How to Plan and Host The Perfect Cocktail Party

Hosting a cocktail party can be a great way to meet people, connect your friends, and have a great time all around.

It will also help you boost your reputation as someone who brings people together and hosts great parties - who doesn’t want to know someone like that? Hosting a cocktail party is also a great low stakes way to make new friends and build authentic relationships.

And you don’t need world class cocktails in order to host a great cocktail party. Unless you’re a bartender, odds are your guests won’t care if your cocktails aren’t the best they’ve ever had. Just opt for some mid-level alcohol and basic mixers (and don’t forget the ice).

What matters is if your guests enjoy themselves, connect with others, and feel like it was worth their time. Here are some tips to make sure that happens.

Pre-Party

Invites

Make sure to send out personalized invites at least a few weeks before. Do not wait until the day of, or a few nights before since most people will probably already have plans.

Not sure who to invite? Start with your closest friends first: pull up your recent texts and social media DMs. Don’t just send out a group text or email, be sure to send a personalized invite to each guest, as you’re much more likely to get a response.

Once you get a few confirmations, create your event page on a website like Outvizor and start sending invites to newer acquaintances and people you don’t know as well.

Pro tip: finding a time that works for your core group can be tough. You may want to poll your guests for a date and time that works, and go with whichever works for the most potential guests. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are the best days to host, especially if you’re just getting started.

People usually are busy or have higher expectations Thursday - Saturday, and a lot of people like to use Sunday for relaxation and errands.

If you use Outvizor for your event, just click on the “Poll Guests for a Time” button on your event page to make choosing a time even easier.

Secure RSVPs

Once you get a few verbal/text confirmations, anywhere from 2-5, it’s time to lock in those RSVPs. Create an event page, and then send out another personalized text or email to your confirmed core group with the event page link and asking them to please RSVP.

Without those RSVP’s, it can be tough to keep track of who all is coming. Early RSVPs also make it more likely for more people to join, and reduces any skepticism your newer acquaintances may feel.

Set the Stage and Build Anticipation

Leading up to the event, it’s a good idea to try and build some anticipation and give a preview of what to expect.

For example, you can send out an email blast that:

Highlights guest profiles - If you know your guest well, for example, you can share some publicly available information (what they post online - don’t post information they may not be comfortable sharing). With Outvizor, you can also easily create forms for your guests to fill out, and this could help you build a profile of them much easier.

Teases your secret cocktail - earlier I said top notch cocktails aren’t really necessary. But if you’re excited to make a drink, it may be worth it to share or tease it to build some anticipation.

Polls your guests - maybe you want to introduce a game throughout the night and you’re not sure what it should be. Or there’s something else you’re undecided on. Polling your guests is a great way to keep them engaged and ensures you don’t choose the wrong one.

Whatever you’re aiming for in your event, setting the stage and building anticipation will make the experience that much more enjoyable for your guests.

Reminders

Send timely reminders so people don’t forget. Some event platforms (like Outvizor) automatically send out reminders before the event. In my opinion, a reminder 1 hour, 1 day, 3 days, and 1 week out should be more than enough.

Outvizor automatically creates 1 hour and 1 day out reminders, but you can always add or remove reminders easily.

Add Some Structure (Schedule Icebreakers)

It’s a good idea to have some icebreakers baked into your event, especially if your party has new acquaintances.

Just make sure your icebreakers are not too personal, and avoid ultimatum questions (what’s your favorite/least favorite?).

If icebreakers are too personal, it can make your guests feel uncomfortable. Ultimatum questions can be too pressure inducing - guests may not have an adequate answer, or they may worry about being judged.

If you’d rather not do icebreakers, think of something else fun that will give your party some structure and will help achieve some goal you have for the party. Maybe that’s a game, a challenge, or a simple conversation prompt.

Space Setup

Hosting at your place or co-hosting at a friends’ is highly recommended since you have more control.

If you have to choose a venue, make sure it’s one you’ve been to before, so you know it can work for the cocktail party you’re aiming for. Outvizor’s live event feature gives your guests a way to check-in when your event starts, which gives them access to your event feed, message board, and phone notifications for when you need to send a message to your (potentially) dispersed guests.

Be sure to think of the details of your space, here are some details to consider:

How can you design for more active engagement? - Removing chairs and forcing people to stand can raise the energy levels and ensure guests move around and engage with other guests more.

What if trash overflows? - You may want an extra trash bag laying out just in case.

What sort of cups should you use? - Glass might be too much work, red solo cups may not be the vibe you’re going for - perhaps clear plastic cups, or something else lower maintenance that matches your style.

How will you greet guests? - It’s important that your guests feel welcome. Remember that initial awkwardness is totally normal - just try to keep a positive and welcoming vibe and it will likely rub off on your guests.

What snacks will you have on hand? - Stick to simple, lovable snacks for your cocktail party. Trying to host dinner and a cocktail party in one can get complicated real fast!

During The Party

So your party just started, and guests are flowing in. People are meeting new people and you’re making intros. Things are going well.

You walk up to a new acquaintance and check in with them, making small talk. Your friend walks up to both of you, and while you want to make an introduction, you just can’t remember the name of your new acquaintance. This results in a missed connection, or awkwardness, or both!

But there’s an easy fix - just use name tags!

You may think name tags are lame, or too corporate feeling, but it’s perfect for cocktail parties because it makes intros and connections so much less awkward. So many people have a tough time remembering names - making everyone wear a name tag makes it easier for your guests to socialize.

It also puts everyone on the same level - it’s a signal that you’re all in this event together and for the same reason, it’s totally acceptable to start chatting up anyone with a name tag on.

Pro tip: make sure to use a marker or Sharpie, and avoid pens. Also, greet your guests by asking them to write their real preferred name on their name tag - avoid fake names.

End The Party

It’s a great idea to set a definitive end time.

Give your guests a 10 minute heads up before ending, and be kind yet persistent about ending the party.

If people aren’t leaving, suggest some nearby bars or restaurants where they can keep the party going.

After the Party

Congratulations, in a world dominated by screens you managed to host an event that brought people together for real, meaningful, in-person connections.

Those connections could have sparked new ideas, partnerships, relationships, jobs, and so on. You’ve definitely earned some cool points in the eyes of your guests, soon enough you’ll be known as the person that hosts great cocktail parties - the kind of person everyone wants to know these days.

The day after your party you’ll probably want to just take some time to relax - hosting can be tiring (but worthwhile). It’s a good idea to start scheduling your next event for 6-8 weeks out, enough time to relax, and think about how you want your next cocktail party to go.

Good luck, and thanks for reading! Feel free to email kenny@outvizor for any questions on hosting your cocktail party.

Kenny Kandola