FUN SERVICES PARTY RENTAL - The Fun Blog

Pre-planning is key

3/18/2019

But it's only March - do I already need to book my summer event?

Many customers wait until a week, or a couple of weeks, before their event to call us. That's ok during our off season, and we can usually get you the equipment you want. However, if you're looking for a weekend between May and September, it's a whole different ballgame. There are dates that we are already blacked out for delivered or staffed events. Why?

Well, it's a variety of reasons. First, it can be an equipment issue. We have a ton of different inflatable and game options, but there are limited quantities of individual pieces of equipment. Bigger pieces, like the Wacky Millennium Obstacle Course, are first come first serve. On the other hand, we do have several 40' Obstacle Courses - but you wont get one on a Friday if you call in May or June. It's field day season, and those are the most popular options with our school customers.

Second, and most importantly, it can be a staffing issue. Our people are AWESOME, and they seem to pull off magic a lot, but they can't be in more than one place at a time, as hard as we try. We are limited, especially when it comes to delivery personnel and supervisors. A lot of the time, we can try to work with you to drop your equipment off a day or so before your event, or have you hold on to it until a day or two after to make it work. A favorite quote around here - we can always find more equipment, but we can't knit good people.

What can you do to help ensure you get the event you want?

Decide your date early - 6 months in advance sounds like a long time, but it goes quick!
Call us with your date and equipment wants - we will hold what is available for you and put together a price quote.
We will then work together as the event draws closer to lock down the details. You have until 4 weeks before the event to finalize.
Sign your contract! This is an important step, as this is what notifies logistics to assign staff, create loading sheets, etc.
Find those volunteers! If your event is not fully staffed by Fun Services, you will want volunteers for set up and tear down, as well as during the event. We will let you know how many you need, if it helps!
Have a great event! Relax, knowing your event is in the hands of a company with over 50 years of experience!

Carnival and Fun day ideas for schools

1/30/2019

Feeling a case of the winter blues?

While we can't change Michigan weather from January to March, we can help you turn your school into an indoor playground of fun!

The winter months are a great time to plan indoor events. Typically, there are fewer school events and sports to compete with for scheduling. Kids need to get active and schools like to bring families together for fun, social, community building activities. So, why not plan a carnival?

That may sound like a lot of work, but not with Fun Services! For over 50 years, Fun Services has been helping schools and groups with events. We are your One Stop Shop for everything you need for fun; inflatable rides, carnival games and prizes, sweet treats (like cotton candy), and sports challenges are the most popular options. Want a package that is tried & true? We can help choose a package to match your school’s enrollment or suggest you opt for a wristband carnival.

Inflatable rides set up great in gyms (no weather to worry about) and you can choose from a bounce house, obstacle course, or slide (or more!). Get moving with sports challenges like indoor football toss, baseball, soccer and golf themed games.

“FUN” Fact: Fun Services’ carnival games rent for FREE with prize purchase. All prizes can be matched and packed for each game with an easy to use instruction game sheet. The game sheet tells volunteers how to set up and run the games and what prizes to award. Add on red & white striped game booths for extra pizazz and game control (perfect for set ups in gyms or cafeterias). With over 80 different carnival games to choose from, the sky is the limit. Fun Services has games that throw, roll, hoop, plinko, fly, slide – and we have themes kids love, like Avengers, Pokemon and MSU / U of M games.

Carnivals can be run for fun or funds and can be a great fundraiser for your school.

Call today for a free prize & game catalog and set up a meeting to find out more.

Fun Seniors 2018

5/30/2018

When you’re in the business of “Fun,” it’s rare that a post gets to you. We try to offer tips and tricks to make your events great, we show you behind the scenes glimpses of us and what we do…. we don’t get sappy. Sappy isn’t FUN! However, once a year, I try to do a post honoring the seniors that have worked for us throughout the years.

Usually it’s just a quick blurb in the middle of another blog. These kids truly do become part of our families – and it’s not unusual to see them come back and visit us here at the office when they come home from college.
This year, it’s a little different. This year, one of “our own” is graduating, along with 6 other amazing kids. This means that I’m working on a tent, tables and chairs rental of my own. This means I’m scouring our blog for tips on how to plan a great open house. And around Fun Services in June, it means scheduling that open house and hoping we don’t get too crazy busy!
Without further ado – the Fun Services Graduating Class of 2018.

Also, graduating from Olivet College this year are two amazing young men who worked for us, not only on events, but in the warehouse for the last few years. Jesse and Mike were both a great help as warehouse workers and supervisors. Mike has returned home to continue working, and Jesse will be moving to New York at the end of the summer to pursue a graduate degree and help coach a college wrestling team.

Tents and tables and chairs… oh my!

4/25/2018

It is open house and wedding season! For us, that means tents, tables, and chairs are flying in and out the door (I’m listening to one of my colleagues work with a future bride as I type!).

Everyone knows they can set up tables and chairs, but we get a lot of calls and questions about setting up a tent – few people know how easy it is to set them up and take them down (and doing it yourself can be more cost effective, too). Two non-pro’s can realistically set a tent in just over an hour! A few minutes of our advice at pick up, our illustrated instructions, and you’re good to go – I’ve even set one with my husband!

Once it’s up, there are a variety of different options in how you layout your floor plan, but in general, our 20×30 tent’s inner area is about 600 ft² and our 20×40 tent inner area is about 800 ft². General rule for people space is about 10 ft² per person, seated at a table. On our website, we have this handy little diagram for you to use also.

Want to do something different and memorable at your event? Consider a bounce house/slide combo unit to keep the littles entertained. Hire a teenager for an evening to watch them and keep them safe, and the parents can relax and enjoy the event!

Or, what about a few games and some prizes? You could make up goodie bags for each child, or see if a couple of people would award prizes right at the game. We can even match games to fit your theme, or try to get prizes that match your school or wedding colors!

So cool, right? We have had a couple of future brides inquire recently about games, and I can only imagine how much FUN their reception will be!

Missing something from your open house or wedding? We do our best to have what you need, but if we don’t… we know people! Need a DJ, a dance floor, or a sound system? We can either arrange them for you, or give you a referral for you to make the arrangements.

Whatever you need this graduation/wedding season, we’ve got you covered here at Fun Services!

We're offering a new program!

3/1/2018

That’s right! Fun Services is now offering a Mother’s Day Boutique! Fun Services’ Mother’s Day Boutique has a wide variety of gifts for all the important “Moms” in children’s’ lives: Stepmothers, Grandmothers, guardians and even special friends.
The Fun Services’ Mother’s Day Boutique lets the children experience the joy of giving, first hand. It lets them say “Thank You” to their wonderful mothers and the special people in their lives. With the knowledge gained from over 50 years of working with schools, our programs include the best selection of gifts with the right quantity of gift items to fit your school needs. Our prompt attention to your re-order assures that merchandise will be available for all classes.
Best of all – it doesn’t cost you a penny to run our exciting Mother’s Day School Boutique. You pay only for the merchandise you sell, and you set the profit!
We provide quality self sealing gift bags, and flyers to send home with each student giving information about the sale. Plus, our tablet based cash register can be used in the shop and will be provided for free! We also offer a NO inventory program for a small fee – no counting at the end of your sale!

Welcome to the Busy Season

5/24/2017

Fun Services plays different roles during the four seasons of the year.

Winter, of course, is Santa's Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop season. We put the games and inflatables away, and focus on putting smiles on faces in a different way.

Spring and Fall sort of roll in together as school seasons. Whether it be Welcome Back or See You Next Year, we do our best to put on events with your child's school that he will remember forever. We make them fun for the kids, and affordable for the schools and support groups.

Summer is a different animal. Summer is games, and inflatables, and crews for corporations. It is tents, and tables, and chairs for weddings and graduates. It's back yard bounce houses for the weekend, and trailers up to Mackinac Island for a week.

Looking forward to Summer 2017, here are some thoughts from us here at Fun Services:

*We are getting crazy busy already! If you need something for this summer, please call as far ahead as you can! We might not be able to accommodate all of your desires if you call today for delivery or pick up tomorrow, because truth is, someone else beat you to it already. Call ahead!

*Churches - are you having summer events? We'd love to bring the FUN to you. Call Rob here at the office, and he has great packages just for you! Whether you want a huge blowout party or a small event, we have a package that will fit!

*We run specials! Did you know we run rental specials at various times throughout the summer? Best place to find those specials is on our Facebook page!

*We need great people! With summer corporate events comes the need for corporate crew workers! We welcome applications all summer long for weekend events, from 14 year olds through adults. It's a great atmosphere, and we love our employees!

*Speaking of great people, we are honored to present our Fun Services graduating class of 2017. Most of these "kids" have been working with us since they were 14 or 15 years old, and have become part of the family. We are proud of them, and can't wait to see what the future brings for all of them.

Take our daughters and sons to work 2017

3/23/2017

April 27, 2017 is National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day has been a national tradition since 1993. According to the website, daughtersandsonstowork.org,
“Designed to be more than a career day, the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work program goes beyond the average practice of “shadowing” an adult. Exposing girls and boys to what a parent or mentor in their lives does during the work day is important, but showing them the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life, providing them an opportunity to share how they envision the future, and allowing them to begin steps toward their end goals in a hands-on and interactive environment is key to their achieving success.”

Fun Services would be honored to be a part of this great tradition at your workplace, and adding some “fun” to an ordinary work day.

Some great ideas for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (also known as TODASTWD – which is still a mouthful!) include bringing in a photo booth to keep those memories, and team building activities like a treasure hunt, sports challenges, Funathalon, Minute to Win it, and Obstacle Course races!

Hold your event any time between April 25 and April 27, and earn 15% off your rental items – we can even come and staff your event, allowing you and your employees a chance to enjoy every moment!

Call or visit us today for more details! 1-800-772-7587

Why Come to a Showcase?

3/7/2017

We do traveling showcases twice a year - once in the fall, where we display our Santa's Secret Shop line, and allow schools to customize their Holiday Gift line. This is our big hurrah before Santa's Secret Shop season starts, and a great chance for the school chair people to get their hands on the gifts. Most schools do try to come, it gets them their promotional supplies, etc.

Then there are the Spring showcases. Spring showcases are about FUN. They are about getting together with our customers one on one and planning great spring and summer events.
We bring examples of our NEWEST games and prizes, along with years of expertise in planning the perfect event for your group.

We love meeting our customers face to face, and planning events, ordering prizes and organizing carnival set ups are our forte.
If you haven't had a chance to see us at an open house this spring, there's still time - join us in
Feb 28th in Ann Arbor at the Holiday Inn Express, 600 Briarwood, from 10-2
Mar 2nd in Lansing at the Comfort Inn, 525 N. Canal, from 10-2
or right at our place!
Mar 7th in Bellevue at Fun Services, 625 E Capital Ave, from 1-7
Our Bellevue showcase will also have inflatables set up, along with games, prizes, concessions, and more - bring the kids!

What do you get when you choose a local company for your holiday gift shop?

12/21/2016

You get delivery regardless of the weather! It might be to your home the night before, we might meet you at McDonalds for a cup of coffee on your snow day, or we might meet your janitor as he shovels and plows early in the morning. Drivers are here early and late so we can do our best to get you your shop to you. We want you have time to set it, get your reorders to you as early as possible on shopping days, and pick up your shop in a timely manner when you’re finished!
You get ladies and gentlemen that pack your shop as a family – some of them with more than 20 years experience. They spend every weekend together from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and the friendships built over that time last a lifetime. They bond over packing and unpacking, weekends filled with “Don’s famous chili,” Chuck’s treats, and our annual pizza party.

You get the opportunity to customize your sale specifically for your school and your students. Your students don’t like something? Leave it out! Want to add more Spartan items? Add them! We customize for you and your students!

You get the best in licensed local sports items – no one else can supply Michigan schools with Michigan teams like Fun Services.

You get bonuses for running certain weeks! If you hold your shop the week before Thanksgiving or the week before Christmas, you get a FREE tablet/scanner/printer set to assist your volunteers with a speedier checkout AND you get bonus gifts! Sell them for extra profit, or allow lower income students to shop for their families for free.
You get help and support late nights and early mornings – during Santa season, we’re here from about 5:00 am until about 9:00 pm – and sometimes earlier or later, depending on the weather. We’re here for you if you have questions, need more items, or just want a pat on the back for running a great shop!

You see, when you choose Fun Services as your Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop provider, you get more than “a Michigan company serving Michigan families.” You get a company that puts in the time and effort to ensure your shop is the best ever. You get items that are guaranteed, and replaced if there’s an issue. You get items packed by some of the best in the biz. You get a business that loves what they do, and does it right year after year. And we do it because we love you, the schools that support us!

Fall Forward

8/3/2016

It’s time… Time to look forward to hoodies and football, bonfires and pumpkin spiced everything. Time to rake leaves and sit at bonfires. I could go on and on about the bonuses of fall, but unfortunately, for thousands of kiddos and teachers (and fortunately for exhausted parents!) in our area, that also means it’s time to look forward to “BACK TO SCHOOL.”

For Fun Services, looking forward to fall means many things – it means the eventual slowing down of our corporate picnic season (although we do have events into the end of September!). It means gearing up for “Back to School” events (haven’t booked yours? Hurry! Dates are filling up fast!). It means filling school stores with prizes from our warehouse (Call for a catalog!). Biggest of all though, it means gearing up for our Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop season.

Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop traveling showcase dates are set, and our 2016 gift line is looking like the best yet! Tablets are all getting upgraded and improved for the season, and demos and training are available. Want to refer a new school? Get $50! Signing up new this fall? $100 free gift bonus.

As always, Fun Services, the ORIGINAL Santa’s Secret Shop/Holiday Gift Shop is a consignment based program, with free promotional supplies, free delivery (including restocking!), and custom gift selection at our showcases.

Fall means something different to everyone, but here at Fun, we look forward to serving you every season!