Michelle's Newsletter #1: The rise of a new type of children's party

And why this is all better for the most important type of guest: the kids

🥳 Hello and welcome to my weekly newsletter! Each week, I’ll talk about (mostly) the craft of event styling, and I’ll take you through a tour inside my thoughts on the latest trends, themes, and designs of children’s party event styling.

I will also take you behind-the-scenes on the whole process: from the event planning / conceptualization process, to the design, production / fabrication, sourcing of suppliers, and ultimately to D-Day itself: the ingress and execution of the design. 💪

So what are you interested in? Styling? DIY? Floristry? Venues? Suppliers? Shoot me an email at michelle.michellelao@gmail.com so we can talk!

If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider sharing it with friends 🤜🤛

A New Beginning

Hello everyone. I know it’s been quite some time since any one of you have heard from me; suffice it to say, writing while styling events every week, plus being a mom to 2 kids, and a host of other endeavors, is no easy task. On some days, it even seems downright impossible. But enough of that word. As my mom used to say, never say impossible. Some things always seems impossible, until it gets done (Mandela said this, I think).

🎉Here’s another saying: a new year, a new beginning. So here’s my promise: every week, through thick or thin, I will write to you (on things I hope you will find interesting). This I pinky swear! 🤞

🎡A New Breed Of Parties

Every once in a while, I get this feeling. It’s that sense that starts off subtly, that feeling that something must be wrong with the universe. My husband calls me “the optimizer” for a reason: every single hour of the day must be spent productively, every trip to the grocery must be efficient and multi-purpose, and every single damn atom of toothpaste MUST be squeezed out of the tube, or else!

So naturally, this innate obsessiveness spilled off into events and styling. And part of my obsession with parties is,

How in the world do we make it even more enjoyable for the kids?

So I came up with an answer. And this type of party is my answer to my clients who say, “I’m so tired of the usual magic-show, sing-dance act. Isn’t there something new?”

I call this simply: the experiential, activity-based party.

🔫Nerf Battlezone Party

The latest iteration of this was something I conceptualized for my friend Marge’s son for his 7th birthday: 🔫 Eron’s Ultimate Nerf Battlezone. In a nutshell: kids get separated into two teams, go through an arduous obstacle course, arrive at a shooting gallery, then duke it out in the battlezone, in a capture-the-flag melee of madness. The event went gangbusters. It was so successful, in fact, that kids weren’t to leave the battlezone area, even though we were already packing up! You can learn more here.

🍳Masterchef Cooking Showdown

Here’s another thing I picked up designing and conceptualizing parties: nothing gets the blood boiling than an honest-to-goodness competition. This is what happened with Ava’s Masterchef Junior Party, which the Party Magic team and I took up a notch further with Santi’s Masterchef Showdown. More pictures and details soon on Santi’s Masterchef Showdown, but in the meantime, watch this delectable video coverage of the event by Lemon Three Films.

🥕Sunday Market

The big idea is this: set up 4-5 stalls selling veggies, fruits, toys, candies and sweets, and books, give your guests envelopes with a set amount of (fake) money in it, and let them have a go at it! This activity is absolute fun: kids with their parents get to shop, learn how to allocate and budget limited resources, and the goods they “buy” get to double-up as their souvenir and prizes already! More details here, where I talk about Isabeli’s Sunday Market.

🏆Sports Cup-Obstacle Course-Relay Race

This idea is perfect for those who wish for a more lively, sports-related event, and this is what we did for our dear Arya’s 7th birthday. Arya’s event was a world of neon, geometric shapes, and a strong splash of periwinkle, pink, light blue, and strong yellow: nothing too girly and frilly; the perfect representation of the dynamic girl that is Arya. My major take from this event? More than the kids, parents are actually the liveliest, ear-deafening cheerleaders of them all.

💡Other Possibilities

Have you ever thought of your own unique take on this exciting trend in children’s parties? What’s your idea on a great, activity-based party for your family? Shoot me an email at michelle.michellelao@gmail.com!

🥳 What’s new with Party Magic

2020 is already turning out to be another banner year for Party Magic. For starters, we are working on a new project I’ve been passionate about: Brand Launches. As an entrepreneur myself, I know that starting your own business is one of the most challenging things a human being can do. And one important skill an entrepreneur needs to have is sales and marketing. I’ve always been fascinated with how brands connect with consumers, especially in this age of social media. If you have a brand and wish to create a meaningful event that establishes a connection with your market, feel free to reach out to partymagicph@gmail.com, or michelle.michellelao@gmail.com.

📷On Instagram (@partymagicph)

We recently posted our first-ever Fancy Nancy themed party for dear Laureen, and got hit up by none other than Robin Glasser, the illustrator of the Fancy Nancy books herself! What’s even more fascinating is that her father grew up in Manila! 😲

Are you in the Philippines? I am the illustrator of the Fancy Nancy books. I have seen thousands of FN (Fancy Nancy) parties over the past 15 years, but this is the most fantastic of them all! My father grew up in Manila.

📢 We’re hiring: Graphic Artists, Styro Artists

We’re currently on the look out for talented kids out there with a passionate for the arts and event styling. So if you are a graphic artist or a styro artist, please send us your CV at partymagicph@gmail.com

And that’s it for the week!

Love,

Michelle