budget and availability of the chosen venue, one of the above options can make the planning and preparing of your event a lot easier. Here at Happy Times we have a close relationship with a number of hotels, health clubs and conference centres in and around London who are happy to use their venue for a kids party.
A great advantage to using a venue of this sort, is that they usually take care of the party food on site, as well as the cleaning up of the space. All you would need to organise is the entertainment, decorations and any extras you may possibly want to make your event unique. Such venues are also extremely versatile combining the joys of a great space, usually in various sizes that can be easily divided by partitions, together with beautiful surroundings for all occasions.
Please note that if you choose a venue named above they are usually that little bit more expensive and can bite in to your budget considerably. However for this extra expense, you are certainly assured of a higher quality service and you also have the facility to cater to a higher quality for adult guests that you may have invited.
@ A Local Hall
Local Halls are usually the cheap and cheerful option, ranging from £50.00-£300.00. Halls could include Scout Huts, Church Halls, Nurseries, Schools, Community Centres, Sports Clubs to name but a few. These kinds of venues usually have adequate kitchen and toilet facilities, ample parking, tables and chairs and lots of open space to work with (sometimes an outside area too).
Happy Times have worked at many of these venues in and around London over the years and have comprised together a vast database to help recommend suitable venues in your area.
Please note that all local halls expect you to leave the hall as you found it and that the quality of the halls are usually not presented nicely, so décor will need to be thought about.
