Forget the stationary celebrations for your life’s biggest milestones. The hottest new party venue doesn’t have an address. Instead, it follows the route you and your party choose. Bus parties will make you wish every venue was on wheels.
Here are the things you need to know to pull off a party on wheels, with advice from professional event planner Tameka Bromfield of Soul Ties by Design. Bromfield is usually at work on events like weddings, but she knows that every party needs a plan, whether it’s a birthday, a bachelorette or a friends’ night out.
Pick the right ride
Depending on the season, you should book your ride three to six months in advance. Bromfield’s advice is that if your party is planned between May and September, you will be competing with the large wedding season market.
Consider how many people will be joining your party, and account for a few last-minute additions. You never want to undershoot the amount of space you need in a vehicle, or you’ll be sitting on someone’s lap all night. Vehicle rental companies can help you decide which of their fleet is right for your group.
Choose your planner
One of Bromfield’s pieces of advice is to select a decision-maker from among your group. “When you have one person that’s making the plans, and you’ve collected the funds in advance, you don’t have to worry about decisions falling through,” she says. Have an open conversation about budget, timing and what your party people want to do. And if no one wants to be the planner, see if it is within budget to hire one!
Map out a timeline
After booking your party bus, create an outline of where your party will go and what you will do. Sure, you can have those last-minute pizza stops, but give your driver enough time to map out your beer crawl, scenic stops or art gallery tour of the city. The more notice you give to everyone about when and where to meet, the more time you’ll have to enjoy yourselves.
Plus, Edmonton has something for everyone. Want a science outing? Plan a day when you take the gang to the Telus World of Science, feeling like a VIP. Celebrating your best buddy’s retirement? Host a pub crawl of unexpected establishments. Heading to an Oilers game? Forget about paying for parking or getting an Uber. Arrive in style in your own awesome ride. A bus party lets the “city be your oyster,” Bromfield says.