Hosting (Stress-Free) Birthday Parties While Giving Back

Jennifer Schenberg is a marketing and
 public relations expert and CEO of 
Long Island-based PenVine. Jennifer founded PenVine 12 years ago to support innovation and growth for companies and people in the technology, mobile, 
entertainment, energy and clean/green 
industries. Visit PenVine at 
www.penvine.com or on Twitter 
@PenVine, or reach Jennifer at
 jennifer@penvine.com

Another year, another special day. Birthday parties are still big in our house, with 365 days of “subtle” suggesting, sharing of ideas and special requests for the “Next Big Day.” It’s adorable but sometimes a little stressful, especially if we’re hosting a big bash at home.

Then there’s the question of what gifts to get? For years my younger daughter loved Dora the Explorer, then it was My Little Pony. Today, it’s all things “Frozen.” My almost-ten-year-old “teen angel” prefers gift certificates – or an iPhone, of course. Kids have the pulse on toys and gaming, and gift marketers should be enlisting their help to shape and discover the next big ideas.

That’s exactly what Debbie Zinman and Alison Smith of ECHOage are doing. These two mompreneurs decided to address the birthday gift rush, by enlisting the help of an advisory counsel comprised of their own kids, to help “change the face of birthday parties, for good.”

ECHOage, a company based out of Toronto, Canada, claims to be modernizing the birthday party experience for both hosts and guests by replacing wasted time, money and gifts with the gratifying feeling of being “a really good parent to really great kids.” The company endeavors to make sharing the joy easier and more meaningful for party celebrations by managing invites and guests, streamlining gift-giving, and a charitable give back program — using eco-friendly, paperless invites.
 
A first-of-its-kind, online service, ECHOage “helps make parties less work, gift giving more substantial and giving back an added element.” 

Here’s how it works:

• There is a stylish assortment of online invitations, some designed by Etsy artisans, to choose from;

• Party hosts can track RSVP’s and notes from guests;

• Guests can collectively contribute to quality, meaningful gifts chosen by the host;

• Guests can contribute to the host’s chosen charity;

• Party hosts can join the Heroes page, which acknowledges their charitable accomplishments. 

There are a number of online invitation companies including Paperless Post, Celebrations, and Punch Bowl, among others — but it seems the charitable give-back program sets ECHOage apart. Teaching children about supporting a cause is positive and meaningful, and at the ages of 5-6+, kids can see the joy in it and appreciate how they can help contribute by utilizing their Birthday Party as a way to give back.