Start with your guests and the purpose of the game

For a party, the aim may be a fun activity with a small keepsake. At a wedding, a prize might form part of the guest experience. At a business event, it could introduce a product or encourage a conversation. Decide what a successful interaction looks like before choosing the contents.

Consider the ages of the people playing. Ask the prize supplier about suitability for the intended age group and any product warnings. If guests include young children, plan who will supervise and help with the activity. A machine and a box of prizes do not replace that decision.

Check a sample with the actual machine

Send the hire supplier the item’s dimensions, weight and packaging, along with photographs. The question is not just whether it fits inside the cabinet. The claw, prize bed and exit chute also need to suit it. Items that look similar can behave differently because of their shape or packaging.

Ask whether a sample can be checked before you commit to a bulk order. Confirm whether the item will be used loose, in a capsule or in other packaging. Avoid replacing an agreed prize with a different size or weight at the last minute without checking again. Do not assume that any machine can accept your own products.

  • Item and package dimensions
  • Weight and material
  • Photographs of the item from more than one side
  • A physical sample if requested
  • Confirmation of the final presentation inside the machine

Plan the quantity and who will refill it

Guest numbers alone do not tell you how many prizes to order. The length of the activity, the expected number of turns and the agreed event format also matter. Discuss the intended experience with the supplier; do not promise every guest a prize unless a separate arrangement makes that possible.

Clarify the starting fill, spare stock and refill responsibility. Decide where spare prizes will be kept and who is permitted to open or operate the cabinet. Staff should follow the supplier’s handover instructions. If you want everyone to leave with a gift, a separate gift table may be easier to plan than making the entire distribution depend on game results.

Keep presentation and placement in the same plan

For a promotion, share the brand artwork, prize idea and event brief together. Ask which branding options are actually available, what the artwork requirements are and when approval is needed. Branding, custom fills and attendants should each be confirmed in the quote rather than assumed.

Think about the queue as well as the cabinet. People need room to watch, play and leave with their prize without blocking another activity. Agree the final location with the venue and supplier, including the power arrangement, before the room is dressed.

Send one clear prize brief

Include your event date, venue, guest ages, approximate numbers, planned activity times and the prize you want to use. Say whether you already own the prizes or need to discuss sourcing them. Add any branding requirements and your deadline for ordering stock.

For Arcade Game Australia enquiries, prize inclusions, customisation and refill arrangements are confirmed for the particular booking. The illustrated claw machine on this site is not a promise of a specific model or prize package.