Oriental Trading Introduces Online Party Planner

Innovative Features Allow Customers to Spend Little Time Creating Big Events

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oriental Trading, the nation’s largest direct merchant of value-priced party supplies, arts and crafts, toys and novelties, and a leading provider of school supplies and affordable home décor and giftware, recently introduced Party Planner — a free, easy and convenient way for consumers to plan great parties for birthdays, schools, offices, weddings, baby showers and year-round events of all kinds.

“This is an especially terrific site for time-pressed, party-planning moms like me! I LOVE this.”

“Our new online Party Planner is free and allows customers to plan, organize and manage their parties and events as well as purchase value-priced party supplies all through orientaltrading.com,” said Sam Taylor, CEO of Oriental Trading. “The addition of Party Planner to our website is one more step toward helping our customers save time and money all year long by managing their events and celebrations from beginning to end. With all of the best party planning features right at their fingertips, and over 30,000 products to choose from, customers can enjoy creating fun, personalized parties and events from the comfort of their own home.”

Party Planner enables customers to easily manage every detail of planning their event:

• Save the Dates and Invitations are available in more than 1,500 customizable styles and designs
• Easy RSVP tracking including interactive Message Boards and built-in reminders
• Potluck helps hosts organize and lets guests decide which menu items or party supplies to bring
• After Party allows video and photo sharing for enjoyment well beyond the event
• Simple sharing on any social networking site including Facebook and Twitter

Oriental Trading Company is making it easy for busy customers to take party planning to the next level. “I just spent under 10 minutes online creating a fabulous party invitation, loading e-mail names, and shared it on my social network in less time than it takes me to get to the card shop, and I didn’t have to leave my house,” said Cathy Riva, from Celebrate Everyday TV and Riva Events. “This is an especially terrific site for time-pressed, party-planning moms like me! I LOVE this.”

As with everything Oriental Trading Company offers, Party Planner is aimed at helping customers connect more easily and affordably with their family and friends. With all of the best party-planning tools in one convenient place, this exciting new online service can help anyone save time and become more organized when planning their next celebration. The company entered into an agreement with Punchbowl Software to license the Party Planner technology, similar to what is available publicly on MyPunchbowl.com. Oriental Trading will unveil additional features for the Party Planner in the next few months.

About Oriental Trading Company
Oriental Trading Company is the nation’s largest direct merchant of value-priced party supplies, arts and crafts, toys and novelties, and a leading provider of school supplies and affordable home décor and giftware. Recognized as one of the Top 50 Catalog Companies, Oriental Trading Company employs approximately 3,000 employees and offers more than 30,000 products to individuals, teachers, schools, churches, businesses and not-for-profit organizations. From pink flamingos, party supplies and grass skirts to holiday decorations, scrapbooking supplies, and crafts, Oriental Trading Company makes the world more fun! www.orientaltrading.com.

About Punchbowl Software
Punchbowl Software is the company behind the critically acclaimed website MyPunchbowl.com. MyPunchbowl.com helps consumers plan parties from start to finish with ideas, online invitations, favors, gift registries, photo/video sharing, and more. In addition to our award-winning party planning site, MyPunchbowl.com offers free eCards, a useful Reminders service, Engagement Announcements, and a content site called Reasons to Celebrate. Founded by software and user interface experts Matt Douglas and Sean Conta, the company is located in Framingham, MA and is backed by Contour Venture Partners and Intel Capital. To learn more, visit http://www.mypunchbowl.com.