Safety Tips For House Parties

Safety Tips For House Parties

Safety Tips For House Parties

Partying at your own home provides peace of mind that you don’t have to go out of your comfort zone to socialize. But in doing so, you are inviting other people into your comfort zone and it does make you vulnerable. Here are some tips on how to stay safe when throwing parties at home. 

If you’re having an intimate party with just a few of your friends, then you should only worry about the safety of your guests. 

With a few friends

  • Get your electrical cords out of the way. Avoid people tripping from cords (and other items) by putting these in a safe place. 
  • Don’t overload outlets. Have multiple quality extension cords.
  • Make sure drinking water is easily accessible. Same goes for a first aid kit. 
  • Set up a safe place where people can sleep and pass out. It’s not to encourage them but it’s better to assign a room, just in case. If some of your guests can’t drive home and they can’t arrange a ride, you can have them sleepover in the designated room. 
  • Additionally, have a secure place for guests with valuable belongings like car keys and wallets. 
  • Secure and shut off your stovetops tight. A drunk person could try to cook and suddenly cause a fire. 
  • If you’re going to be grilling, if possible, do this outdoors. 

 

With many guests

But if you’re hosting quite a large number of people, with mere acquaintances attending, it’s best to keep yourself, and everyone else, safe. 

Since you own the house where the party is held, set some ground rules and make sure party attendees are aware of them. Keep yourself safe by assigning some friends to help you keep the peace. 

  • Ask friends to help identify party crashers. These people might not just be there for the food and booze. You don’t want to risk them taking your valuable stuff.
  • If it’s going to be a huge party, it’s better to have a single entrance so you can see who and what goes in and out. 
  • Try to stay sober. No matter how fun the party is, staying sober means you could check on your friends as well as make sure everything is under control. 
  • Secure Children and pets in a safe place so they don’t accidentally ingest dangerous food or liquid. 

 

bounce houseTurn up the fun meter at your house party by getting a bounce house or inflatable rental, if you have room for it on your front or back yard. Call Signature Event Rentals to inquire and reserve.

 

How Inflatables Will Increase Attendance at Fundraising Events

fundraiser inflatables signature event rentals virginia

Fundraising is hard — very hard. Even if you have a great cause, with so many people asking for money for so many worthy causes (including on sites such as GoFundMe), there is so much competition for funds and for people’s attention that your cause can be lost amongst all of the causes. Basically, you need to get people’s attention and people’s attendance at your fundraising event.

One way you can fight the fundraising blues and increase attendance at your next fundraising benefits is by throwing a carnival-type event with inflatables you rent from Signature Event Rentals based in Virginia. Our customer service is beyond compare. We are always on time and on point when it comes to making sure everything you need is taken care of. Not only do we offer inflatables for your next fundraising event, but we also offer everything you will need to make a great impression and party from tables, chairs, and decor to heaters, a stage, and a popcorn maker. Our mission is to be your one-stop-shop for all of your party rental needs. We serve Virginia, Maryland, and the DC area. Below, we’ll go over just how inflatables will increase attendance at your fundraising event. Contact us today to get started!

HOW INFLATABLES WILL INCREASE ATTENDANCE AT YOUR FUNDRAISING EVENT

Occupy the Kids

If you have kids or have witnessed those with kids, you’ll know that sometimes it’s a constant battle just to keep them out of trouble. Kids, especially toddlers who are still figuring out their legs and how incredible the world is, have a tendency to disappear before you can blink. They can wander off quickly and before you find them again, they have touched every appetizer on a plate, spilled some milk, and gotten their new clothes dirty from watching a worm crawl. At a fundraising event, you may have noticed that parents are too preoccupied with watching their kids and chasing after them to care about what is happening at the event.

When you rent inflatable bounce houses from Signature Event Rentals for your next fundraising event in Virginia, Maryland, or the DC area, you can have a safe place for your attendees’ children to be corralled so that the parents can pay more attention to your event. If it’s a silent auction, you will get more bids. If it’s a raffle, you’ll get more tickets purchased. If you are raising money partly by selling goods, such as a bake sale or a craft show, you’ll sell more products. Plus, the parents will forever be grateful you entertained their children for a few hours for them.

More Likely to Return

Most people lead super busy lives. From work and career to family time and religious activities, there never seems to be enough time during the week to accomplish all that needs to be done. When you throw in an optional event like your fundraiser, people can be hesitant to take away time from doing something else they enjoy, such as reading a good book, to attend. This is why it’s imperative that you make your event incredibly fun and enjoyable for all of your attendees so that they will be more likely to return to your next fundraising event.

When you invest in inflatable bounce houses from Signature Event Rentals for your fundraising event, you are adding an element of fun to what normally could be a boring event. Inflatables naturally have people smiling, especially if their kids are having fun on them. If you entertain the kids, the adults will be more likely to return as well.

That’s not all you can do to add some spice to your fundraising event. Signature Event Rentals in Maryland, Virginia, and the DC area also offers stage rentals, as well as a PA system rental. With these, you can invite a local band to come and play music during your event of host a myriad of activities, such as a comedy show. The sky’s the limit for what you can do with a stage. From snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn, tents, and heaters, you can make one fantastic impression that your attendees will remember for next time.

Grab Attention

Those who stand out from the crowd and dare to dance to their own drummer leave impressions on others. They are often admired for their tendency to go against the grain. With your fundraising event, you want something that will grab people’s attention away from their phones just long enough to contribute money.

Inflatables by Signature Event Rentals are great ways to grab people’s attention. They are big and are visible from nearby roads, so if people are driving by and see your fundraising signs, they will be more likely to stop by. Our tent rentals are attention-grabbing as well, some being double-peaked that are indications that an event is going on. With great signage and our tents and inflatables, more people will likely notice and check your fundraising event out.

HOW SIGNATURE EVENT RENTALS CAN HELP INCREASE ATTENDANCE AT YOUR FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Our bounce house rentals are huge structures that are tall and will most definitely grab attention and let people know that you are having an event. Kids may even see them from the window of their parents’ car and ask to stop in and check it out. If you are having a fundraising event that benefits kids, such as raising money for a local school event or a kids’ illness, inflatables are a must to promote fun, memorableness, and to grab attention. After all, even though the goal of your fundraising event is to raise money for your cause, you do want attendees to have fun, to promote future events you host to their friends and family, and to come back. Plus, you just want to make sure they’re not wasting their precious time at a boring event when time is the greatest commodity we all possess.

Signature Event Rentals is passionate about helping you put on the best events, from fundraisers and weddings to employee appreciation days and kids’ birthday parties. We excel at customer service and desire to make this as easy as possible for you. For example, we clean the table linens once you are finished, and we can accommodate your pick-up and return needs. And if your rental needs do change (for example, you need less chairs than expected), just let us know! We’ll make adjustments up to seven business days prior to your event.

Signature Event Rentals in Virginia tries to make it as easy as possible when renting equipment from us. We offer an Equipment Protection Plan to protect you from charges from damaged rental equipment that is in your care. All of our rental equipment is cleaned and sanitized before and after every event, including our inflatables, in order to ensure no germs are spread (which is especially important for children). We do require adult supervision for all of our inflatable bounce house rentals, mainly for safety. Not to worry — we provide ample instructions for use. We are licensed and insured, and if the weather takes a turn for the worse, just let us know at least two business days in advance to reschedule. Contact us today for all your rental party needs!

Why Your Next Employee Appreciate Day Needs Inflatables

inflatables for employee appreciation day signature event rentals virginia

Ever since you were a little kid, you had an inherent desire to feel valued and appreciated. Luckily, you probably had loving parents who provided you with love and affection, making you feel valued. However, as you grew up and left the home, you still have a desire to feel valued and appreciated, especially by your company. Let’s face it, when the challenging days at work hit, changing jobs can cross your mind. But if you feel valued for the work you are doing even when the going gets tough, you will be able to push through it, but more importantly for your company, you will stick around.

Signature Event Rentals is all about helping you make your employees feel appreciated by providing top-notch rental equipment, such as chairs, tents, tables, and inflatables, for your use. We handle the set-up and the take down with no worries on your part. We also provide heaters, linens, and a stage. Our mission is to be your one-stop-shop for party rentals in Virginia, Maryland, and the DC area. Below, we’ll list reasons why you need to have inflatables at your next employee appreciation day. Contact us today for the best party rentals!

WHY YOU NEED TO HAVE INFLATABLES AT YOUR NEXT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY

Inflatable Bounce Houses Make Everyone Smile

There is something about seeing inflatable bounce houses that brings a smile to everyone’s face. And because bounce houses are extremely noticeable, everyone who is attending will be smiling before they even finish parking. Research has shown that smiling is great for your overall health. It boosts your immune system, helps you relax, helps relieve stress, and elevates your mood. Smiling is contagious so when you smile, those around you will smile as well. Smiling can help lower your blood pressure, make you feel better, make you look younger, and make your more successful. Plus, when you rent an inflatable bounce house from Signature Event Rentals in Virginia, you’ll help form memories from your employee appreciation party that your employees will smile all year long.

Includes the Kids

If your employee appreciation party is a family affair and not just exclusively for the employees, then inflatables are a must. Many of your employees are working parents (moms or dads) who sacrifice time with their families to work for your company. This fact alone can be very hard for working parents who struggle with feelings of guilt about leaving their children and feelings of anxiety about the care their children are receiving when they do leave them. When your employee appreciation party includes the kids, it makes parents feel even more valued not only as employees, but also as parents by the company. You are acknowledging their sacrifice in a small way, which can go miles in your employees’ hearts who do have kids.

Word Gets Around

Businesses need to remember that nothing you do goes unnoticed. If you want to attract the best talent to your business and keep the talent that you have, then you need to get the word out there about your existence and about the quality of employment that you do offer. If you invest in inflatable bounce houses by Signature Event Rentals in Virginia, you can bet that word will spread about the incredible summer employee appreciation party you threw that featured inflatables for the kids to bounce on, a stage for employees to dance on or to showcase their talent, a snow cone and cotton candy machine that both kids and adults were lined up for, and a popcorn machine with added butter. There was a huge tent to sit under to get out of the shade and eat amazing catered food under, as well as the best table top decor. Your company went all out to make your employees and their families feel appreciated. You can bet word will spread out to the community and to those looking for a great place to work to feel valued at. And your reputation matters.

Can Help Curb Employee Turnover

No company is perfect because no one is perfect. Many people forget that companies are made up of people, and people inherently are messy. We all make mistakes, and when working for companies, a heart of forgiveness needs to be in play.

That being said, many companies struggle with employee turnover, which can be quite costly given the cost of hiring, training, and then investing in employees who only leave after a year of service. In today’s marketplace, this can be especially trying for companies, and while there may not be much you can do about it, you can do the little things that can make all the difference to someone on the fence about leaving your company. That little difference could be an inflatable bouncy house rental from Signature Event Rentals in Virginia.

WHY CHOOSE SIGNATURE EVENT RENTALS FOR YOUR NEXT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY

Employee appreciation parties gives upper level executives a chance to mix and mingle with their employees in a relaxed, casual, and fun way that is just not possible in an office setting. When your kids are bouncing around in an inflatable bounce house and the head of company comes over to start talking to you, you immediately have something to talk about: about how much fun your kids are having and what a great event this is. During the conversation, both of you will smile, which will elevate everyone’s mood. You may even walk over to enjoy a snow cone together. Word will get around about what a great time you all had and everyone will benefit.

Signature Event Rentals can make your next employee appreciation day not only fun and memorable for the whole family, but one that runs seamlessly with no hassle or worries on your part. Our tent rentals and party essentials, such as chair rentals, linen rentals, stage rentals, and heaters will help your employee appreciation party have everything it needs to be successful and to go off without a hitch. We serve Virginia, Maryland, and the DC area with the best party rentals. Contact us today to get started!

Team Building Activities for a Better Team Spirit

team building

Team Building Activities for a Better Team Spirit

Team building activities aim to strengthen the relationships between team members, with the end goal of building a solid foundation of excellent teamwork that benefits the whole organization.

Planning your next team building event? Whether you prefer going all out or throwing an intimate event, this article will help you decide on which best brings out the camaraderie your team needs.

Potluck Dinner or Team Lunch

For a casual gathering, treat your subordinates to lunch. Find a restaurant that could fit your head count. For a smaller group, this can be done in someone’s home, a rented space (function room) or at the office break room. To make the experience more intimate, ask each one to bring one dish to be shared with the team. 

Scavenger Hunt or Modified Game Shows

Set your employees free to run wild outside the office building. You can host a company-wide scavenger hunt. You can plant clues all around the building and have them interact with other employees whom they would never even meet if not for the game. If you prefer to keep them in one place, you can host a modified game show. Ask company-related trivia to encourage interaction among the team. Examples are Family Feud or Team Jeopardy!

Field Trips or Community Service

If you want to go outside the office space and into neutral territory, you may choose to go on a field trip to an interesting place. It could be the beach or a museum. You can also hike or go camping. Alternatively, if employees prefer something more meaningful, you could volunteer or do some community service.

Classic Trust-building Exercises or Modern Team-Building Games

tug of war team building

Classic trust-building exercises include the trust fall as well as the likes of sack race or tug-of-war. Meanwhile, contemporary ones include the blind retriever (a person gets blindfolded and is directed by a partner to retrieve a hidden item) and the human knot. For the human knot, your team forms a circle, hold hands and intertwine themselves by stepping over and under each other’s arms. The boss is tasked to untangle them.

Doing team building activities has to be thought out properly and should match your employees’ interests and preferences for it to be successful.

 

bounce houseHow about a fun obstacle course using an inflatable? Signature Event Rentals has an inflatable obstacle slide that you can rent for your team building activities. Call us to reserve now.

Tips for Choosing the Right Bounce House Rental

Children’s parties are made more fun when there’s a bounce house rental for kids to play in.

Kids are hyperactive, and unless you want them running amok every few minutes in a party you should give them something to spend their energies in.

While having an endless stream of party games would be nice, why not rent a bounce house instead? These inflatable playgrounds offer the little ones all the fun they need for the day.

But not all bounce houses are made the same. You need to take the following factors into account when choosing the right bounce house for your party.

1. Pick the right kind.

Bounce houses are not just places to bounce around! There are dry and wet slides, obstacle courses, multiple storeys, and more kinds that are available. Choose one that’s a right match for your party theme.

While a more complicated setup is naturally more expensive, it provides a much better entertainment option especially for the older kids in your party.

2. Pick the right size.

Because it is inflatable, overloading the bounce house could cause serious injuries. Consider the weight limit for the bounce house. Make sure to ask the supplier how many children the house can safely hold. You may also want to rent multiple bounce houses for larger groups, to prevent overcrowding.

3. Pick the right company.

The right business to provide your bounce house rental should have a wide variety of inflatables to choose from. The company should be licensed, insured, and have great customer service. It should also take good care of its bounce houses, using non-toxic materials and keeping them clean at all times.

It’s important to ask about their safety measures for inflatables. Get a written contract from your rental company to make sure you are covered in case the unexpected happens.

Ask around for recommendations from family and friends. A great bounce house rental provider will have many satisfied customers.

When planned properly, having an inflatable or bounce house is the perfect investment for an unforgettable children’s party.

 

bounce houseKids will surely love to have any one of Signature Event Rentals’ inflatables or bounce houses in their party. Call now to reserve.

5 Fun Games You Can Play On Bouncy Castles or Inflatables

bouncy castle inflatable

I bet that if you see a bouncy castle or bounce house, you’d like to jump right in! Looks so much fun, right?

If you’re thinking of renting inflatables for your event, be ready to have a play day of fun and tons of laughter.

Here are some games to consider for kids and kids at heart:

1. Obstacle Course

Get the type of bouncy castle or bounce house that has pillars and other elements you can use as obstacles. This will be a fun competition for the children as well as the parents. The adults can cheer their kids as they watch from outside the soft walls. You can also have a couple of adults be captains of each team so that the game could be a bit structured. Create a route for the children to walk through — a starting point and a finish line. Fastest group to get to the finish line wins.

2. Stop-Bounce

This inflatables version of musical statues is great for tiring the children out. All they have to do is jump as high as they want, then try to stop from bouncing once the music stops. Those that can’t steady themselves will be out of the game. If music isn’t available, you can just use “stop” and “go” as signals.

3. Tag

A basic game of tag but with a bouncy twist. Players can try to jump away so they wouldn’t be tagged.

 

How about those kids-at-heart, you ask? Fear not. Even though you’re way past your childhood, you can still play these fun bouncy castle games.

4. Sumo Wrestling

One of the fundamental aspects in Sumo Wrestling is to hold your ground when your opponent tries to take you down. Imagine how fun it will be once the players try holding their ground and they just can’t because their feet are wobbling from the soft bouncy platform. How can they even shove their opponent when they can’t even balance?

5. Dodgeball

Another fun game you can play is dodgeball. Regular dodgeball is fun. However, with bouncy castle dodgeball, you may be able to jump higher and leap further, but you definitely can’t land steadily. Plus, any movement from your other peers will influence your own movements.

 

Need Inflatables for your next event? We’ve got you covered! Signature Event Rentals offers fun inflatable rentals in Fredericksburg and surrounding areas. Get our inflatables to make your special day more enjoyable for everyone!

 

Tips For Keeping Kids Safe In A Bounce House Rental

As a leading provider of inflatable bounce house rentals, we often hear sentiments like, “My child wants a bounce house rental at their birthday party, but aren’t they dangerous?” The simple answer is, “Everything can be dangerous if it’s not used correctly.” Bouncy castles are super fun and a great childhood experience. If there is a lack of supervision or common sense that isn’t used by the adults, then of course there is an opportunity for injuries. We want your kiddos to be safe in our bounce house rentals as much as you do, so we’re here to offer a few pieces of advice to help that happen.

Staying Safe In A Bounce House Rental

Have A Professional Set It Up

Bouncy castle rentals need to be set up professionally and secured to the ground. Even light winds can pick up an inflatable rental up off of the ground. If it is tethered to the ground correctly you will be fine – just use common sense and if hurricane-force winds blow through, obviously don’t continue to use the inflatable.

Be Aware Of The Power Source

If the power happens to go out and a bounce house starts to deflate, it is important to get the kids out of there. Kids might think it’s fun that the bounce house is deflating (the same way they like to lay on a deflating air mattress), but even a small bounce house can weigh over 50 pounds. It is important to always have an adult supervising the bounce house just in case this happens. This situation is unlikely but it can happen if you overload your power source or your generator runs out of fuel.

Take Turns And Stay Organized

In short, big kids shouldn’t bounce with little kids. If you’re using a bounce house at an event with kids of different ages, either rent a bounce house for each age group, such as 6 and under, 7-10, and over 10. If you can’t rent multiple bounce houses, then enforce rules and set time frames for each age to bounce. Two six-year-olds might bump heads if the bounce house is too crowded, but a ten-year-old can do some serious damage if they land on a smaller kid.  

The most common bounce house injuries result from rough housing or kids performing stunts like backflips, which we say is a no-no in a bounce house. The bottom line is that if bounce houses are used correctly, injuries are extremely rare and usually minor.

Keep Kids Safe In Your Bounce House Rental

Like we said at the beginning, bouncy castles are super fun and can make a birthday party memorable. Your kids will love it, and as long as you have a responsible adult keeping watch, injuries are extremely unlikely. When choosing a bounce house rental company, be sure to choose someone reliable who takes safety seriously. At Signature Event Rentals, you can count on our crew to deliver your bounce house on time and ensure that it is set up properly before the guests arrive! Book your Fredericksburg bounce house rental today!