Private Paint and Sip Parties: A Studio Owner's Guide

Private parties were a complete accident for me — a friend asked if I'd run her hen do, and within a year they were 40% of my revenue. They're worth taking seriously.

The four parties that pay your rent

Hen dos, milestone birthdays (especially 30 and 40), baby showers, and best-friend birthdays. These four account for the majority of private bookings. Build your packages around them.

Package the offer

Don't sell 'a paint and sip session'. Sell 'a 2-hour Hen Do Painting Party for 6 to 12 guests, with prosecco, your choice of painting, and a takeaway canvas each'. The named package books at twice the conversion rate of the generic version.

Pricing — flat rate the room

Charge a flat rate for the booking (£350 to £500 for up to 12 guests), with a per-extra-guest charge above that. Take a non-refundable deposit at booking to weed out the time-wasters.

Upsells that double your margin

Personalised easel signs (£3 cost, £15 charge), a printed group photo (£2 cost, £10 charge), an extra 30 minutes (£75), a small grazing board ordered from the venue (markup the platter). One in three private parties takes at least one upsell when you mention it in the booking email.

Run it like a host, not a teacher

Private parties have a guest of honour. Mention her by name throughout the session, make sure her painting gets a moment in the photo, and offer to take the group shot at the end. That's the moment that drives the Instagram tag — and the next 5 private bookings.

Inquiry-to-booking templates

Have a stock 'private party' reply template that goes out within 1 hour of every enquiry. Speed of response is the single biggest factor in winning the booking. Every Paint n Sip Designs painting comes with a private-party flyer you can attach to that first reply.