What Merry Makers does

Merry Makers Inc. is a privately held party rental and entertainment company headquartered in Lakewood, Washington, operating continuously since its founding in 1990. The company delivers, sets up, and operates turnkey event entertainment for four primary customer segments: corporate events, church and community gatherings, school functions, and private celebrations. Its inventory comprises 70+ inflatable units spanning bounce houses (60+ themes), combo bounce-and-slides, dry slides, water slides, obstacle courses, interactive attractions (MELTDOWN, mechanical bull, zorb track), sports and carnival games, a mobile video gaming trailer, photo booths, concessions equipment, and a roster of performers (airbrush artists, face painters, balloon twisters, magicians, holiday characters). All inflatable and major items are delivered by uniformed, background-checked crews with liability insurance and Washington State inspection compliance; smaller items such as concession machines are available for customer pickup.

The underlying technology stack is commodity rental management software (InflatableOffice / rental.software) used for inventory, quotes, and booking management, with a website-based quote system as the primary direct-to-consumer interface supplemented by phone and email sales for enterprise accounts. Revenue is generated through per-event rental fees with standardized durations (typically 4 hours for bounce houses, 3 hours for other equipment) and tiered pricing from $45 for lawn games to $5,885 for 24-hour use of the video gaming trailer, plus hourly performer services ($540-$1,000 per event minimum) and three-tier corporate event packages (delivery, full service, complete event planning with minimum charges). Geographic coverage spans 100+ cities across Western Washington including the Puget Sound region, Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Olympia, Bellingham, and Spokane. The company has held a recurring contract at the Washington State Fair painting approximately 20,000 faces per year and serves named accounts including Trader Joe's Seattle, the Downtown Seattle Association, and the University of Washington. Ownership transitioned in 2022 when Lisa Glabe, previously owner of Absolutely Entertaining, acquired the business from founder Mark Wilson after 32 years.

Name

Merry Makers

Legal name

Merry Makers Inc.

Website

https://merrymakers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Merry Makers is a 30+ year privately held party rental and entertainment company in Lakewood, Washington, delivering inflatables, games, performers, and concessions for corporate, school, church, and private events across 100+ cities in Western Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Party & Event Equipment Rentals

NAICS

All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Parades, Carnivals & Street Fairs (MPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inflatable Water Parks (Floating Obstacle Courses) (THAAABAF), Balloon Decor & Installations (HSACAOAC), Party Games, Novelty & Impulse Toy Distribution (CRAOAMAI)

Keywords

• Bounce house rentals
• Inflatable rentals
• Party equipment rental
• Event entertainment services
• Water slide rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: One-time rental fees for inflatables, games, interactive attractions, and concession equipment. Pricing based on rental duration (typically 4 hours for bounce houses/combos, 3 hours for other items) with additional hourly charges for extended use. Prices range from $45 (lawn games) to $1,600+ (climbing wall).
2. Performer Services: Hourly performer rentals including airbrush artists, face painters, balloon twisters, magicians, and holiday characters. Most performers have 2-hour minimums at $540-$1,000 per event.
3. Event Planning Services: Three-tier corporate event planning service: Level 1 (equipment delivery/setup), Level 2 (Full service with staff operation), Level 3 (Complete event planning partnership). Minimum charges apply for Level 3.
4. Delivery & Priority Services: Free delivery in Lakewood and Tacoma areas; delivery fees apply outside service area. Priority delivery available for additional fee with 2-hour window guarantee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merry Makers rents inflatable attractions (bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, interactive games such as MELTDOWN and Mechanical Bull), sports and carnival games, a mobile video gaming trailer, water play equipment, performers (face painters, balloon twisters, magicians, holiday characters), concession machines, and photo booths. The company delivers, sets up, and operates the equipment at customer sites, and offers three-tier corporate event planning packages. Operations span the Puget Sound region of Washington State with free delivery in Lakewood and Tacoma.

Product overview

Merry Makers is a party rental and entertainment company serving the Puget Sound region of Washington State since 1990. The company operates as a unified rental platform offering physical equipment across multiple categories: inflatable attractions (bounce houses, combo bounce & slides, dry slides, water slides, obstacle courses), interactive games (MELTDOWN, mechanical bull, zorb track), sports and carnival games, video gaming trailer, concessions equipment, performers and staffing, photo booths, and promotional items. The product portfolio works as an integrated rental ecosystem where customers can select individual items or choose from pre-designed event packages (corporate picnics, church events, school events, celebrations). All items are delivered, set up, and operated by Merry Makers' trained staff. The company is headquartered in Lakewood, WA and delivers throughout western Washington including Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, and surrounding areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bounce Houses Inflatable bounce houses available in over 60 themed designs including licensed characters, princesses, sports themes, and holiday themes; most include basketball hoops; designed for children and adults.
• Combo Bounce & Slide Combination bounce house and slide units combining a jump area with an attached slide in one inflatable; includes premium options like Ferris Wheel and Pirate Ship themes.
• Dry Slides Large inflatable slides for dry use (no water), ranging from 15ft to 24ft heights; most allow adults as well as children to ride.
• Sports Games Sports-themed rental games including archery battle, climbing wall, football, gaga pit, mini golf, and battle axes; some include digital score systems.
• Games Carnival games, giant oversized games, and lawn games including cornhole, giant Jenga, Plinko, carnival game walls, and carnival canopies for school, company, or community events.
• Video Gaming Trailer Mobile gaming trailer featuring six 50-inch TVs with PS5, Xbox X, and Switch 2 game consoles; includes on-site game coach, air conditioning, and selection of games for ages 8 to adult.
• Interactives Inflatable and mechanical games designed for teens and adults including bungee basketball, bungee run, dance dome, gladiator joust, human foosball, and zorb track.
• Obstacle Courses Inflatable obstacle courses ranging from 30ft to 135ft in length; options with or without slides; high-throughput attractions for keeping large groups active and entertained.
• MELTDOWN Interactive Game Interactive inflatable game featuring two swinging foam-covered booms that spin and reverse direction; up to 8 players jump or duck to avoid being hit; throughput of 120 players per hour; players must be 48 inches or taller.
• Mechanical Bull Spinning, bucking bull rental with surrounding inflatable air mattress for safety; multiple speed, buck, roll, and spin motions with automatic stop if rider falls; operator controls speed for safety; throughput of 60 players per hour.
• Water Play Inflatable water slides in various heights (15ft to 22ft), dual-lane options, dunk tanks, aqua blasters, water blasters, and foam party equipment; customer provides water.
• Performers & Staffing Professional entertainers including airbrush artists, face painters, balloon twisters, caricature artists, clowns, magicians, jugglers, and holiday performers (Santa, Mrs. Claus); staff for games, rides, and concessions also available; most performers have 2-hour minimums.
• Concessions Food and beverage rental equipment including cotton candy machines, popcorn machines, and sno-kone machines; concession staffing services available.
• Photo Fun Open-concept photo booth rentals with high-quality camera, props, backdrops, and lighting; suitable for weddings, proms, and other events.
• Promotional Attractions Promotional attractions including bubble machines, pop-up canopies, carnival tents, cash cubes, and snow machines for carnivals, trade shows, and grand openings.
• Corporate Event Packages Three-tier corporate event planning service: Party Rental (delivery and setup), Full Service (adds staff to operate attractions), and Event Planning (full partnership including site selection, catering, and scheduling).

Quantifiable outcome

• ~20,000 faces painted annually at Washington State Fair
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Party Reflections: Mid-Atlantic full-service event rental company offering tents, inflatables, games, and event production. Comparable turnkey event entertainment model with corporate and social event customer base.
• Bounce Around: Inflatable and party rental franchise operating in multiple US markets. Overlaps directly with Merry Makers' bounce house, slide, and interactive game rental categories.
• GameTruck: Mobile video gaming trailer rental franchise that brings consoles and large screens to events. Directly competes with Merry Makers' Video Gaming Trailer product ($605-$5,885) and targets the same residential birthday and corporate event segments.
• Premier Party Rental: Regional full-service party rental company offering inflatables, tables, chairs, tents, and event production. Comparable operational model with both residential and corporate event focus.
• Space Walk Inflatables: National inflatable rental franchise specializing in bounce houses, slides, and obstacle courses for parties and events. Most direct head-to-head competitor on Merry Makers' core inflatable rental offering across the US.
• Fun Services: California-based event entertainment company offering inflatables, carnival rides, interactive games, performers, and concessions. Highly comparable product mix and three-tier corporate event service model.

Regional players

• Letz Party: Inflatable and party rental franchise operating in select US regions. Comparable product offering (bounce houses, slides, water inflatables) but focuses on different geographies than the Pacific Northwest.
• Backyard Bounce: Regional inflatable party rental operator in select US markets offering bounce houses, water slides, and obstacle courses. Comparable product mix with a smaller-scale, geographically isolated operating model.

Others

• Inflatable Depot: Wholesale distributor and retailer of commercial-grade inflatables and party rental equipment. Not a competitor but a key supplier / capital cost benchmark for any rental operator including Merry Makers.
• Carnival Warehouse: Wholesale supplier of carnival games, inflatables, and concession equipment. Adjacent ecosystem participant that informs procurement pricing for the inflatable rental industry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNzFRj-yHTLzA_J3FtQN-Xg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/merrymakersevents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merry Makers