Today’s Throwback Thursday picture is BINGO Thirty One style. I love being able to CELEBRATE, ENCOURAGE & REWARD my friends, family and customers. Hmm, must be time for another one….
So, are you wondering HOW to do this? What started as a small party at my home with 5 people grew into a major event that I co-hosted with a team.
What do you need? I actually bought a BINGO set at a flea market for $5. The basket to turn the balls is a bit shaky BUT it has a board which makes it easy to track the numbers called. You can also get BINGO cards that you shuffle like a deck of cards to call numbers. I got a LARGE quantity of BINGO sheets on Amazon and they have lasted for a long time. I think I still have some after about 4 BINGO sessions
Location? Any place, really. My first few were in my home. Then I moved to a larger place and joined forces with a team member. We used the fire hall and sold tickets PRIOR to the event.
Cost? We charged $12 for 6 game boards. The cost also included light snacks but we encouraged people to bring their own too. Additional game boards were available for $2 each with a maximum of 3 boards per game per person. You know there are some crazy BINGO players out there who play up to 10 boards at a time and we wanted to make it fair for everyone. Our costs varied depending on space rental, the snacks and decorations.
How it works? The money collected for the game boards becomes the money used for gift certificate prizes. So if you have 10 people paying $12, you have collected $120. If you have 6 games, you may do 3 games at $10 each for the winner, 2 games at $20 each and one final board is $50. The money collected for the extra boards can be used for prizes or to offset the cost of the space rental (if there is one) or the snacks or the smaller prizes.
Lessons learned:
- 6 games for a small party is too many
- Cash and carry was a BIG draw.
- Gift certificates could NOT be used for these items.
- Always have a small display of the current special and the upcoming special
- Those who win will order using their gift certificates and usually spend more.
To some it may sound like a lot of work for a small return. The truth is that it is a great way to build relationships with your customers. If you have a hall, invite people to host a table and bring their own snacks. Make it a fun event. Step out of your comfort zone and offer the opportunity to new groups or hostesses. The thought of coming to play BINGO instead of attending a “home party” may be just the ticket someone needs to host a party.
Whose ready to shout BINGO? Want to raise money for a cause or just have a fun, girl’s night out. Contact me for details.
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 
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