Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Overview
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- Figure 1: Enjoyment of entertaining, 2004-17
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- Figure 2: Leading types of parties hosted, April 2018
- The issues
- The stress factor
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- Figure 3: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
- Cost and cleanup also burden the party host
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- Figure 4: Party hosting challenges, April 2018
- The opportunities
- Motivate adults to unwind with informal gatherings
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- Figure 5: Motivations for hosting, April 2018
- Parents are key to informal market
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- Figure 6: Profile of informal party hosts, April 2018
- Party planning products and services
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- Figure 7: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Party hosting remains popular, led by informal gatherings
- Social media usage and party planning
- Favorable economic conditions offer positive and negative influence
- Married couples host more parties
- Aging population poses threat to market
Who Are Party Hosts?
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- Entertaining is an enduring social activity
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- Figure 8: Enjoyment of entertaining, 2004-17
- Parents with young kids are key to the informal market
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- Figure 9: Profile of informal party hosts, April 2018
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- Figure 10: Households by presence and ages of own children, 2017
- Hispanics find more occasions for formality
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- Figure 11: Profile of formal party hosts, April 2018
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- Figure 12: Total population by Hispanic origin, 2013-23
Market Perspective
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- Pinterest may inspire parties, but Facebook informs everything else
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- Figure 13: Social media usage, February 2018
- Dining and entertainment spending are top treats for consumers
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- Figure 14: Where extra money is spent, February 2018
- Informal entertaining rules the outdoors
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- Figure 15: Outdoor entertaining, November 2016
Market Factors
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- Positive DPI supports in-home entertaining
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- Figure 16: Disposable Personal Income change from previous period, January 2007-March 2018
- High consumer confidence may spur more out-of-home spending
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- Figure 17: Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007-April 2018
- Employed adults more likely to entertain
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- Figure 18: Unemployment and underemployment, January 2007-March 2018
- Share of married couples on the decline
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- Figure 19: Married share of population, 2006-16
- Aging population leads to smaller households
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- Figure 20: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2013-23
- Figure 21: Households by number of members, 2017
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Informal events are popular and easier for the host
- Pre-wedding celebrations and gender reveal parties are on trend
- Cleanup and cost are a pain for party hosts
- Balloon bans
- Integrating social media into home parties
- A party at home with strangers
What’s Working?
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- Informal events—more reasons to gather
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- Figure 22: Types of parties hosted, April 2018
- Making it easy for the host
- As Millennials wait to wed, pre-wedding celebrations expand
- Gender reveals continue to boom
- Party City gets more inclusive
What’s Struggling?
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- Cleanup is a burden for party hosts
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- Figure 23: Party hosting challenges – Cleaning, April 2018
- Concerns over cost may be reason why formal parties are fading out
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- Figure 24: Party hosting challenges – Cost, April 2018
- Balloons continue to deflate
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- Figure 25: Types of parties hosted, April 2018
What’s Next?
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- Is group video chat the new iGen party option?
- Experience a house party with strangers
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Majority of adults are party hosts
- Motivations to host parties support prevalence of informal gatherings
- Pinterest provides party inspiration, particularly among women
- Food and beverages make the party
- Cleanup is the biggest challenge for party hosts
- Party hosting is stressful, but guest enjoyment is a big reward
Types of Parties Hosted
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- Three in four have hosted a party in their home
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- Figure 26: Types of parties hosted, April 2018
- In their own words: types of parties hosted
- Social occasions seem to taper off for older adults
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- Figure 27: Types of parties hosted – Select items, by age, April 2018
- Hispanic adults over index for nearly all types of parties
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- Figure 28: Types of parties hosted – Select items, by Hispanic origin, April 2018
- Married adults hold more informal gatherings, but formal aren’t top of mind
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- Figure 29: Types of parties hosted – Select items, by marital status, April 2018
Motivations for Hosting Parties
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- Although most plan event celebrations, motivations support informal gatherings
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- Figure 30: Motivations for hosting, April 2018
- Men look at the social side of parties
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- Figure 31: Motivations for hosting – Socializing, by gender, April 2018
- For young Millennials, parties are just another night in
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- Figure 32: Motivations for hosting – Socializing, by generation, April 2018
Sources of Party Inspiration
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- Pinterest is the top social media source for planning
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- Figure 33: Sources of party inspiration, April 2018
- Pinterest use driven by women
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- Figure 34: Sources of party inspiration, by gender, April 2018
- Nearly all sources of inspiration are dominated by young party hosts
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- Figure 35: Sources of party inspiration, by age, April 2018
Retail Locations for Party Supplies
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- It’s not a party without food
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- Figure 36: Retail locations for party supplies, April 2018
- Partiers looking for snacks at mass merchandisers
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- Figure 37: Retail locations for party supplies – Food items, by retailer, April 2018
- Party stores capture party goods, but mass merchandisers close behind
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- Figure 38: Retail locations for party supplies – Party items, by retailer, April 2018
- In their own words: party décor
- Opportunities for mass merchandisers to tout beverage offerings
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- Figure 39: Retail locations for party supplies – Beverage items, by retailer April 2018
Party Hosting Challenges
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- Cleaning is a bigger concern than cost
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- Figure 40: Party hosting challenges, April 2018
- In their own words: the importance of food and music
- Music curation could appeal to party hosts
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- Figure 41: Party hosting challenges – Select items, by race, April 2018
Attitudes toward Party Planning and Hosting
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- Enjoyment is the ultimate reward
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
- To plan, host, or attend? It’s a split decision.
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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