By Morgan Bryce
Editor
Parents struggling to plan their child’s next birthday party can turn those worries over to “The Great Indoors Auburn-Opelika,” a locally owned business that officially opened on March 2.
Owned and operated by Wes and Caroline Cutcliffe, The Great Indoors is a “small event company specializing in indoor camping experiences for sleepovers.” Seeing this as a trend in other parts of the country, Caroline said she wanted to lead the way in the Auburn-Opelika area and provide this service to local families.
“We’re for those people who want to host something in their home, that want to have a special experience for their child and us be thought of as that solution,” Caroline said.
The Cutcliffes have been married since 2014 and relocated to the area last June when Wes accepted a surgical position at East Alabama Medical Center.
After having two children, Caroline stepped away from her full-time career in event management and planning, though she never lost her passion for that line of work.
In January, Caroline’s idea for The Great Indoors began to crystallize, and she has been busy since developing her business model, with pricing varying order to order.
Through the business’s website, www.thegreatindoorsao.com, parents will be able to fill out a form with information about the type of party they’re hosting, amount of tents and desired theme.
Caroline said their theme selection is small but will develop and expand based on customer demand. Current examples include camping and hunting themes for boys and princess themes for girls.
Other services offered by The Great Indoors include creating and mailing party invitations for clients, bell (circus, carnival-like) tent and projector rentals and working with local businesses to create party favors like embroidered towels or monogrammed items.
Currently, The Great Indoors’ service covers a 60-mile radius, though they will deliver and set up in cities including Columbus, Lake Martin and Tuskegee. Some areas, however, will require a delivery service fee.
In addition to expanding their themes and offerings, Caroline said she hopes to form partnerships with local caterers and other businesses to help fill out party packages for customers.
“While I can certainly see us being a vendor for some of the local event venues or maybe having one of our own eventually, it’s important to us to stay small and local for our own community. Much like our themes are capable of aging up or down, we want to grow with the families and residents of Auburn, Opelika and greater Lee County,” Caroline said. “When we host a birthday party for a six-year-old, we hope to see him or her year after year, choosing a new theme, then graduating to a backyard experience for a “Sweet 16” party or even a unique atmosphere for a wedding shower. We hope to be the turn-key solution for many different types of celebrations all around the community.”
For more information, call 770-354-0658, like and follow the Facebook page or visit their website.