The Prom Must Go On: New Survey Finds Majority of High School Parents Think Schools Should Have a Prom in the Wake of COVID-19

FORT WAYNE, Ind., April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Parents of high school students want their children to experience the same rites of passage that they had, including prom, despite -- or maybe in light of -- the year-long devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced schools across the U.S. to heavily modify or even cancel their traditional end-of-year events.

According to a recent national online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of online party planning superstore Shindigz, nearly four out of five parents of high school students (79%) think schools should do whatever they can to make sure kids can have at least some form of prom this year, even if it looks different than prior years. More than half (53%) would be willing to hold a prom at their home if prom should be canceled by their child's school.

The High School Class of 2021 will have the unfortunate mark of being known as the Senior Class that spent most of their last year in a "virtual world" but there is still a strong desire among parents, students and schools to make the best of a bad situation when it comes to Prom. Other findings from the study include:

• Nearly two-thirds of parents of high schoolers (65%) say their kids would be devastated if they weren't able to attend their prom
• 67% of parents of high schoolers say that prom was one of their favorite high school memories, and that they could not imagine their child not getting to experience it
• 77% of parents of high school kids say that having a fun prom theme (such as luau, disco, under the sea) makes the event feel more special

"Prom is such a special time for these students who have already had to sacrifice so much in the last year -- Shindigz can help them make the occasion memorable while practicing necessary safety precautions," said party planning expert Wendy Moyle, co-founder of Shindigz, a family-owned business that has been serving customers for more than 90 years. "Our business was founded on the creation of the Prom Memory Booklet in 1926 and we've served millions of proms in the decades since. Based on strong sales for prom-related items in the first quarter, we are predicting a welcome return for prom this year. Regardless of whether schools move the prom outdoors, to a hybrid setting, or keep indoor venues, it's all about providing the best experience to help make up for what was missed in 2020."

Moyle suggests getting creative with decorations and themes.

"The theme is the starting point of planning the prom," she shares. "It provides the direction for everything starting with the invitations, the grand march décor, prom décor, coronation setting and favors/mementos. Having a theme and colors to support the theme is the thread that ties it all together."

The prom themes trending this year at Shindigz include:

• Hollywood: The Hollywood prom theme has a much deeper meaning in 2021 as students escape into the world of movies, just as they did during quarantine.
• Masquerade: Since masks are a normal part of life now, play it up even more with the Masquerade theme. Make it beautiful and mysterious!
• Parisian: Since traveling is limited during the pandemic, bringing one of the most visited cities, Paris, to prom will make up for lost travels.
• Roaring 20s: 2020 might have been a disaster so relive 1920 instead. Think Great Gatsby elegance, flapper dresses, gold and black Art Deco-inspired decor and the over-the-top glitz and glamour of a bygone era.

Regardless of the theme, Shindigz offers the largest selection of 2021 Prom decor: from balloons, banners and yard signs to backdrops and props for photo booths, even timely swag items like customized masks, hand sanitizer and other items perfect for a COVID-safe prom. Choose from complete theme kits that contain fun, Instagram-worthy party props to set the mood and for taking tons of photos. Each kit contains coordinating supplies and more can be found by shopping the theme throughout the Shindigz site.

For more information visit http://www.shindigz.com.

About Shindigz
It all started with the invention of the Prom Memory Booklet in 1926. In business for 94 years, Shindigz is the family-owned online party superstore for all of your event and celebration needs with more than 20,000 one-of-a-kind items. The goal of Shindigz is to make all party planning as simple as possible by offering unique and customizable products, ideas, and support that elevate any event/celebration. Prom items remain among their best-selling as more than 70 percent of the nation's schools trust Shindigz for their prom favors, decorations, invitations, coronations and props. Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Shindigz is owned by Shep Moyle and Wendy Moyle, who are parents to three adult children. At Shindigz, family is always a celebration!

Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Shindigz from March 19 - 23, 2021 among 2,058 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 251 are parents of high school kids. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

Media Contact

Camile Sardina, Shindigz, +1 (407) 334-8545, [email protected]

SOURCE Shindigz