Do you remember your very first birthday party? Chances are that you, like throngs of other children, celebrated this holiday with something baked in the kitchen, a few family members and several small gifts. Yet for some, these simple days of celebration are gone and party planning has taken over. Wendy Emerson asks: who blew out the candles on the homemade birthday party celebration?
Life of the Party
Birthdays have become big business in Jordan. For those who can afford it, the birthday is no longer a time of simple celebration among immediate family members, but a demonstration of hosting prowess. Enter Kid's Fiesta, one of the several party-planning companies currently thriving in Jordan. Kid's Fiesta manages all of the traditional aspects of a child's birthday celebration, such as cakes, candles and balloons, plus a whole lot more. In fact, Kid's Fiesta will supply just about anything imaginable: clowns, face painting, music, food, magicians, DJs, karaoke, jumping castles, piñatas, popcorn machines, gifts and other activities.
Cakes of any size, shape, flavor or color can be ordered on demand. Children and their families can choose different themes for the party, though these themes tend to follow yearly trends. Carmen Aliwat, owner of the Amman-based company, claims, "Last year, it was butterflies and flowers. All the girls wanted these. This year we are doing a lot of musicals: dancing, karaoke, DJs, singing. And of course we do the decorations to match, saxophones and drums on the walls. You name it."
Aliwat has a staff of six, to whom she affectionately refers as her "partners," and on one busy Thursday in June had four parties scheduled that day alone. Summer is the birthday party season and she has at least one party scheduled every day until the end of July. Her business has expanded to the extent that she has begun searching for office space in order to accommodate the increasing demand for her services, although she admits that working from home has given her an advantage: "We don't have overhead; we work harder and charge less." Word of mouth is key in this realm, and one satisfied mother is likely to tell many others. This has been Aliwat's grassroots marketing strategy, and so far it has worked well.
A former chemist and hotelier with a creative flair, as well as someone with a seemingly natural understanding of childhood delights, the energetic entrepreneur plans parties for children between the ages of one and 11. The planning starts with a call from the parent, generally a few weeks before the party. "That's all they have to do. We take care of the rest," she claims, adding, "I'm a busy woman." Cakes are ordered, jumping castles delivered, colors chosen, DJs scheduled. If the family has space, the party may take place at home. Other venues such as Auto Club, Bambolina, and Action Target are popular with the under-12 set.
The Check, Please
Aliwat is proud of her competitive prices and espouses the philosophy that less can be more. A clown, face painting and balloon package from her company can be ordered for approximately JD40. Cakes are separate, and generally cost JD30 for an individualized cake of choice.
The basic clown package doesn't suit every Jordanian parent seeking these services, however. Kid's Fiesta has planned parties complete with live guitarists, action rides on an Italian train that has 19 links and holds 27 kids at once, and gifts for the attendees that run between JD5-10 each--at a total cost of JD1200. Many families will invite 35 children or more. This year alone, Aliwat has booked six parties that were billed at over JD1000 each.
Birthday planners are in the people-pleasing business, and this can be one of the toughest daily hurdles. Aliwat has an energetic, friendly charm but claims that the business does have its challenges, stating lightheartedly that parents sometimes spend more on their mobile phone bills than they do on the actual party, calling her daily with changes and revisions.
Does having a catered celebration set an expectation for children that must be met year after year? Are these parties over the top? Kid's Fiesta has been run with a down-to-earth approach to fun and Aliwat feels strongly that the answer to that question relies solely on the approach of the parents. "You can have a very, very nice party for JD50; the kids can have so much fun. A jumping castle alone can keep kids happy for hours. I discourage parents who call me from booking too many activities; they really can have fun if they focus on one or two things."
Another party-planning company in the area grew from a different source. "It's not just a business," Julianne Dimon of Family International Community Services (FICS) states of the Fantastic Friends of Amman party-planning company. Fantastic Friends is an offshoot of FICS, a charitable organization whose aim is to "improve the quality of life for all members of the community, particularly those who are disadvantaged." It provides educational, humanitarian and health care services for the underprivileged, orphans, and refugees. Services such as free eye and dental clinics for the poor are offered.
In the past, FICS offered clown shows for orphans and handicapped children. The popularity of the shows sparked the idea of expansion, and the party-planning segment of the organization was born. Run entirely by a full time, unpaid volunteer staff, families that sign up for a Fantastic Friends celebration not only have their party managed by professionals, but feel good making a contribution to a charitable cause as well.
Is it Really About the Child?
The birthday trend is not exclusive to Jordan. In the United States, children's parties have migrated from the family kitchen to Wall Street: Celebration Express, (ticker symbol BDAY), provides party products for young children and offers approximately 150 different birthday party themes including plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths, invitations, piñatas, crafts, costumes, banners, and guest favors. In minutes, parents can order complete birthday kits online in order to have the latest birthday trend delivered within days.
At other stores, children can regularly be seen filling shopping carts in party-planning stores with their parents. Hallmark, the American greeting card company, estimates that the children's birthday segment of their business (supplying cards, wrapping, and party-ware) alone generates approximately $600 million dollars every year.
While financial pundits, investors and mutual funds have developed a fresh interest in the sector, some warn that there are real consequences to such a showy gathering for a child who may not be old enough to process the offerings. Is this kind of extravagance really necessary for today's children, whose time is sometimes seen as over-structured to begin with? Is the party still about the child? Or are these parties just another set of expectations that parents have conjured up in an unending effort to provide "enriching" experiences? Some overextended modern parents may be relieved that the traditional cake-baking and confetti clean-up duties might be behind them for good, seeing this form of "outsourcing" as a long-awaited relief.
Others, however, have come to dread the modern party-du-jour, stating that the number of guests, the cost and time needed to plan for the extravagance are exhausting and stressful. Some mothers postpone parties altogether until the summer vacation, claiming that the demands of school and sports are so great that there isn't enough time during the school year to plan. For those in the "party set" there is an unwritten set of expectations that can be increasingly difficult to live up to for busy parents, even with the help of a professional planner. Some parents complain of being overwhelmed by the expectation to plan (and pay for) parties that are as nice as those to which their children are invited.
Critical of American celebrations that they see as lavish and unreasonable, a similar set of concerns prompted an American couple to create an entire Website dedicated to the issue: Birthdayswithoutpressure.org. Run by a Midwestern couple seeking to reassure parents that a back to basics approach is still acceptable, the site's message is that children can still mature and thrive in a healthy way if they are not feted in the American jet set style. In some cities, birthday party limousine or helicopter rides for children as young as 11 and 12 years old are being held.
Jordan may be safe from the helicopter issue for now, but party planning is here to stay. Ask any wealthy mother with children what she knows about the industry and she will likely have a card in her wallet or a number in her mobile of her favorite planner. Ultimately, can there be a balance between fun and over-consumption? The party planners in Jordan will be quick to assure you that it is definitely possible to have your cake and eat it, too.
© Jordan Business 2007
