Party Planning and Home Entertaining - US - June 2018

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Overview
Figure 1: Enjoyment of entertaining, 2004-17
Figure 2: Leading types of parties hosted, April 2018
The issues
The stress factor
Figure 3: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
Cost and cleanup also burden the party host
Figure 4: Party hosting challenges, April 2018
The opportunities
Motivate adults to unwind with informal gatherings
Figure 5: Motivations for hosting, April 2018
Parents are key to informal market
Figure 6: Profile of informal party hosts, April 2018
Party planning products and services
Figure 7: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
What it means
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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?
Entertaining is an enduring social activity
Figure 8: Enjoyment of entertaining, 2004-17
Parents with young kids are key to the informal market
Figure 9: Profile of informal party hosts, April 2018
Figure 10: Households by presence and ages of own children, 2017
Hispanics find more occasions for formality
Figure 11: Profile of formal party hosts, April 2018
Figure 12: Total population by Hispanic origin, 2013-23
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Pinterest may inspire parties, but Facebook informs everything else
Figure 13: Social media usage, February 2018
Dining and entertainment spending are top treats for consumers
Figure 14: Where extra money is spent, February 2018
Informal entertaining rules the outdoors
Figure 15: Outdoor entertaining, November 2016
MARKET FACTORS 
Positive DPI supports in-home entertaining
Figure 16: Disposable Personal Income change from previous period, January 2007-March 2018
High consumer confidence may spur more out-of-home spending
Figure 17: Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007-April 2018
Employed adults more likely to entertain
Figure 18: Unemployment and underemployment, January 2007-March 2018
Share of married couples on the decline
Figure 19: Married share of population, 2006-16
Aging population leads to smaller households
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 
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?
Informal events—more reasons to gather
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?
Cleanup is a burden for party hosts
Figure 23: Party hosting challenges – Cleaning, April 2018
Concerns over cost may be reason why formal parties are fading out
Figure 24: Party hosting challenges – Cost, April 2018
Balloons continue to deflate
Figure 25: Types of parties hosted, April 2018
WHAT’S NEXT?
Is group video chat the new iGen party option?
Experience a house party with strangers
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
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
Three in four have hosted a party in their home
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
Figure 27: Types of parties hosted – Select items, by age, April 2018
Hispanic adults over index for nearly all types of parties
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
Figure 29: Types of parties hosted – Select items, by marital status, April 2018
MOTIVATIONS FOR HOSTING PARTIES
Although most plan event celebrations, motivations support informal gatherings
Figure 30: Motivations for hosting, April 2018
Men look at the social side of parties
Figure 31: Motivations for hosting – Socializing, by gender, April 2018
For young Millennials, parties are just another night in
Figure 32: Motivations for hosting – Socializing, by generation, April 2018
SOURCES OF PARTY INSPIRATION
Pinterest is the top social media source for planning
Figure 33: Sources of party inspiration, April 2018
Pinterest use driven by women
Figure 34: Sources of party inspiration, by gender, April 2018
Nearly all sources of inspiration are dominated by young party hosts
Figure 35: Sources of party inspiration, by age, April 2018
RETAIL LOCATIONS FOR PARTY SUPPLIES
It’s not a party without food
Figure 36: Retail locations for party supplies, April 2018
Partiers looking for snacks at mass merchandisers
Figure 37: Retail locations for party supplies – Food items, by retailer, April 2018
Party stores capture party goods, but mass merchandisers close behind
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
Figure 39: Retail locations for party supplies – Beverage items, by retailer April 2018
PARTY HOSTING CHALLENGES
Cleaning is a bigger concern than cost
Figure 40: Party hosting challenges, April 2018
In their own words: the importance of food and music
Music curation could appeal to party hosts
Figure 41: Party hosting challenges – Select items, by race, April 2018
ATTITUDES TOWARD PARTY PLANNING AND HOSTING
Enjoyment is the ultimate reward
Figure 42: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
To plan, host, or attend? It’s a split decision.
Figure 43: Attitudes toward party planning and hosting, April 2018
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms