How to Throw a Party

A big part of an Octavarius show is the after-party. We have been called “young and hip” party hosts by Huffington Post and we had a great time hosting the parties for the 2011 Chicago Improv Festival. Throwing a good party is key to creating new friendships and strengthening existing ones. Here are 5 key tips to making your party awesome.

1. SET-UP

Your pre-party set-up can help you keep the energy and conversation up at your party. Make sure you have seating for just less than half of your guests. This will stimulate people moving from one part of the party to another. It helps to have destinations for people to go to in the party. The bar is best on one side of the party and the bathrooms on another. If you have a dance/social area in the middle, this encourages flow from the bar to the dance floor to the bathrooms. Then, add another location where people can connect and conversation can come out of an activity you have for them such as a sweet vintage Atari set-up for multi-player pong, Connect Four, Darts, or Gunball. This gives the people another activity to loosen them up. Keep it simple, so that anyone can do it and feel good about themselves. Remember the main goal of your party is to provide an environment for your guests to unwind, let loose, meet new people, dance, and possibly get laid.

2. HOSTING

Throwing a party is not about impressing people, so keep your rare music, fancy boozes, and fancy food for smaller gatherings. As host, you are the captain of the ship. You are responsible for seeing this thing through to the end, so you cannot get so wasted that you are not able to host. After the guests have left, you can be as irresponsible with yourself as you please. You are the example for the party. You should have a beverage in hand to encourage more carousing. You should sample the food and encourage others. You should dance. As host, you must make sure that no one is excluded from conversation at your party. You are the pot-stirrer. When you feel a dip in energy, lightly stir things up. If the party has segmented into several groups that never intermingle, it is up to you to introduce people to each other.

Start a conversation with someone at your party and then bring them over to another person that has something in common with them. Such as:

“Hey Billy, I was just talking with Lauren and she loves classic NES games. Don’t you have one that you still play?”

Boom. Way to host.

3. MUSIC

Play music that you feel at least 70% of the party would enjoy. A major key is to play things that the women at your party would enjoy. If the women at your party aren’t having fun, then your party will end very quickly. If you need me to explain why, then you probably should be looking into some more advice outside of just throwing a party. Don’t put your heavy dance songs or those songs that you want everyone to sing along to at the top of your night, you have to allow people to gradually settle in to your party before you put on the heavier stuff. You can pepper in some of your favorites in the playlist, but remember: this is a party for your guests, you can listen to your favorite songs all by yourself whenever you want.

4. BEVERAGES

If your party is BYOB, you still should have some beer and liquor available in case someone forgot. When stocking your bar, remember your basic liquors (vodka, gin, rum, and bourbon) and a lager beer should be fine. Stock with women in mind first because, as has been said before, If the women at your party aren’t having fun, then your party will end very quickly.

4A. HOW TO DEAL WITH NONDRINKERS: It is inevitable that you will have a nondrinker or two at your party. Although it is their choice, they do not have the right to impose their choice on others. But being the awesome host you are, you should make sure to have several non-alcoholic options for them. They can not only serve as beverages for nondrinkers, but they can also be mixers for other alcoholic beverages. Everyone at your party should feel welcome, comfortable, and cool because they’re at YOUR party.

5. DEALING WITH THE UNEXPECTED AND ENDING THE PARTY

You set the tone for your party. If you’re running around all stressed about the party, everyone will feel that. So, relax. If something gets broken, realize that is part of what can happen at a party and move on appropriately.

If people you don’t like show up to the party, don’t make a big stink out of it. Just don’t invite them next time.

5A. ENDING A CONVERSATION: You’ve been an excellent host all night, stirring the pot of your party, getting different crowds to intermingle by striking up great conversation and introducing guests to one another. A big thing that many people forget is that conversations at parties have a flow to them that leads to an ending. It is not rude at all to end a conversation, it can save you both from saying negative things about others at the party while searching for a topic, thus making you both leave the conversation looking classy. Once you feel the conversation is coming to a close, say something true and simple such as,

“I’m going to go to the bar to get another drink, would you like to join me?”

Generally new stimuli will come up and both of you will go your separate ways. Another option is to introduce them to someone at your party that you think they should meet. Then you may stay or leave the conversation as needed.

There is no shame in ending a party when it has run its course. When you want people to leave your party because you are tired or you feel things coming to an end, put the liquor and food away. Parties end really quickly when there’s no more booze.