“I guess you could say that my events career officially began as a young girl helping my mother host parties and set the table for day-to-day family meals,” said Virginia Frischkorn, who went on to launch luxury planning services based out of Aspen, Colo., Bluebird Productions, in 2010.
Virginia Frischkorn, the founder of Partytrick.Photo: Courtesy of Partytrick
And (you guessed it) when live events as the world knows them came to a screeching halt in 2020, Frischkorn sought out a new venture—and one that doesn’t require you to leave your home, thus empowering anyone to be the i-dotting, t-crossing event planner Frischkorn prides herself on being. The result? Partytrick, which launched Oct. 13 this year out of a desire to “bring everything I’ve learned from planning and producing luxury and ultra-luxury weddings, corporate, and social events for the most elite clientele to everyone,” Frischkorn explained.
BizBash sat down with the founder and self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” to talk all-things Partytrick, plus how the new company forced Frischkorn to become a tech expert, and how other business owners can stay on their toes for the changes the industry is undoubtedly going to continue to face.
For those who may not know, what is Partytrick all about?
Partytrick is about partying, gathering, community, connection, and creating memories. Whether it be a barbecue, a baby shower, a bachelorette weekend, a date night, or a boozy brunch, Partytrick is here to empower you to host a gathering you can be proud of and feel good about. I believe everyone deserves that feeling and deserves to have the skills to host friends for brunch, a picnic, a supper club, a movie night, a birthday gathering ... and do so with confidence.
"When you use Partytrick, you’ll get customized reminders via SMS or email that help make sure you’ve contemplated the when and how of producing an event," Frischkorn explained in an interview with BizBash.Photo: Courtesy of Partytrick
I think about events in three “buckets,” if you will: what it looks like, what details make up the pieces (think: menus, music, conversation, drinks), and how the event is produced. [Frischkorn described Partytrick as a combination of Pinterest, Asana, and Food52.]
Pinterest is a fabulous source for inspiration. Unfortunately, it doesn’t curate the look or experience. The user must pull the pieces of the puzzle together, and that’s hard if you don’t know that the decor clashes with other pieces of the event. Pinterest is challenging to use when you’re trying to figure out where to purchase items or determine exactly how to DIY the idea shown. Hence #PinterestFail. We solve all of those problems.
Food52 offers the tools to create great food and beverage. Our “details” section is similar to Food52 in the sense that we offer menu concepts, drink concepts, and more.
Asana happens to be my favorite tool to help keep oneself on track professionally and personally. When you use Partytrick, you’ll get customized reminders via SMS or email that help make sure you’ve contemplated the when and how of producing an event. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more bottles of wine and champagne explode in my freezer because I forgot to put them in to chill far in advance ... so I put them in the freezer ... and then forgot to remove them! Our reminders make sure you know when to send out invites, when to order decor pieces, when to confirm your menu, when to empty the garbage, when to turn on your music ... the list goes on and on.
Partytrick boasts how-tos for everything—from an après-ski-themed cocktail party to a daytime birthday party for kids and a family-style farm-to-table to-do. How often are you adding new guides to the site?
We are adding 2-4 parties a week at the moment and have no plans of slowing down. The reasons to celebrate are endless!We launched with parties that were seasonally relevant and hit a wide range of experiences. My team of planners helps flesh out each category based on their experience and passion. When I host parties, I always document what I’ve done so I can refer back to it for Partytrick. We also consult old Bluebird team members and other industry friends. We spend hours researching products and menus and testing them. All of our parties have the ability to be modified. 
Up to four guides for differently themed parties are added to the platform per week, including an après-ski-themed cocktail affair, a daytime birthday party for kids, and a family-style farm-to-table to-do.Photo: Courtesy of Partytrick
There’s also the Tailored Party offering for when you want something custom for your event and one of our parties doesn’t work. We’ve had requests to-date for Christmas present exchange parties, a Scorpio-themed birthday party celebration, a book club dinner party that mimicked the book, a 60th-birthday celebration, and a Pokémon party for a soon-to-be eight-year-old. In this case, our team writes a custom party for the person requesting and then suggests using the DIY feature of the app to ensure notifications are included in the experience.
The Tailored Party is included in PartyPro. This will become a paid feature in the future. At this point in time, we’re working on determining the best user experience for collecting information and how to deliver the party in a fashion that allows this to remain very cost-effective. We are bringing a luxury service to everyone, and keeping costs for the consumer as reasonable as possible is critical for us.
Partytrick provides its users with organized guides to be sure they know what to do from as far out as 14 days before an event up to the minutes before. "I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more bottles of wine and champagne explode in my freezer because I forgot to put them in to chill far in advance ... so I put them in the freezer ... and then forgot to remove them!" Frischkorn said.Photo: Courtesy of Partytrick
What was the learning curve like as it pertains to technology when launching the platform?
While I use tech on a day-to-day basis, working [with it] in this area was a new challenge for me. I have been blessed with some amazing team members who help me identify my blind spots. It is humbling to take certain expertise into a new industry. I love how much there is to learn and how many times it’s better to say: “You’re the expert in XYZ, I’m the expert in ABC, how do we work best to let each other shine?”I do not intend on changing lanes to become a tech expert. I am, however, spending as much time as possible learning what I need to know—and what I don’t—so that I can do my job to the best of my ability while letting others do theirs!
For me, and perhaps some of the team, the learning curve has been greatest in terms of effective communication and realizing that “event” is a common word, but means two very different things for the planners versus the engineers.
How have you been able to build a team you know and trust?
Curiosity and intuition are two things I rely on heavily when building a team. I love researching as much as possible about prospective employees, about other business structures, and about different approaches I could take. Knowledge is power. Relationships are critical. I’m very aware that I do not know what I don’t know, and I love to seek outsider opinions to fill in the holes. I then weigh the opinions, trust my gut, and roll with it.[At Partytrick,] there are just under 10 of us, with another two hires in the near future.
You’ve had a 10-plus year career in meetings and events, but did you learn anything new since starting Partytrick?
It’s nearly impossible to share how much I’ve learned. The list is a mile long, from basic things like new acronyms to how to use tech in a way I didn’t know prior. Most importantly, I do know that now more than ever, passion is key and fuels me when things get tough. When I go back to the passion I have for what we’re building, I can overcome any obstacle we’re faced with.What’s in the pipeline for Partytrick?
There are several new services and features that I cannot wait to roll out in the coming year. They will offer a more custom approach to events—because let’s acknowledge it, nearly everyone wants personalization. There are a handful of partnerships in the pipeline that will benefit our members also. And we’ll likely be adding a new way to experience Partytrick on mobile devices, as a not-so-subtle hint. 2023 is going to be a big year!
The browser-based platform assists hosts with menus, music, conversation starters, drinks, and more. Frischkorn explained that its all about how the event looks, the details, and how its produced.Photo: Courtesy of PartytrickLearn more in this rapid-fire Q&A with Frischkorn:
Your favorite Partytrick party?
I’m very into our campfire-themed party at the moment. I honestly don’t know if there is anything better than s’mores and cozy vibes with friends and family. It’s easy to plan, execute, and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
What's been the platform's greatest success thus far?
Bringing together a team of people to build this company that has the ability to impact so many lives in a positive way.
What about the greatest challenge?
Partytrick is a new concept. It doesn’t exist yet. Once people use and experience Partytrick, they “get it.” Until someone tries it, I’ve found that they don’t see the full value.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be patient.
What about to other startup business owners?
One, curiosity is key. Always. Never stop learning, exploring, and questioning. Two, just do it. There is never a right time. Get out there, get into motion! Three, read The Mom Test.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
