Every day millions of girls of Hispanic descent in the U.S. turn quince, or 15 years old. They celebrate this teen coming-of-age event with a festive celebration called a Quinceañera. One of the unique features of this major teen coming-of-age event is the Quince Girl keeps a court like a bride keeps her maids and groom keeps groomsmen. Just like a wedding party, the Quince Girl and her court need a ride to the ceremony.
The Ideal Booking
An ideal booking for a single Quinceañera can be up to three limousine or party buses from your fleet. For example, the Quince Girl may choose a classic limousine for her and her court — traditionally consisting of eight couples — and another for her closest family and friends for the initial pickups and trip to the religious ceremony held at a church. From the church, the Quince Girl may want a party bus to transport her and her court to the reception and after party. For a limousine fleet owner, this type of booking could help ensure more cars get off the lot and into service.
Unlimited Stops
In addition to multiple pickups, drop off at the church, the reception, and the after party, the Quince Girl may want to be “taken to several picture locations for a photo shoot,” says Anna Olejnik, customer service manager at VIP Limousine, Inc. in Chicago, Ill.
It’s important for her to know unlimited stops are included in her package as there will be many. It’s a selling point VIP Limousine mentions in its marketing materials.
“This is extremely important because when one books an hourly reservation, multiple pick-ups or picture locations are what they need,” Olejnik says. “As a result, it’s important to let our clients know they can make as many stops as they need without any additional charge.”
This is what enticed Lupe Perez, a 19 year old from New York’s Hudson Valley, to book her limousine when she was planning for her Quinceañera. “I looked for a [limo] service that didn’t mind taking us all over — like different parks and stuff,” Perez said.
Limousine Or Party Bus?
Each Quince Girl differs in her tastes about her preference for a limousine or party bus, as YouTube Quinceañera vlogger Stephanie Rangel suggests on her channel, MyQuinceanera. In her video, Quinceañera Party Bus or Limousine?, noticeable trends stand out.
Olejnik notes, “The industry is definitely growing more into a party bus industry. However, the classic and elegant look of stretch limousines and SUVs will never falter. Those with a refined taste will still lean towards the classic look. However, modern times are calling for contemporary party buses.”
The Size
Sometimes it’s not so much about whether the Quince Girl prefers a limousine or party bus, but how many can fit in either. While she may love the classic look of a limousine, she may pass up a 13-passenger stretch Lincoln Navigator for a 28-passenger party bus. Her full ball gown, with crinoline and accessories, may take up to two to three seats. She must ensure enough room to accommodate her gown.
Yeyney Mendez Peralta, who lives in Pennsylvania, recalls shopping for limos for her Quinceañera. “I tried to look for the one [limo] that the people who were going to go with me [would ] fit in and not be smushed. It’s better to have more space, I think.”
Colors
Colors have meaning in the Quinceañera, and it’s important the color of the limousine complement the colors worn by the Quince Girl and her court. Peralta adds, “the color of the limo should match the Quinceañera dress color. My dress color was mint and I got a white limo.” VIP Limousine is ready to meet this request. “All of our vehicles are white since we specialize in weddings, Quinceañeras, and large scale events,” Olejnik says. “We find our clients think they are much more appropriate for the occasion.”
Bilingual Staff
While many Quince Girls speak English, their parents, who often do most of the planning and booking, may speak it as a second language. To close a sale, having a bilingual staff member may be a huge plus when speaking with a parent.
Mercedes Gonzalez, director of purchasing at Global Purchasing Companies, a firm that buys Quinceañera dresses for member retailers nationwide, says a bilingual chauffeur can be advantageous and just as important when speaking with the parents in their native language. “I would say 90% of the girls are English speakers and would prefer someone who speaks both [Spanish and English].” At VIP Limousine, they have bilingual customer service representatives for this reason.
But what if you don’t have any bilingual staff? For a fleet owner with no bilingual staff or Quinceañera marketing efforts, there’s still a chance to service the Quince Girl. “What is most important is the service and quality of vehicles you have to offer, [and] what makes you different than other companies out there,” Olejnik says. In fact, because VIP Limousine proved itself as an exceptional transportation provider, it was able to organically attract the lucrative Quinceañera market. “We started out mostly marketing to weddings. However, we quickly became known in the luxury transportation industry, and as demand grew, we tailored our packages and created a specific one for Quinceañeras.”
Every day, millions of Hispanic girls turn 15 and celebrate with a coming-of-age event, the Quinceañera. Grow your teen coming-of-age event business by expanding to service this market. If you book weddings, you already know a great deal about handling a Quinceañera. To increase your share of this market, consider offering the Quince Girl a variety of makes, models, and colors of vehicles to match her dress, upsell or cross sell more than one vehicle for various segments, accommodate unlimited stops, add bilingual staff members, and always count the Quince Girl as two to three people to accommodate her gown. Implement these practices and notice a difference in your business.
KESHIA RICHMOND is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Prom Guide Magazine (www.promguide.com) based in Pompano Beach, Fla. For a complimentary, basic, SEO friendly page and listing for your limousine company on PromGuide.com, the resource for teens attending prom and all teen coming-of-age events, send an email to keshia.richmond@promguide.com.
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