The party operator’s guide to bookings and scheduling
- How far in advance do people book parties? →Birthdays book 3 to 6 weeks out, schools and towns 2 to 6 months out. Your follow-up cadence and your deposit clock should match those windows.
- How to take bookings from your website (without playing phone tag) →Put a real booking form on your site that shows the price and takes the deposit. Every inquiry that starts as a voicemail costs you a round of phone tag you did not need.
- What to do when two clients want the same date →The deposit decides. First deposit in holds the date, and everyone gets told that rule up front, which is exactly why holds need clocks.
- How much buffer time to leave between parties →Add real teardown, the drive, real setup, and a cushion for the surprise. For most party setups that lands between 90 minutes and two hours door to door.
- How to keep track of bookings (and when a spreadsheet stops working) →Keep every booking in one list with a status, an event date, and a next action. A spreadsheet works to about twenty bookings a month. Past that, the cracks cost you parties.
- How to stop double-booking equipment and crew →Double bookings happen when a yes lives in two places. Give every cannon, truck, and crew member one calendar, and check it before you confirm a date.