Fall festivals, school carnivals, church harvest events, trunk-or-treats and company family days will be here before you know it.

And if you're organizing one in the Omaha area this fall, here's one of the most useful questions you can ask early:

What are people actually going to DO when they get there?

A great family event usually isn't built around one attraction. It's a mix of activities that gives families reasons to explore, participate and stick around.

You may already have food, games, music, inflatables or a trunk-or-treat planned. Interactive entertainment can become another part of that experience.

At The Balloon Brigade, we provide Omaha-area events with options including balloon twisting, face painting, airbrush temporary tattoos and other live family entertainment.

But choosing entertainment shouldn't start with:

“Which entertainer should we hire?”

For a larger event, a better question is:

“What entertainment mix makes sense for our crowd?”

1. Start With Who Is Coming

Before choosing activities, think about the actual audience.

A school carnival filled mostly with elementary-age children is very different from a company family festival with preschoolers, kids, teenagers, parents and adults all attending together.

Ask:

• How many people are expected?

• What ages will be there?

• How long is the event?

• Will guests arrive all at once or throughout the event?

• Is the event indoors, outdoors or both?

Those answers can completely change the entertainment plan.

2. Don't Forget About the Line

Here's something event organizers sometimes discover too late:

A popular attraction can become TOO popular.

If one activity attracts a huge portion of your crowd, the line itself can begin affecting the event.

That's why crowd flow matters.

For larger Omaha festivals and carnivals, consider whether you need:

• More than one entertainer

• Multiple entertainment stations

• Different activities for different age groups

• Entertainment placed in separate areas

• A simplified selection of choices at high-volume attractions

For example, balloon artists may sometimes use a menu of designs at large events. Giving guests a clear group of choices can help people decide more quickly and keep the experience moving.

The goal isn't simply to attract a crowd.

The goal is to entertain the crowd you attracted.

3. Balloon Twisting, Face Painting or Airbrush Tattoos?

There isn't one correct answer.

Balloon Twisting

Balloon twisting is highly interactive and gives guests something they can carry around the event.

It can be especially effective for family events, school carnivals, festivals and community celebrations.

Face Painting

Face painting becomes part entertainment and part transformation.

It's highly visual, which can add color and activity throughout a festival as painted guests continue walking around the event.

For larger crowds, however, planners should consider the number of painters, design complexity, workspace and line management.

Airbrush Temporary Tattoos

Don't overlook airbrush tattoos.

They can be especially useful when your event includes older kids, tweens, teens or mixed-age families.

They're also a strong complement to balloon twisting or face painting rather than simply an alternative to them.

For some events, the best answer isn't choosing one.

It might be creating two or three different entertainment experiences.

4. Think About WHERE the Entertainment Goes

Location matters more than people realize.

Putting every major activity in one small section can create a giant traffic jam.

Think about:

• Where families will line up

• Where parents will stand

• Entrances and exits

• Food-service areas

• Vehicle traffic at trunk-or-treat events

• Lighting

• Noise

• Visibility

• Space around the entertainer

Sometimes spreading entertainment around an event creates a better experience than building one enormous activity zone.

5. Have an Omaha Fall Weather Plan

Fall in Nebraska can be beautiful.

It can also decide to rewrite your entire event plan.

If your festival is outside, think in advance about:

• Rain

• Wind

• Temperature

• Lighting as sunset gets earlier

• Covered areas

• An indoor backup location

If weather forces entertainment to move, knowing where it can go BEFORE the event is much easier than solving the problem while several hundred guests are arriving.

6. Start Planning Before October

If you're organizing an Omaha fall festival, school carnival, church event, employee family day or community celebration, August is not too early to start thinking about entertainment.

In fact, this is exactly when those conversations should begin.

The earlier you know your estimated attendance, audience ages, event length and entertainment goals, the easier it is to build a plan that fits the event.

Need Help Choosing the Right Entertainment Mix?

You don't necessarily need to know whether you want one balloon artist, two face painters, airbrush tattoos or several different entertainment stations before contacting us.

Tell us about the event.

How many people are coming? What ages? How long is it? What kind of event are you planning?

The Balloon Brigade can help you explore entertainment options that make sense for your Omaha-area event.

Visit TheBalloonBrigade.com to explore our entertainment options or request information for your fall event.