One thing Canine Concierge loves just as much as animals are our Clients!
This year we decided to throw a Client Appreciation Party for their continuous trust and loyalty.
If you’re looking to throw smaller scale parties, check out our themed dog party post for tips and tricks!
Welcome to the party!
With summer coming to an end and the holidays rolling in, we hosted an End-of-Summer bash. Here we bid farewell to the sunny weather and hello to the Fall with our favorite people and pups!
We decided to literally “go big or go home” by renting out a dog park with all the works. First, a spacious field was needed for maximum dog chases. Then, a doggy pool was available for our Olympic swimmers. Finally, an agility course only a gate away for those looking to strut their stuff.
As with any party, especially those involving canine guests, extra precautions had to be taken to ensure everyone’s enjoyment and safety. This made a dog park the ideal venue for our gathering.
Taking the party outside of the comfort of your home involves more than just “what refreshments to serve” and “which games to play.” Purchasing insurance, back-and-forth communication with recreation directors and venue contracts are a big part of it. The bright side however – it’s truly not as complicated as it sounds.
It’s all about finding the right place that will meet your expectations for your perfect party!
Lauren and Sofie sharing a smile
After calling three different local dog parks, we struck luck with the third. Veteran’s Memorial Complex on Zeek Road would be where we would have our gathering. The process was fairly easy once we were provided with all documentation needed to secure our date. Following that, there was signing off for liability/event insurance and terms and conditions.
Our point of contact with the Rec. Department handled everything from taking down our party information to providing the key to grant us access to the park. With a date set and our venue acquired, the next step was bringing the party to life with guests, décor, food and activities.
As a small business, we are a very tight knit union so we all came together! Employees, family, and even another local business that donated a gift basket as a raffle prize helped to make it all come together.
Party Ideas and Activities
The party would showcase:
- A welcome banner made highlighting some of our very own dogs in all their glory
- A “guess how many milk bones” raffle station where the winner would receive the jar of treats
- A prize station where clients could choose from in the event their dog located a chicken-scented ball from our ball pit
- A custom bandana making station with various prints and a template to size it correctly to your dog’s neck
- A “selfie corner” with a decorated frame to capture that perfect shot
- A bucket full of tennis balls and toys to explore
- An added bonus, an agility course was on the other side of the fence in the event the pups wanted to get a little extra entertainment.
- The creme of the crop, a doggy pool in the shape of a dog paw
Walker jumping for joy in our ball pit!
Doggy treats ranging from cheese balls to pumpkin puree bites were homemade. They were also personally vouched for in deliciousness by our own owner/founder Lauren!
For our two-legged party guests we had catering of various deli artisan sandwiches, dips, fruit and veggie platters (that the dogs themselves even tried to sample a few times, yikes!). We also featured homemade poop emoji brownies which we kept away from the dogs’ reach!
You can’t have a party with dogs without something poop-shaped!
The party was a grand success. Hoomans and dogs enjoyed themselves, mingled and made new friends. As business venture it was a great opportunity in marketing for future business to people who were around and curious about our gathering. It was a great chance for clients and employees to meet who hadn’t before. Also, it was the perfect way to reinforce the trust they have in the care we provide one of their most important members of their families by seeing us interact with their pet.
Holly taking a dip!
Hosting a party outside of your home holds challenges but offers a plethora of creative space to really make your party one-of-a-kind.
Stay local, work with the people and businesses around you, and keep in mind who are your guests. Having the right atmosphere and activities are key to a memorable and great party. Especially one with fabulous photos!
Check out our gallery of our dogtastic time!
