Today I want to talk about giving kids at your event branded toys verses no-name, generic toys.
Branded toys are those that are under well known reputable brands such as Fisher Price, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Leap Frog, Tonka, Baby Born, Crayola, Disney, Lego, Lamaze, Little Tikes, Meccano, My Little Pony, Polly Pocket etc - you get the idea.
No-name, generic toys have no reputable brand and will generally try imitate/copy the actual brands.
It is quite simple. Branded is best! Why?
Kids want branded toys because that is what is advertised on television, in kids magazines, on the internet and in retail catalogues. Branded toys are those that their friends are playing with at school. That is what the kids want. If you want to make the kids most happy and generate the most excitement ... then give them what they desire the most.
I have seen on several occasions the disappointmentt on a kids face when they receive a no-name doll as opposed to a 'real' Barbie, Bratz or Disney doll. For good or for bad kids are as brand conscious as adults and one needs to take that into consideration.
Now I know you can argue that you get more bang for your buck buying the no-name toys, but in my opinion its worth opting for the branded products. Not only will the kids be far more satisfied, but on the whole the branded product is better quality, more durable and will last longer. In addition you will be assured that product has gone through the required safety testing and complies with Australian consumer laws. Very often the no-name, generic toys are imported by unscrupulous companies who are in it for a quick profit and ignore the laws ... putting your kids at risk! You've all seen the toy recalls around Christmas time - guess what products they are? No-name toys.
There are a mixed bag of suppliers out there. Some do exclusively no-name, generic toys - stay away from them! Others doing exclusively branded toys - go with them and be confident in the product you are giving the kids.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Monday 27 August 2012
Showbags - Essential for any Kids Chirstmas Party
Showbags are a great addition to any children's Christmas event. Not only will the kids receive a gift, but also a showbag filled with goodies. It's amazing how much excitement a showbag generates. It's that element of surprise!
I have found that the easiest way to go about organising showbags is to speak with your toy supplier. They already know your numbers and age group split and it all arrives in one delivery - convenience and efficiency is what you want on event day.
Most of the toy suppliers or wholesalers out there offer showbags. Some suppliers are better than others. Some will only offer one bag, whilst others present you with a range of price and contents. I have even seen that Protoys (www.protoys.com.au) allows you to design your own showbag! They have a great selection of lollies, confectionery, crisps and novelty toys that you can combine to create your ultimate showbag!
I have actually found that with specialist showbag suppliers its often a bit of over kill. They primarily focus on showbags for the Easter Show and similar events so their bags can be expensive, very commercial and large. For corporate or club kids Christmas events I think something more simple, small and affordable is the way to go.
Make sure you see a sample of the actual bag itself and ensure it is decent and strong. I have spoken to organisers who had nightmare experiences when the actual bags started splitting and all contents were falling out. Can you imagine! A Christmas design on the bags is also nice to add to the atmosphere of the day.
For very young kids watch out for hard lollies and any chocking hazards. Some suppliers will offer a junior showbag that only has soft lollies for the safety of the kids.
Hope this article helps and gives you some pointers. let me know if you have any questions.
I have found that the easiest way to go about organising showbags is to speak with your toy supplier. They already know your numbers and age group split and it all arrives in one delivery - convenience and efficiency is what you want on event day.
Most of the toy suppliers or wholesalers out there offer showbags. Some suppliers are better than others. Some will only offer one bag, whilst others present you with a range of price and contents. I have even seen that Protoys (www.protoys.com.au) allows you to design your own showbag! They have a great selection of lollies, confectionery, crisps and novelty toys that you can combine to create your ultimate showbag!
I have actually found that with specialist showbag suppliers its often a bit of over kill. They primarily focus on showbags for the Easter Show and similar events so their bags can be expensive, very commercial and large. For corporate or club kids Christmas events I think something more simple, small and affordable is the way to go.
Make sure you see a sample of the actual bag itself and ensure it is decent and strong. I have spoken to organisers who had nightmare experiences when the actual bags started splitting and all contents were falling out. Can you imagine! A Christmas design on the bags is also nice to add to the atmosphere of the day.
For very young kids watch out for hard lollies and any chocking hazards. Some suppliers will offer a junior showbag that only has soft lollies for the safety of the kids.
Hope this article helps and gives you some pointers. let me know if you have any questions.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Count Down to Christmas
If you are not well on your way to organising toys and gifts then you better get going. Time is running out. See this video below from Protoys to get you in the mood:
A couple pointers to make things flow smoothly with your supplier:
1.) Make sure you have a confirmed budget per child
2.) Make sure you have made a decision on what information you want on your gift labels:
- age and gender only
- kids name only
- age, gender & the kids name
3.) At this stage you may be getting an idea of what your attendance numbers are going to look like. If so use them to get better estimates
4.) Make sure you have all delivery addresses, required delivery dates and any special instructions
5.) If you are storing the gifts overnight at your venue, make sure it is arranged with the venue. Remember most suppliers will not be held liable if something happens to the gifts once they have arrived at your venue.
I'll be writing again soon. Happy organising!
A couple pointers to make things flow smoothly with your supplier:
1.) Make sure you have a confirmed budget per child
2.) Make sure you have made a decision on what information you want on your gift labels:
- age and gender only
- kids name only
- age, gender & the kids name
3.) At this stage you may be getting an idea of what your attendance numbers are going to look like. If so use them to get better estimates
4.) Make sure you have all delivery addresses, required delivery dates and any special instructions
5.) If you are storing the gifts overnight at your venue, make sure it is arranged with the venue. Remember most suppliers will not be held liable if something happens to the gifts once they have arrived at your venue.
I'll be writing again soon. Happy organising!
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Make Sure Time is On Your Side
Hi Again,
The first piece of advice is start organising the supply of toys for your kids Christmas party as early as possible. There are a number of reasons for this.
1.) To ensure you get the best toys at the best prices start early with your supplier. The great value-for-money branded toys will sell out eventually and generally speaking its those that do their selections early that get access to these products first.
2.) Your supplier and account manager will get busier and busier as it gets closer to Christmas. If you start earlier you will have more time to discuss things in detail with your account manager and have the ability to modify and adjust your selection conveniently and comfortably.
You may be asking how can I organise early if I don't even know how many people will be attending the party. Well ... Protoys for example will allow you to do your selection based on estimated quantities and then when your final quantities are confirmed closer to the party, Protoys will adjust your numbers to ensure you get what you need. The best way to estimate quantities is to take records from last year's event and increase the age of all the kids by one year. That generally will give you a good idea of what the current year's numbers will look like.
So if you haven't already started for this year call your toy supplier to get going NOW. Try out Protoys on (02) 9620 2424 to take advantage of our many years experience supplying social club children's Christmas parties and kids corporate events
The first piece of advice is start organising the supply of toys for your kids Christmas party as early as possible. There are a number of reasons for this.
1.) To ensure you get the best toys at the best prices start early with your supplier. The great value-for-money branded toys will sell out eventually and generally speaking its those that do their selections early that get access to these products first.
2.) Your supplier and account manager will get busier and busier as it gets closer to Christmas. If you start earlier you will have more time to discuss things in detail with your account manager and have the ability to modify and adjust your selection conveniently and comfortably.
You may be asking how can I organise early if I don't even know how many people will be attending the party. Well ... Protoys for example will allow you to do your selection based on estimated quantities and then when your final quantities are confirmed closer to the party, Protoys will adjust your numbers to ensure you get what you need. The best way to estimate quantities is to take records from last year's event and increase the age of all the kids by one year. That generally will give you a good idea of what the current year's numbers will look like.
So if you haven't already started for this year call your toy supplier to get going NOW. Try out Protoys on (02) 9620 2424 to take advantage of our many years experience supplying social club children's Christmas parties and kids corporate events
Monday 3 October 2011
Toys for Kids Christmas Parties - Helping You
Hi All,
Welcome to our latest blog. We have created this blog to help people who are given the task of organising children's Christmas events for companies, organisations and social clubs. One of the more challenging aspects of organising such an event is organising the toys and gifts for all the kids.
At first glance it can very overwhelming ... hundreds of kids, different ages, different genders, toy safety, gifts for babies, handing toys out on the day etc etc etc
Don't worry. We are here to help and guide you through the process !! After all, we have 17 years experience ... we've already made the mistakes and no need for you to make them as well.
Look out for more postings as we go step by step through the process and keep you informed of important dates and lead times to remember.
If you are desperate and need help immediately contact us at info@protoys.com.au and we can give you a personal, customised helping hand.
Regards,
Protoys
Welcome to our latest blog. We have created this blog to help people who are given the task of organising children's Christmas events for companies, organisations and social clubs. One of the more challenging aspects of organising such an event is organising the toys and gifts for all the kids.
At first glance it can very overwhelming ... hundreds of kids, different ages, different genders, toy safety, gifts for babies, handing toys out on the day etc etc etc
Don't worry. We are here to help and guide you through the process !! After all, we have 17 years experience ... we've already made the mistakes and no need for you to make them as well.
Look out for more postings as we go step by step through the process and keep you informed of important dates and lead times to remember.
If you are desperate and need help immediately contact us at info@protoys.com.au and we can give you a personal, customised helping hand.
Regards,
Protoys
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