Party Design Contest at Kate Landers Events, LLC

VERY excited to share something new with you:

{A Party Design Contest}

 I know so many of you are incredibly creative, talented, bursting at the seams with ideas and imaginative designs for children's parties, and I would love to offer you a fun and exciting opportunity!

I have decided to run a contest where I select a theme, give you the entry rules and design specifications, and then you can design an entire party, submit it to Kate Landers Events, LLC (via e-mail to landers.kate@gmail.com), and after reading all of your designs, I will select a winner who I believe created the best party in terms of being unique, original, imaginative, carrying the theme throughout, and following specifications.

On top of that, I will actually bring your party to life, creating it, staging it and shooting it, and sharing right here on Kate Landers Events, LLC, doing a write up on you, linking to your website or blog, and maybe helping you realize how much talent you already have for event design yourself that you don't even know of!

There will also be first, second and third runners up, who will have certain elements of their designs incorporated in the party I create from the winner's design, and properly crediting you for your contribution, sharing you and your brilliant work!

Are you ready?

{Contest Rules}

1. You must be age 18 years or older to enter.

2. By submitting your design you agree to allow Kate Landers Events, LLC, to create your design, properly crediting you for the design inspiration of the event.

3. You have until 11:59 pm EST on September 1st, 2010, to submit your entry.

4. Only one design/entry allowed per person.

5. You must e-mail your design to Kate Landers Events, LLC to landers.kate@gmail.com, as a word document or within your e-mail.

6. No images allowed, nor inspiration boards. This is purely written design, in which you describe in detail with words.

7. This contest is open to event planners, aspiring event planners, and non-event planners!

{The Theme}

After much deliberation....I have come up with a theme I think will surprise you, and will be VERY challenging.

The theme is...

A Vintage (1930s-1960s)-Inspired Classic Children's Birthday Party

(for a boy or girl or gender neutral, your choice), designed for children ages 4-7 years (you can select just one age or the entire range).

Theme Details: The hardest part here is that there is not a specific storybook or film or poem to go off of--rather, this is based on your imagination! This is a great theme to work with, and can be so diverse in what you do with it!

Hint: Research on how children's birthdays were celebrated during the time period specified is suggested--learning what the birthday cakes often looked like, what types of birthday candles were used...what table decorations, tableware, party favors and games/activities were used. Think of this as a non-themed-themed party!

Another Hint: Be descriptive--paint a picture with your words, describing what the cake would look like, how the decorations would be assembled/displayed, etc.

Biggest Hint: Note the word "inspired"--this is very important. This allows you to be a bit creative in your design. The design is inspired by children's birthday parties during that time period--not necessarily a replication.

{Your Party Design Specifications}

1) As mentioned before, a word document or written within the e-mail. No more than 15 pages in length.

2) Needs to be broken down by the following topics, a paragraph or two dedicated to each topic. Please BOLD and UNDERLINE each topic heading. Only one idea per topic, unless specified otherwise below:

a) Theme  (you already have this one!)

b) Color Scheme (1 idea--be very detailed when describing the shades of the colors you are referring to--you can choose all one color, or as many as 10 colors, it is up to you!)

c) Invitation Design and Wording (1 detailed design idea)

d) Cake Design (1 detailed design idea)

e) Decorations (5 detailed ideas here, such as streamers, balloons, banners--but be specific in colors, types, how they would be hung or displayed, etc)

f) Tableware (1 full tablescape: describe all the tableware, linens, any decorations on the table, and how the table would be set up. You can describe the table and chairs as well--in detail).

g) Party Ware & Favors (party ware includes party blowers, noisemakers, party hats--be very descriptive about the party hats if you select to use them in your design). 3 party ware designs/ideas and the party favor (or if more than one item as a group, the favors) as well as the party favor packaging.

h) Activities (2 party activities described in detail, such as a pinata)

i) Games (2 party games described in detail)

j) Craft (1 craft idea, with how-to create it, materials to use, etc)

{Let's Go!}

I invite you to be creative, get ideas from your children, a walk through a thrift or antique store, chat with a relative who was 5 in 1945...if you have writer's block...don't worry, do something else and come back to it.

Are you entering? Please be sure to leave a comment on this post letting us know, so we will know to look for your e-mail (and when you e-mail, please be sure to include your name as shown on your comment, so we can match you up properly!)

Don't forget to give us your blog and website with your entry.

Best of luck!!!