If you had to plan your birthday celebration and used no technology, who would show up? I embarked on this experiment about a week before my birthday on the 13th. I would only invite people if we were face to face. I wouldn’t use email or snail mail… just simple, literal word of mouth.
I ran into 5 people before my birthday. 1 I didn’t want to invite because last year he had an unreasonable personal emergency (I have to be in the City for my girlfriend at 2pm) that forced me to cancel my birthday celebration in the forest. And ya, no cell coverage. 2 couldn’t make it because it wasn’t convenient for them. 2 made it because they’re my friends that I’ve been hanging out with at least on a weekly basis.
On the day of my birthday, I ran into 2 people I knew but hadn’t seen in ages, and they sang, “Happy Birthday” to me from a car while I was walking down the street.
I had an Evite inspired birthday bash two years ago on the roof top of a building on Carl and Cole. Over 40 people showed up.
Technology based birthday: 40 people
Just using physical word of mouth: 2 people
I don’t want to say one is more real than the other… after all what is reality? Out of the 40 people that were at my technology based birthday, only 1 person showed up to my word of mouth birthday.
One reply on “The No-Tech Invite Birthday Celebration”
barce, it seems to me that those i’d see in person in the time period in which invites could be extended would be much smaller than the number of people i’d actually know and want to invite.
but it depends on the type of experience you wish to have, too. if you only want your closest friends that you see the most frequently to celebrate with you, then do the f2f invite thing.
if you want all your friends and extended circles to come and be with you, do the electronic thing.
the other aspect is that technology based tools generate reminders for folks and provide information that people may not take down in person.
and best of all, do both — people who get the warm touch on top of electronic reminders are going to be more likely to show.