i’m matt james

professional event producer

  • 27 years event-planning experience
  • Winner of 30 industry awards
  • Clients include:
  • Elton John,
  • Stella McCartney,
  • Sarah Jessica Parker,
  • Kevin Spacey……and more

welcome

Matt James professional event planner
CONTENTS

ON THIS PAGE

01 ice-breaker activities

Surprise party activities and conversation-starters to help break the ice

hello my name is... sticker badge highlighting their 'special power' worn on shirt breast
Table Topics conversation-starter cards
DIY self service Vodka bar at a party with vodka and various juices in carafes
custom photo cone hats showing a man now and as a baby

02 OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE

Ensure guests feel included with surprise party activities that allow them to contribute and share

45 Reasons We Love You signing poster guest book alternative for a 45th birthday party
retro telephone audio guest book set up next to an instructions sign inviting party guests to record a message
surprise party guestbook alternative signing poster with photos of the guest of honor 'then and now'

03 CREATing ATMOSPHERE

Keep the energy up and atmosphere lively with surprise party activities that encourage circulation and flow

photos and fun facts cards hanging from balloon strings at a party
individual sheets of fun facts clipped to string garlands and hung from a tree at a garden party
woman clipping photograph onto illuminated string lights to create garland decorations on a wall
gold balloon with 'Pop Me' handwritten on with a Sharpie with strips of paper with other fun facts printed on

04 BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER

Create shared experiences that bring everyone together and help them bond

young man standing with a group of friends at a party holding up fan faces of his face in front of theirs
woman standing next to a custom pinata of herself with a guitar
friends watching a back yard birthday slideshow
group of male friends holding up wedding party photo booth props
ADVICE FROM A PRO

surprise party activities

summary
  • Engagement is essential for creating atmosphere
  • Icebreakers and conversation-starters facilitate introductions; taking the pressure off the host
  • Use them to encourage different groups to interact and discover things they have in common or might not know about the guest of honor
  • Surprise party activities that allow guests to contribute and share; a memory, anecdote, or photograph, makes everyone feel included
  • Activities also encourage circulation, which keeps the energy up and prevents guests clustering in corners with the people they came with
  • Keeping people moving, exploring different areas, mingling with others, and discovering new things creates a lively and fun atmosphere
  • Activities can also provide a handy distraction for guests to extract themselves from awkward conversations!
  • Always include at least one activity that brings everyone together as a group
  • A shared experience creates a bond and unites all the different groups as one; people that are all important to the guest of honor
  • People love to feel connected, especially through something meaningful, so it encourages more interaction
  • Perhaps most importantly, activities prevent boredom and people leave with something to talk about, share, and remember; they feel as though they’ve had an experience.
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MATT’S TIPs

Matt James professional event planner
in this section

01 ice-breaker activities

WHY YOU NEED ICEBREAKERS AND CONVERSATION-STARTERS

  • Surprise parties can involve a mix of friends, family, and co-workers from different areas of the guest of honor’s life.
  • This can mean different age groups and social circles, who don’t necessarily know one other, being thrown together in a room.
  • In situations like this, you can’t just hope they all mingle and interact.
  • If you leave it to chance, people will cling to their tribes and congregate in groups; family in one area, old college friends together….and so on.
  • This is a sure-fire way to kill the atmosphere.
  • Not to mention the poor guest of honor will spend all night flitting between different groups, moderating their conversations or behavior accordingly, which is no fun for them.
  • Realistically, you can’t be on hand to introduce all the guests to one other or provide prompts for things they may have in common,
  • Which is why you need to lay on a few simple icebreakers that will act as conversation-starters or talking points.
the idea

Hello My Name Is… stickers

Facilitate introductions and conversations with name tags revealing guests Special Talent, Superhero Power, or Favorite Sitcom Character

Man wearing Hello My Name Is... sticker
the idea

fan face custom cutouts

Create photo ops by providing guests with fan faces of the guest of honor at different stages of their life

group of people holding custom fan faces of the guest of honor in front of their own faces at a surprise party
the idea

photo party hats

Create custom party hats printed with old photos of the guest of honor from different stages of their life

color and black & white photo party hats showing the guest of honor now and as a younger man
the idea

fun facts napkins

Use on bars, buffet, or dessert tables to provide conversation-starters and entertain guests with ‘Fun Facts About the Guest of Honor’

custom photo 'Fun Facts about the Guest of Honor' surprise welcome home party napkins
the idea

how well do you know the host?

Leave printable quizzes in areas where people congregate or sit to entertain party guests and provide conversation starters

'How well do you know the birthday boy?' surprise birthday party game printable quiz
the idea

custom crossword

Leave custom crossword puzzles about the guest of honor on place settings or occasional tables to help break the ice and keep guests engaged

Custom crossword puzzle about 'Samantha'
the idea

table topics

Help your elderly aunt from Iowa find something to talk about with your goth-rock obsessed teenage niece using these cool conversation-starter cards

Table Topics conversation-starter cards
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Matt James professional event planner
the idea

D-I-Y COCKTAIL BAR

Take the pressure off drinks service and help break the ice by providing recipe cards and ingredients for guests to make their own cocktails

DIY cocktail bar with liquor, ingredients, and a cocktail recipe sign for party guests to make their own drink
the idea

EDIBLE DRINK MARKERS

Make personalized edible drink markers using alphabet cookie cutters and melons

party drinks with edible drinks markers made of fruit spelling out the names PETER and ZOE on bamboo skewers
in this section

02 OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE

how to ensure everyone feels included

  • Activities that allow guests to contribute and share; a memory, anecdote, or photograph, makes everyone feel included
  • I once read about a holiday party guests where asked to bring two photos of happy moments from the past year, which they then used to decorate the tree.
  • The party started with everyone gathered around the tree, sharing a drink, and reflecting on positive experiences that had brought them joy.
  • It sounded like a lovely way to bring everyone together; allowing people to bond over something personal and meaningful, and it no doubt set the tone for the rest of the evening.
  • You could take a similar approach to your surprise party activities by asking guests to bring photos of memorable moment they’ve shared with the guest of honor, which could then be clipped to strings to form part of the room decorations.
  • Alternatively, invite guests to ‘Take a Walk Down Memory Lane’ by writing down a favorite memory or amusing anecdote of the guest of honor
  • The host could then read a few out loud as part of a thank-out speech later in the evening.
  • People love to discover new things about someone they know—especially if it’s something unusual or unexpected—so these activities double as entertainment.
  • And by inviting guests to contribute and share makes everyone feel as though they are included.
  • It highlights—and allows everyone to bond over—the thing you all have in common; your relationship with the guest of honor.
the idea

guestbook alternative: signing poster

Invite guests to write messages for the guest of honor on a signing poster to be framed as a keepsake

surprise party custom 'then & now' photo framed signing poster guestbook alternative
the idea

audio guestbook

Bring your guestbook to life and capture authentic and unfiltered voice messages from friends, family, and co-workers to treasure forever

surprise party red telephone audio guest book next to a printable instructions sign inviting party guests to leave a message
the idea

polaroid guestbook

Snap it, shake it, stick it, sign it! Invite guests to illustrate their guestbook entry by using an instant camera

Polaroid guestbook, instant camera, and instructions sign set up for a surprise party
the idea

video guestbook

Capture the love by setting up a tablet on a tripod for guests to record video messages for the guest of honor

couple recording a video message on a tablet on a tripod for a surprise party
the idea

through the years guestbook

Customize a guest book with photos of the guest of honor ‘through the years’ to create a personalized keepsake

'Through the Years' custom photo surprise party guestbook showing the birthday boy through 65 years
the idea

Shoot it, share it sign

Ask guests to capture memories by snapping, sharing, and tagging photos on social media using a custom hashtag

'Oh Snap! Share the Love' custom hashtag sign for event photos
the idea

a trip down memory lane

Have guests take a trip down memory lane by sharing their favorite memory of the guest of honor

Share a memory cards and sign for a surprise party trip down memory lane
the idea

reasons we love you guestbook

Turn a guestbook into a meaningful keepsake by having party-goers write down all the things they love about the guest of honor

handwritten 45 reasons we love you signing poster surprise party guestbook alternative
the idea

bucket list suggestions

Ask guests to suggest experiences for the guest of honor to have before their next milestone birthday

'Before I'm 60' bucket list suggestions cards and sign for surprise party
the idea

‘through the years’ photo garlands

Create interactive party decorations by asking guests to bring their favorite pictures of the guest of honor to add to photo garland decorations

woman hanging a photo on interactive photo garland surprise party decorations showing the guest of honor 'Through the Years'
continue to page 2

more surprise party activities

woman standing next to a custom pinata of herself with a guitar
friends watching a back yard surprise slideshow
gold balloon with 'Pop Me' handwritten on with a Sharpie with strips of paper with other fun facts printed on
individual sheets of fun facts about the guest of honor clipped to string garlands and hung from a tree at a garden party

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