Hen Party Treasure Hunts.A Black Cat Treasure Hunts Q&A On What To Consider Before Sending Out Your Invites!

Posted on: 17/10/2022

By Tim Carter (Owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)

Hen parties and hen party treasure hunts are definitely a hot topic for us in January and February.I have the feeling that a lot of people get engaged over Christmas and New Year and then start planning as quickly as possible.It can be a bit of a minefield of course, but before you send out your invites here are ten questions,answered as honestly as possible, that show what makes Black Cat Treasure Hunts stand out. When it comes to hen party treasure hunts, in particular... personalised hen party treasure hunts and Sussex hen party treasure hunts, you really should look no further!

Q1. What makes for a good hen party treasure hunt?
A1. It should be personalised for the bride to be that the hen party is in honour of. This will add more fun and memorability to the event. There are cheaper ones that just focus on cliche things to do and look for, but that is not the Black Cat way!
Q2. What are good indicators when I contact a treasure hunt firm about my hen party treasure hunt?
A2. The response should be less than 24 hours. There should be the same person who deals with your initial enquiry that will be involved in writing your treasure hunt. If you would like to see a sample treasure hunt, then that should be offered.
I am self-employed at Black Cat Treasure Hunts. My name is Tim, and I will be the person who answers your initial enquiry and takes the booking all the way through to completion. I am happy to send you a sample.
Q3. What things should I ask about initially and what are good signs in an answer?
A3. Ask about content, how long it will take, if you have any control on start/finish points and what the cost is ideally there will be flexibility in the answer. I send a first draft out so everyone can request changes if necessary and I have no set number of photos or pieces of info that can be used to personalise the hunt with. The hunts themselves normally last two hours but I can adapt to individual group requirements on timings and where to start and finish. Costs are detailed up front in the very first reply.
Q4. How much should it cost in comparison to other activities and overall? 
A4. A hen party treasure hunt should be designed, with time afterwards to do the marking and relaxing, to last a morning or an afternoon pre or post lunch. As such the cost should compare favourably to two shorter activities that have been combined to take up the same amount of time.Be careful to know what type of treasure hunt product you are comparing on cost. A Black Cat hen party treasure hunt is excellent value for the high level of personalisation included.Check our testimonials if you would like confirmation of that.Black Cat offers discounts for numbers above 10 too.
Q5. What `red flags` should I look out for when comparing companies?
A5. I`m not judging companies, but products that are offered as `standard` or `regular` should be steered clear of, unless you really are working to a very tight budget. These are not necessarily a lot cheaper, but they will only include minimal amounts of personalisation ( a few photos/small selection of info). Black Cat Treasure Hunts prides itself on not having limits, preferring to just give out guidelines.
Look out if you are promised the final product a month or more in advance of the day and without the chance to look at a final draft. These treasure hunts are not bothered about possible changes to routes and questions. Black Cat is fully aware of late changes and is constantly checking routes and any question alterations (for example the answer has been changed/removed). I aim to return a first draft around two weeks before the day under the proviso that if it is more than that the customer should not print anything off until a week before, which gives me the opportunity to update them with the very latest.A company that does not give you the chance to see a first draft is not sending you a truly personalised treasure hunt and is probably the biggest red flag I can give you.
Q6. Should I organise the treasure hunt on the day myself or leave it up to a company to do it for me?
A6. This is a good question as some companies automatically put in a member of staff to run it and use it as an excuse to put the price up. Black Cat Treasure Hunts give the option of self managed or with Black Cat being there on the day. A set price is charged whatever size of group is there.
Similarly,SMS style treasure hunts can be frustrating and unwieldy as you decide whether or not to ask for hints as to where the answer is for a particular question. Having  someone independent at the end too can be great for marking purposes as it takes the pressure off you when you just want to relax.Consider your budget,the style of your hunt (in teams vs one group) and maybe the guests that are coming along...will they need additional organising and someone to do the marking/subjective judging for them?!
Q7. How long should the treasure hunt itself take?
A7. I would say 2 hours is a perfect time. A Black Cat treasure hunt for hen parties incorporates approx 30 questions and 5/6 mini challenges for teams to do as much as they can in the time (of two hours). Of course if you decide to stay in one group it may take longer,especially if you are making stops on route(!), but the hunt tends to lose a little continuity in those circumstances sometimes.
I am flexible in terms of timings and can make a hunt shorter if you are stretched for time, but to get the best out of the content and to explore/discover fully then two hours is a good target.
Q8.Does it matter where a company is based?
A8. I would say it definitely can on occasions. A locally based company with a local person writing the hunts is going to be the ideal situation. I have all sorts of links to Sussex (live/educated/worked in the county) with quick access to checking routes and questions. By sticking largely to Sussex I can react quickly to specific requests. 
There are some good franchise companies utilising local people, but they tend to concentrate on treasure hunts with set themes and questions that are likely to stay the same over long periods. Personalised treasure hunts that evolve a lot and need communication are not their preferred style of hunt. SMS hunts are better on fixed routes and less likely to let you choose where to start and finish and leave out personalisation. App based hunts are an improvement, but because they can be run anywhere tend to shy away from bespoke questions/challenges.
Q9. Brighton is the best place in Sussex for a hen party treasure hunt...right?
A9. There`s no doubt that Brighton is the capital of hen parties in Sussex and an excellent place to set and devise varied treasure hunts. However(!) you might note that the majority of companies only mention Brighton for hen party treasure hunts in the county.
Black Cat is available to write them in East and West Sussex. This year I already have several hen party treasure hunt bookings for the delightful town of Rye. Last year there were a couple in the picturesque village of Alfriston. Larger companies do not have the desire or time to write personalised hunts that are away from Brighton. if you want to do things a bit differently by being based in a different place then get in touch.
Q10. Finally...is there anything else I should look out for?
A10. Ok..let`s say you`ve found two local companies with unlimited personalisation in their treasure hunts, at a competitive price, starting and finishing where you want in a place in Sussex you want and they give you the option of them helping with organising and marking on the day. Let`s also say they have excellent reviews and testimonials and a humorous style of writing which you can check in a first draft with time to ask for changes if necessary.
Do they have any added extras like...arranging space in pubs/bars/hotels for you to relax afterwards and do the marking? Can they offer you discounted karaoke in Brighton?! Are they prepared to dress up in fancy dress to fit in with your theme?! Will they send you suggestions for additional activities/accommodation providers/best value car parks/top rated bars and restaurants for no additional cost? Will they buy some fun prizes if they attend on the day for no added cost?  I may be wrong, but only Black Cat Treasure Hunts can answer yes to all these added extras.

Contact me (Tim) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk or call 07445818996 if you would like to start your hen party treasure hunt enquiry.