Arcade Game Night: Hosting A Successful Gaming Birthday Party In Chicago 

WINTRUST SPORTS COMPLEX

gaming birthday party

For most kids, their birthday is second only to Christmas in the holiday hierarchy. There’s cake, there’re free gifts, and – more important than anything else – everyone celebrates you. 

When we grow up, that day of personal celebration is often lost. Instead, adult responsibilities overwhelm our schedule until there’s no room left for fun. Or, we lose connections with the people we’d like to celebrate with most. 

Worse yet, certain opinionated people claim having a birthday party as an adult is immature.

Those people are wrong.

Maybe your adult birthdays haven’t gone well in the past. You can change that today! Nobody is fated to a life without birthday parties from age until death. Whether you’re six or sixty-seven, you deserve a birthday that makes you feel special.

There are plenty of ways to party on your special day. But if you love old-school vibes and a little friendly competition, a gaming birthday party might just be perfect. 

birthday party event space

What Makes a Gaming Birthday Party Great?

As with any party, a great gaming birthday party starts with a great venue. 

It’s wise to start your venue search with a phrase like, “indoor activities near me.” 

While partying in the great outdoors in fun in the sun, Chicago’s weather is notoriously fickle. Having an interior space as a “Plan B” (or, planning to celebrate inside from the jump) means a storm won’t wash away your fun. 

Every birthday party event space claims it offers a unique, joyful atmosphere. In truth, most venues are fairly generic. They either chase trends, or they have a “classic aesthetic.” An aesthetic that says, “I’m just like everybody else.”

A gaming birthday party is different. Hosting your Chicago birthday at an arcade or sports complex means the party’s already going strong. You just need to roll in. 

The music, lights, and gear are honed by professionals to offer maximum fun! There’s no awkward standing around trying to figure out what to do. 

Instead, you and your friends have options in spades. At a gaming birthday party, you can dive into joy the moment you walk through the door.

That said, there’s more to party planning than just booking the right space. Try these tactics to make your birthday a surefire success.

1. Consider Your Guest List Thoughtfully

Guests make or break the party. 

At a gathering with only your closest friends, it’s obvious every single person has the power to shift the mood. But even if you throw a giant bash, reflect on what you know about the people in your life. 

Who has bold, fun ideas? Whose presence tends to prevent conflict? Choose the people in your life you care most about. Then, consider who you can count on to elevate the vibe. 

2. Your Chicago Birthday Party Needs a Savvy Technician

Don’t underestimate the technology it takes for a gaming birthday bash to run smoothly! A good birthday party event space has a solid technical team.

If your audio setup glitches in the middle of karaoke – or heartfelt birthday wishes – it can bring the energy down. Likewise, if you need to troubleshoot the internet connection when you should be having fun, it can derail your good time. 

Figure out what tech specs you need to bring your birthday vision to life. Then, connect with pros who can deliver exactly that.

3. Find Your Party’s Purpose

This might seem counterintuitive. It’s your birthday, right? But if you take time to pause and reflect, you’ll discover the deeper, more personal reason you want to celebrate. 

Maybe it’s to draw your friends closer. Or, maybe you want to get “unstuck” from a rut, and this is your chance to try something new!

Once you know the dream at the heart of your party, let that drive your plans. Evoke the spirit of that purpose in every phase. Invitations that reflect deeper intentions get warm responses. Decor, food, and events can all underscore this purpose – making the party as a whole ring true. 

chicago birthday

4. Pace Yourself 

Build in room to breathe. Planning a party can be stressful and overwhelming. And, even on the day of, you might have to force yourself to relax. Remember: your party is not your boss! 

One great way to prevent overwhelm is to outsource tasks to professionals. Choose a well-staffed birthday party event space. Then, let party pros take over the logistics. Turn your attention to sparking your own joy! 

5. Switch It Up!

The word “gaming” covers a lot of ground in the realm of entertainment. That gives you options. Options can spark spontaneous fun!

Don’t lock yourself (and your guests!) into a monolithic schedule. A party is a chance to embrace variety. It’s the spice of life!  

6. Let There Be Cake

No Chicago birthday is complete without dessert. Professional chefs worldwide praise the city’s culinary scene. That absolutely includes cakes. To make your life easier, you can find a venue that offers dessert, like Station Grille at Wintrust Sports Complex!

7. Pick a Memorable Theme 

Birthdays are personal. A party theme is an opportunity to showcase something special about this unique celebration. At a gaming birthday party, you could go all in. Build an aesthetic from your favorite sports team or arcade game. 

Or, get your creative juices flowing. Come up with a theme that’s truly outside the box, yet still reflects who you are. Remember, if you’re throwing an outdoor bash, themed decors must be durable. If your party is largely indoor activities near me, material ruggedness matters less. 

Design forecaster’s predictions could kickstart your theme brainstorm. Nature-oriented styles blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. Retro-future themes draw on nostalgia for a future we didn’t get, and hope for one we might create.

gaming birthday party

Have Fun, Relax, Let Us Take Care of the Rest

Life is stressful enough. Your Chicago birthday party doesn’t have to be. 

With Wintrust, you can relax knowing your party is in good hands. Our venue of professionals has every detail covered. Our venue itself boasts 72,000 sq ft of sports courts, a laser tag arena, and the expansive Redemption Arcade. 

Call (708) 295-9500, and discover how Wintrust can take your party to the next level.