Provided by Blackjack Nights...Example two: you’ve got your heart set on a Las Vegas themed party. You’ve decided you’ll have it at home to save on venue costs. You’ll probably

Provided by Blackjack Nights

www.blackjacknights.com.au

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Casino parties – everything you need to know to host an amazing event 2

Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Getting the “wow” factor for your party! ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Planning your party ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Set your budget ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Put together a rough guest list .................................................................................................................................................... 5

Choose a theme ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Make a list of any suppliers you’ll need .................................................................................................................................... 5

Choose a date ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Think about venues .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Get multiple quotes .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Choosing a theme for your party ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

So many themes: why the casino theme is a great bet! ..................................................................................................... 8

James Bond / Casino Royale ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Las Vegas ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

1920s / gangsters and flappers ................................................................................................................................................. 10

Or keep it more low-key .............................................................................................................................................................. 10

The next steps ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Lock in your providers .................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Make a checklist, start ticking things off ............................................................................................................................... 11

Send out invites ............................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Put together a run sheet for the night ................................................................................................................................... 12

Advice for casino parties .................................................................................................................................................................. 13

How many tables will I need? .................................................................................................................................................... 13

What are the best games to choose? ..................................................................................................................................... 13

Who’s the right provider to choose? ...................................................................................................................................... 14

How should we lay the space out? .......................................................................................................................................... 15

What’s the best structure for the night? ................................................................................................................................ 16

On the day… .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

About Blackjack Nights ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17


Introduction We’ve been in the party planning game running casino events for well over 15 years now. When I started

this fun casino company, I had no idea that we would eventually run over 4,000 events (and counting!),

attended by over 300,000 people.

It’s a great, fun business, in part because every event is an opportunity to see something new – something

that surprises us, the party guests and everyone else. No two events are alike and we love this aspect of the

job. We also love hearing your ideas, inspiration and how you would like your vision to come to life.

So we don’t like to say that we’ve “seen it all”. But it’s pretty safe to say that we’ve seen a lot! We’ve seen

many great parties that went seamlessly, with a great time being had by all and lots of special memories

made. We’ve also seen others where the organisers made their lives harder than they needed to be, or

could’ve gotten even better results if they had have just changed a few small things.

We’d like your next party to be one of the “seamless great time” ones. I’m sure you would too! That’s why

we’ve decided to share some of our knowledge and hands on experience by writing this ebook. I hope you

find it useful.

All the best for your party!

Tim Lambert and Naae Song

Directors

Blackjack Nights


Getting the “wow” factor for your party! When you start to plan a party, you’ve got all sorts of things to weigh up. Should it be in the home/office,

or at an external venue? DJ, band, or just play your own background music? Catering, drinks,

entertainment, there’s any number of things to consider - particularly if it’s a special occasion or big

milestone, like a 30th, 40th or 50th birthday.

You don’t need to let yourself get buried in all these decisions though. We’ll talk about some of the

specifics later in this ebook. But to help sort through all the options, we recommend asking one simple

question: “what’s going to give the biggest ‘wow factor’ within my budget?”

That’s something the best parties tend to have in common – a

“wow” factor that makes the party memorable for everyone.

The right venue can definitely be a big “wow” factor for your

party. It’s also convenient that the staff there will take care of

the drinks, catering and clean up afterwards.

Great entertainment also delivers a huge wow factor. It can be

the difference between your guests quietly milling around

making small talk, and them getting involved in a fun shared experience that they’ll be talking about for

months to come.

In a perfect world, obviously we’d all have unlimited budgets and be able to do everything! If that’s not the

case though, it can really help to ask what you think the biggest “wow” factor will be, and whether it

represents the best value for money. Here are a few examples that might help you think things through:

Example one: you’ve got a fantastic venue locked in that will take care of all your drinks and

catering, but that only leaves you with a small budget for everything else. The beautiful décor

already goes a long way to creating the look and feel you want, so you probably don’t need to

spend much if anything on decorations. That leaves entertainment. Will your guests appreciate

having a live band play for them? Maybe they’re not big on dancing and you can just have

background music, freeing up money for roving performers or another entertainment option?

Example two: you’ve got your heart set on a Las Vegas themed party. You’ve decided you’ll have it

at home to save on venue costs. You’ll probably need to spend a little on decorations and theming

(maybe hire a backdrop or replica Vegas sign or some lights) to give the party that Vegas feel. Then

there’s entertainment: is it better to get a couple of casino tables and dealers so your guests can

play throughout the night, or would you rather spend the money on an Elvis impersonator and

some showgirls? Or should you try to do both, and trim a little from the food and drinks instead?

Think about the people you’ve invited, put each option to the “wow factor” test, and pretty quickly you’ll

have your answers Remember that not all parties are the same! If your guest list is full of people who like to

get up and dance, they might really appreciate a live band or DJ. Other groups might prefer some really

outstanding food and drink options, or some entertainment that breaks the ice and gets people talking.


Planning your party Ever been to one of those parties where everyone was having an amazing time, and everything seemed

completely effortless? Since you’re reading this ebook, chances are you’re looking for the exact same thing

for your party.

Truth is in most cases, extensive planning goes into making those “amazing and effortless” parties work.

That’s not to say that it all has to be hard work, or take up days and days of your time – planning a party

can actually be a lot of fun! In this section we’ll give you a few simple tips that will go a long way to helping

you organise a fantastic party with a minimum of stress.

Set your budget

Let’s get the boring bit out of the way first. Set yourself a budget, so that you’ve got a

spending target in mind when you go through the rest of the process, as it will influence a

lot of your decisions (venue or home, catering, entertainment, etc).

It doesn’t need to be set in stone at this stage: you just don’t want to find yourself in a

position down the track where you’ve over-committed.

Put together a rough guest list

Knowing how many people are going to be coming along, and what that mix of people looks like (young,

old, family, friends, etc) will play a huge role in the decisions you make about your party.

How big a venue do we need? How many people are we catering for? What kind of entertainment will work

best for a group of this size? What shared interests do they have? Knowing roughly how many people you’ll

be inviting, and who they are, will help you answer all of these questions.

And once again, this isn’t something that needs to be set in stone at the early stages – when your party

starts to take shape and you’ve got a better idea of how much space there is and what it’s all going to cost,

you can start making decisions about whether second cousin John or those work colleagues you only see

twice a year really need to get an invite.

Choose a theme

We’ll cover this in more detail in the next section of the book – but basically, having a theme for your party

can be a great way to set the mood, get everyone excited for the event and give you some real “wow

factor” opportunities. So it’s a good idea to give it some thought early in the process.

Make a list of any suppliers you’ll need

In most cases this won’t be a very long list – maybe venues, caterers, a DJ or other entertainers. But it helps

to think it all through now, so you don’t get three weeks into planning and then realise one important

element has been forgotten.

This list will largely be informed by the previous steps. If you’re having a Vegas themed party you’ll likely

want a casino table provider, or maybe an Elvis impersonator. Or if you’re looking to transform your home

into a swinging 60’s nightclub you’ll be looking for a theming provider.


Choose a date

This is one that sounds pretty obvious, but it’s a good idea to choose your date (or,

at the least, narrow it down to a couple of possible dates) before you get too far

down the track with planning.

“When is the party going to be?” is one of the first questions pretty much all

venues, suppliers and entertainers will ask you, as they only have limited availability

for any given date. So it helps to have an answer ready.

As with pretty much everything when it comes to party planning, you want to keep your guest list in mind

when choosing your date. Are there any holidays or major events around the same time that will make it

easier or harder for people to attend? Would the people you’re inviting prefer a daytime event, or an

evening one? Would they prefer a Friday or a Saturday night?

Keep in mind too that the date you choose could have financial implications. Some venues may charge

more, or have a larger deposit or minimum spend, if you want a date that’s during their busy period

(typically November-December, when they’re in demand for work breakups and other corporate functions).

On the flipside, some suppliers may be able to do you a better deal during their quiet periods. It doesn’t

hurt to ask!

Think about venues

Where is your party going to be held? Is your home or workplace a viable option? Or would you prefer to

go with an external venue?

The number of people you’re inviting and the kind of party you’re throwing will be the biggest deciding

factors here – if you’re expecting over 100 people and you live in a smallish house, you’re probably not

going to fit everyone in!

If you’re going to go with an external venue,

remember that they come in lots of shapes

and sizes, to fit all kinds of budgets. There are

dedicated function spaces and hotels that will

provide you with a full-service package,

through to relatively inexpensive local halls or

sporting clubs, where you may have to

provide a few things (such as catering) for

yourself.

You can start with a Google search to find

venues near to you – or feel free to drop us a

line! With thousands of events under our belts, chances are we’ve worked a number of venues in your area

and we’re happy to share our experiences.


Get multiple quotes

Once you’ve chosen a theme, you know your

budget, roughly how many people you’re

looking to invite and what date you’d like the

party to be on, you’re ready to start getting

quotes from suppliers!

The kinds of suppliers you’ll need to talk to will

depend entirely on the kind of party you’re

looking to have and what kind of entertainment

you’re looking for. To find them you can ask

friends and colleagues for recommendations,

and internet searches will give you plenty of

ideas too.

Regardless of whether you’re looking for a

venue, DJ, casino tables, decorations, caterers or

anything else though, some of the best advice

we can give you is to get multiple quotes. Look

at a few different venues, contact multiple

entertainment providers, then see how each one

stacks up against your budget and the vision

you have for your party. You’ll quickly get a

sense of the pros and cons of each. Who knows,

you might even get some great new ideas!

While you’re looking at all the different quotes

though, it pays to keep in mind that you’re not

always going to be comparing apples with

apples. Do the venue packages all have the

same inclusions? Are the entertainers using

good quality equipment that will add to your

party, or cheap alternatives that will detract

from the mood?

Generally speaking if there’s a quote that’s

much cheaper than the others, it pays to look at

it carefully and see if they’re cutting corners

somewhere. It might be they’re cutting out

something you don’t care about – in which case

great, you’ve found a bargain! It just pays to

make sure that they’re not leaving out

something you actually value.

INSIDER TIP: consumption or hourly

package for drinks?

When you’re getting quotes from venues, be sure to check

whether drinks will be charged on consumption, or as part of

an hourly package.

Consumption means you’re charged at the end of the night for

everything your guests have consumed. Whereas on an hourly

package, you’ll be charged a set amount per hour regardless of

how much your guests consume.

Which one is best for you will depend a lot on your guests! If

you’ve got a lot of big drinkers coming along then an hourly

package will likely be the way to go, as it eliminates the

chance of any bill shock at the end of the night. If most of your

guests will only have a few drinks throughout the night

though, then a consumption package might actually save you

some money. It’s all about knowing your guest list.

Many venues will also allow you to do a hybrid package, where

say beer, wine and soft drinks might be provided on an hourly

package, but spirits or cocktails can be charged on

consumption or paid for separately by the guests.

There are two other things to make sure you look out for. If

you’re going for an hourly package, make sure the venue

knows ahead of time how many guests you’re expecting (as

you’re usually charged per person per hour). Agree with the

venue to give them an update on your guest numbers 10 days

out so you’re not overcharged for people who were invited but

couldn’t attend.

And if you’re going with consumption, just be a little wary on

the night: at one event, we saw venue staff taking away half-

full drinks when their owner turned their back for a second,

leaving them to go back to the bar and get a new one!

Obviously you don’t want to spend your whole night watching

bar staff, and this kind of thing is probably rare, but it’s

something to be aware of.


Choosing a theme for your party If you’re looking to do something special and memorable to celebrate an occasion then it’s hard to go past

a theme party.

Sure, not all parties have to have a theme – plenty of great nights have been had when friends, family or co-

workers just get together. But if your event is for a milestone birthday, an engagement, or even if you’re just

looking for a really great way to end the year at work, it’s hard to go past a theme party.

As mentioned in the previous section, theme parties are great because they set the mood right from the

time the invitations are sent out. They mark the occasion as something special, something your guests

won’t want to miss.

So many themes: why the casino theme is a great bet!

We know, we know, of course we’re going to say casino parties are the way to go. There are two things in

particular about casino-themed parties that make them perfect for pretty much all occasions though. One,

they appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds and two, they can be tailored to fit almost any event.

Just think about it. As far as forms of entertainment go, casinos are one of the most popular choices in the

world – Las Vegas isn’t known as one of the party capitals of the world for nothing! The downsides of

regular casinos are equally obvious: sometimes, people lose their money. The beauty of a casino theme

party though is that it can bring all the fun of Vegas, the glamour of Monte Carlo or the underground vibe

of a ‘20s speakeasy to your venue of choice, without the risk of your guests losing any real money.

Casino parties have a huge appeal to people of all ages when you take away the risk of losing money.

We’ve found time and time again that it doesn’t matter whether your guests are casino regulars or first time

players. Over the years, we estimate that well over half of the people we’ve served have never played at a

real casino table before – but that’s never stopped anyone from having a great time, regardless of whether

they’re male or female, 18 or 80!

In a real casino, first time players might be afraid of doing the wrong thing. Real casinos have lots of rules,

after all. But in a fun casino, at a party, with no real money on the line, they’re free to kick back and have a

drink and a laugh. It’s only fake money, after all! Pick the right provider, one with fun and friendly staff

who’ll ensure your guests are being looked after, and everyone will have a ball.

The other great thing about a casino party is

that it’s endlessly adaptable. They can cater to

groups of all sizes, from an intimate gathering of

a dozen people, all the way up to huge parties

with hundreds of people. We’ve even run events

for over a thousand people before! And we’ve

run them in all sorts of venues: homes, offices,

halls, clubrooms, restaurants, dedicated function

spaces, the works.

Casino parties

All the fun of the casino, with none of the risk!

• Huge appeal with people of all ages

• High participation

• Works for groups of all sizes

• Suits all types of venues


Put simply, it doesn’t matter how many people you’re expecting, or how old they are – with a casino party,

they’ll all have a fantastic, memorable time. The “wow factor” is all but guaranteed.

When you go with a casino party, one of the biggest advantages is it can be anything from just a few tables

as side entertainment to the centrepiece of the event, something that’s ties together the whole theme with

decorations, invites, colour schemes, backdrops, lighting and more.

We’ve helped create the perfect atmosphere at parties of all shapes and sizes, but there are some themes in

particular that people have asked us to help them recreate again and again, using the casino tables to build

an absolutely fantastic atmosphere.

James Bond / Casino Royale

James Bond is a cultural icon – with no explanation whatsoever, your guests will instantly know what kind of

party you’re going to be having. Classy, sophisticated, and loads of fun!

Of course, gaming has always been intrinsically linked with the Bond character, just as much as Aston

Martins and martinis. 007’s original game of choice was baccarat, though he also proved himself a dab

hand at poker when Daniel Craig played the character in Casino Royale.

So if you’re going to have a Bond theme party, casino tables are the perfect accompaniment! You don’t

have to just stick to poker (or baccarat… which can be a little boring for casual players, if we’re honest).

Roulette and blackjack will fit right in too. Dressed up in their finest suits and gowns, your guests will get to

feel like secret agents themselves as they’re playing at the tables.

If you want to have a bit more fun with the theme, there are also plenty of “fancy dress” options with

people coming as their favourite Bond characters. The Roger Moore and Sean Connery eras in particular

provide some great inspiration. Just make sure you spell out the dress code on the invites: M and Her

Majesty’s Secret Service wouldn’t approve of someone in jeans and a t-shirt getting by security!


Las Vegas

Of course, casinos and Las Vegas go together like bees and honey. The best thing about choosing a Las

Vegas theme for your party, though, is that it’s loads of fun AND it can mean lots of different things to

different people.

People can take the Vegas theme in all kinds of directions. There’s old school Vegas with the Rat Pack and

Elvis. There’s modern Vegas as featured in The Hangover and Oceans 11, or the weird and wonderful world

of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. You’ve got Tom Jones, Celine Dion and Cirque du Soleil. Drive through

wedding chapels, neon lights, Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses, or suits and ties, Vegas is many things to

many people, a source of endless inspiration that you and your guests can draw from, either for decoration

or fancy dress.

If any of your guests decided to come as Siegfried and Roy it’s probably best to encourage them to leave

their live tiger at home though…

When it comes to setting the mood in the room there’s all sorts of options, from the iconic “Welcome to

Vegas” sign to red carpets, lights, backdrops and more. Vegas is a theme where you can really let your

imagination run wild with additional performers alongside the casino tables too: showgirls, magicians, Elvis

impersonators and more can help to make the night a winner for you and your guests, both on and off the

tables!

1920s / gangsters and flappers

Between the music, the clothes and the “underground” vibe, the 1920s “gangsters and flappers” era was

famous for its swinging parties, and it remains a popular theme even now, almost 100 years later!

This theme’s popularity has increased in recent years too, with the release of films such as Baz Luhrman’s

The Great Gatsby and TV shows like Boardwalk Empire giving people loads of inspiration.

1920s is great if you want to do something fancy or

formal, but with a twist – it’s all about pinstripe suits,

braces and spats, flapper dresses, feather boas and

diamonds. You can open your own speakeasy for the

night!

Of course, underground bars and big parties go hand

in hand with casinos too. Get some croupiers in

black-tie uniforms and they’ll fit right in. The

gangsters theme is also one where you can have a lot

of fun with decoration and extra entertainers. We’ve

even seen some people stage a mock “police raid” to end their 1920s fun casino on a big bang!

Or keep it more low-key

Fun casino parties lend themselves very well to big themed productions – there’s nothing to say you have

to go down that route though! If you’re looking to have a more laid back or low key event, then just having

the tables and dealers works perfectly as an entertainment option that will keep your party ‘ticking over’

and ensure everybody has a great time.


The next steps Once you’ve got the basic decisions about dates and themes made, and you’ve got quotes together from

the various providers you’ll need, it’s time to start locking things in and putting all the building blocks

together.

Lock in your providers

It’s time to make the final decision on all the quotes you’ve gathered, and lock in the providers you’ve

chosen – venues, caterers, entertainers, whatever it is your party needs. Most providers will ask for a deposit

to secure the booking, so plan to outlay a little cash at this stage.

Make a checklist, start ticking things off

We’re huge fans of checklists. We use them every day during work to keep us sane: for

example, it doesn’t matter how many times we’ve loaded a van with one blackjack table and

one roulette table, we’ll still forget to put an important part in every now and then.

Checklists at the end of the process make sure we don’t let the van leave the warehouse

until everything has been loaded though!

Making a checklist can make your life a lot easier as an organiser. Just list of all the things that need to be

done before the party, order them by when they need to be done, and tick them off as you go. Here’s some

things you might want to put on your checklist:

• Confirm setup, start/finish time and other details with your venue and each of your suppliers

• Finalise food/drink menu with caterers (or buy the food/drinks if you’re catering yourself)

• Work out a floor plan for the event space

• Arrange theming/decorations for the event space

• Secure any extra furniture you may need (chairs, tables, etc)

• Update suppliers (venue, caterers, etc) on final guest numbers after RSVPs are in

• Organise the cake

• Write your speeches

• Choose the music and arrange the sound system (if a DJ isn’t providing it)

• Arrange your transport (or accommodation) for the night (if required)

• Organise balance payments for your venue and/or suppliers

• Make sure you have mobile phone numbers for relevant people on the day

INSIDER TIP: decline the quotes you’re not accepting

It doesn’t hurt to send a quick “thanks but no thanks” email to the providers you got quotes from but aren’t going to

use, especially if you had any level of dialog with them during the planning phase or if they’ve followed up with you

since. It’s a courtesy to them, but more than that it’ll tell them to stop making follow up emails or calls to you.

It can also help to eliminate confusion: at one party we worked, another company arrived after us to set up. They’d

quoted for the job, though they’d never been actually hired or paid a deposit… but because they hadn’t been told they

didn’t get the job, they turned up anyway.


Send out invites

After you’ve given the guest list its final tweaks, it’s time to send

invites out to everyone.

Exactly how you do it depends on your crowd – it might be that a

simple email or text message will suffice. For some occasions

though, you simply can’t go past the good old-fashioned printed

invite. It lends a certain weight to the occasion and tells people that

your party is going to be something special.

Put together a run sheet for the night

This is really just another checklist, specific to the day of the party,

but if you do it in advance it’ll make coordinating everything on the

day so much easier.

Remember that your run sheet will likely start hours before your

guests arrive, with the arrival and setup of any suppliers or

entertainers you have booked. Some of the biggest events we’ve

worked have had run sheets that started days before the guests

were due to arrive!

In many cases it can help to stagger the arrival of your suppliers, so

that you don’t have everyone trying to cram through the door at

once.

Sometimes there’s a logical order things need to be set up in too: it

goes without saying, for example, that if you’re having your party in

a marquee, the marquee provider will need to finish setting it up

before you can put casino tables or a band inside it.

Include important things during the party on the run sheet as well,

like when you’d like food to be served, or when you’d like

entertainment to stop for speeches. And remember to include pack

up times for your suppliers as well.

INSIDER TIP: when to send

invites?

How far in advance should you send

out your invites?

To a certain extent this depends on the

occasion – a big formal affair like a

wedding, for example, might have

invites (or at least save the date cards)

sent out a year or more in advance.

For most birthday parties, club

fundraisers or work functions though,

you’re looking at about six weeks (give

or take) as the sweet spot. Send them

earlier than that, and people may not

know their plans for the date. Send

them later, and people might already

have other commitments.

If you’ve got a good idea of your RSVPs

about a month out from the event, it’ll

also help when you’re making

arrangements with your suppliers.

INSIDER TIP: circulate the run

sheet

The run sheet doesn’t have to be

something you keep to yourself – it can

be a great tool to make sure everyone is

on the same page, so make sure you

circulate it to all of the suppliers that it

affects.

As suppliers, we like to know when

everything will be happening too!

Having a run sheet for the night makes

our jobs easier, and helps us keep your

night running to plan. It probably saves

us from asking you a whole bunch of

questions in the lead up or on the night

too!


Advice for casino parties Much of the advice in this ebook can be applied to pretty much any type of party. But since it’s our

specialty (and since it’s likely an option you’re considering, if you’re reading this!) we’re going to focus on

some of the things specific to fun casino parties in this section.

Here are some answers to the common questions people ask when organising a casino theme party.

How many tables will I need?

At our events, our general rule of thumb is one table for every 25-30 guests. We’ve worked that out based

on the thousands of past events that we’ve run. Those numbers work because our signature “tournament”

format ensures that there’s always a new game starting soon, with players turning over on the tables

regularly and everyone getting multiple opportunities to play. At the same time, it ensures that the

entertainment doesn’t completely dominate the party – there’s still plenty of scope for everyone to eat,

drink and socialise away from the tables too.

You may want to vary the number of tables up or down slightly depending on the specifics of your party. If

you’ve got 120 people coming, but the venue only has space for two tables, then we can still make that

work. Or it might be that you only want the tables as side entertainment, not as the main focus of the party.

Alternatively, you might know that all of your guests really like playing casino games, so you might get an

extra table to maximise everybody’s playtime.

It’s worth noting too that our tournament format allows you

to cater to larger groups of people with fewer tables than

some other companies who use an unstructured format. If

someone tells you that you need four tables for a group of 40

people, for example, they’re either over-quoting you, or they

don’t have a good plan for how the tables should be used to

engage your guests!

Sure, we could probably make more money if we told everyone they needed more tables. But at the end of

the day it’s about achieving the best fit for your event, not throwing in extra tables for the sake of it.

What are the best games to choose?

Easy question! The best games are the ones that a lot of people will already be familiar with, and are also

very easy for new players to learn on the night.

Blackjack and roulette are far and away the two most popular choices,

for good reason. A lot of people already know how to play one or

both of them, and even if they don’t, they only take a few short

minutes to learn.

Poker is another great choice, as many people have become big fans

of the game in the past decade and it too only takes a few minutes for

new players to learn. Big wheel is lots of fun and easy to pick up too.


Then there are other games that aren’t as well known – they can still be lots of fun, but we recommend

being careful in choosing how you use them. Craps (the dice game you’ve no doubt seen in movies) is a

perfect example: it’s loads of fun once you know what you’re doing, but it’s also very complicated. If you

have guests who already know the game, or if it’s a big event with four or five other tables allowing those

who don’t get into the game to play something else, then it can work really well. But if you’ve got a two-

table event with mostly new players, you’re probably best off sticking with blackjack and roulette.

Who’s the right provider to choose?

There are a number of fun casino companies getting around – so how do you know if you’re getting great

value or being short changed? Here are some of the things to look out for when comparing quotes:

• Is everything included (fun money, winner’s trophy, travel) or are some things listed as optional

extras? There are some companies that even have the dealers as optional extras!

• Is the equipment comparable? Are you getting real, full-size casino tables or lightweight alternatives

that will take away from your atmosphere? Some providers just use flimsy trestle tables, or “toy”

equipment.

• When do they arrive to set up? You want everything in and looking fabulous before your guests

arrive – but some operators will try to cut costs by setting up after your guests are in the room. Even

if they say they’ll be ‘discreet’, at the start of the night, people will definitely notice!

• Do they have a structure for the event, one that helps to include everyone? We run our events in a

special tournament format that builds a real buzz, allows everyone to play multiple times, and has an

exciting grand final conclusion. Other providers think it’s enough to just have the tables there,

without a real plan for how to engage your guests.

• Are they experienced and reliable? There are some companies out there who’ve taken bookings and

then just not turn up on the night – we know, because several times we’ve gotten the call at the last

minute to come cover for them! And while nobody really believes it’ll happen at their party, a small

drop in price might mean a big increase in risk. Personal recommendations from friends, or reviews

on third-party sites, can help you choose here.

• Do they have independent testimonials? The most reliable providers will have multiple testimonials

from their past clients, posted on third-party sites to ensure that they’re genuine. Not to blow our

own trumpet, but here’s a link to ours.

If instead a company only has a few one-line quotes on their site, sometimes without dates, then

you might want to start asking questions about how trustworthy that feedback is. As just one

example, we’ve seen a company recycle its “good” review by changing the date to make it seem

more recent!

This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list, but it gives you a few things to think about. It should hopefully also

give you a few ideas of things to look out for when you’re comparing quotes from caterers, venues and

other providers too!

http://www.aussieweb.com.au/business/1160870


How should we arrange the space?

Generally it’s best if you keep the casino tables together in one room or the same part of the venue, as this

will help to reinforce the casino atmosphere. Hearing players on one table celebrating a big win is a great

way to feed the mood at all the other tables!

Beyond that, it’s largely a question of the space you’ve

got available. If you’re concerned about where

everything will go or whether it will fit, it’s always a

good idea to ask your provider to come out and

conduct a site visit, so they can see the space and work

through all the details with you.

There are three other main things to consider when

placing the casino tables: weather, light and noise.

Card games (eg: blackjack, poker) in particular can be

problematic if they’re set up in a place that’s windy, as

the cards can blow away. Sometimes this can even crop

up indoors – there was one event we did where the

poker cards were being blown over because the room

was cooled by a particularly powerful wall fan!

To make matters worse, there wasn’t a proper

overhead light in the room, just a lamp in the corner,

which made it hard to see the cards through the

shadows. That leads us into the next thing to consider:

lighting. You don’t need the whole room to be lit up in

blinding white – far from it – but it’s good to have at

least some level of ambient lighting available so the

dealers and players can see the cards and chips on the

tables.

The last thing to think about is noise: particularly if

you’ve got a number of first-time players in your

crowd, the tables work best when the dealers and

players can hear each other speak. Background music is

a perfect match with the casino – if you’re considering

having a live band or a loud DJ though, it’s worth doing

a bit of planning to create some separation between

them and the tables.

An example floor plan. It’s OK if you don’t

have drafting software to make yours look like

this, pencil and paper works just as well!


What’s the best structure for the night?

Time-wise, there are a couple of recommendations we give to all of

our clients:

The first is to leave time between when your guests start to arrive and

when you open the casino tables. There are always some latecomers,

and even if everyone arrives on time, they still need a little while to

settle in, get their first drink and say their hello’s. We include up to an

hour of free wait time between when your doors open and when the

casino tables start, and we encourage everyone to take full advantage

of that time.

A great way to build the party atmosphere during the time people are arriving is to get a “meet and greet”

performer – for example, showgirls at a Vegas themed event, or a “gangster” character at 1920s events,

someone who can greet your guests on arrival and start getting them in the mood, maybe giving your

guests their fun money and take photos with them on the red carpet too.

If you’re going to have those performers do any kind of formal show though then it’s still best to leave that

until a bit later, maybe right before the casino opens. For example, one of our clients booked four showgirls

to do a dance routine for guests, but they scheduled it just 30 minutes after doors opened. The

performance was fantastic, but less than half the crowd got to see it as many people still hadn’t arrived.

Once you’ve opened the casino tables, try not to stop and start too much. It’s quite common to have a

break in the middle of the action for speeches, or cutting the cake, or whatever else needs to be done. If

you have to stop the entertainment multiple times throughout the night though, you’ll sap a lot of the party

atmosphere. Sit-down dinners can be a challenge in this respect: your guests get up from entrée to go play

at the casino tables, but just a few minutes later they have to go back for mains.

That’s not to say that fun casinos and formal dinner functions don’t work together – quite the opposite. But

generally we recommend saving the casino for the after-dinner entertainment, so everyone can focus on

enjoying their meal and then enjoying the casino.

INSIDER TIP: go earlier, not later, with your speeches or presentations

If you’re going to have a break for speeches or presentations, trust us when we say that you’re usually better off

starting them early in the party rather than later.

There are a few reasons for this. Obviously you want to wait until a little way into the party, to make sure everybody

had arrived. Just as people don’t all arrive at the same time, though, you’ll also find that they don’t all leave at the

same time. Leave your presentations too late and you might find some people have already gone out the door.

Your audience will probably be at their most attentive early in the night too, as compared to later when they’re

engrossed in conversation or the entertainment. And yes, the amount everyone has had to drink can be a factor too!

Get everyone together for speeches in the first half of the night and you’ve got a good chance of holding their

attention. Try it late at night after people have had a few, on the other hand, and you could be fighting an uphill

battle…


On the day… Hopefully with the advice we’ve given you, the actual day of the party should be smooth sailing!

If you’ve followed our recommendations about choosing the right kind of suppliers, they’ll start arriving

before the party at the times agreed on the run sheet to get everything set up and ready to go.

Have all the contact numbers to hand in case you need to get hold of anyone, do any of your own final

preparations, and you should be right to just get your party outfit on, grab a drink for yourself and relax!

About Blackjack Nights We decided to start running fun casino events. And we love what we do! The main reason is that warm

fuzzy feeling you get at the end of the night when everybody has had a great time and is thanking you for

making it a night to remember. There aren’t a lot of jobs where you get that kind of feedback each time you

clock off!

And that’s why we’ve built our entire business model around providing the most spectacular, entertaining

events possible for our customers.

We could have just bought the cheapest lightweight trestle tables we could get our hands on, and then

used imitation equipment and any old staff off the street. It would have saved us a heap of money over the

years, and made our jobs easier to boot.

But we’re in this to give people fantastic experiences, which is why we’ve chosen to do things the right way.

Real casino tables and equipment, coupled with the best staff in the business and a commitment to make

your party the best it can be.

I trust you’ve found the information in this ebook useful, and if you choose to go with a fun casino as part

of your entertainment, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line.

Tim & Naae

Blackjack Nights

Ph: 1300 224 780

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.blackjacknights.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.blackjacknights.com.au/

Documents

Provided by Blackjack Nights...Example two: you’ve got your heart set on a Las Vegas themed party. You’ve decided you’ll have it at home to save on venue costs. You’ll probably