THE MAIN EVENT
HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT EVENT

We have all been to parties that have been "good." Unfortunately, we have all been to parties which have, well…sucked. For one reason or another, the not-so-good parties stick in our minds (even more so if we were the hosts…). But when trying to think of reasons why the party didn't succeed, often we are stymied. We often just cannot remember what on earth made it such a crashing bore.

Exactly.

The parties you DO remember are the ones where the waiter fell into the pool, or when the backyard was set on fire with the Tiki Torch, or when the police arrived to investigate a noise complaint just as the stripper at the bachelorette party removed the final undergarment. Or the rocking band. Or the tequila shots (in which case, you may not remember a lot, but you just KNOW you had a blast!) In short, something memorable happened to make it not just a gathering, but an EVENT.

A tremendous amount of work goes into making parties the "best ever." But the first step is to decide what is going to be the "experience" that guests will take away with them. Often, you just need one memory to linger to have made your event awesome. This is precisely why Halloween parties are so successful. No one remembers the guest who showed up in T-shirt and jeans. But they DO remember your ode to Morticia Adams, or the group of naughty nuns that drank the bar dry.

So, you want to have an amazing party? Here are some basic ideas:

START WITH A THEME
A simple way of starting off the party process is to develop a THEME. The annual office Holiday party is usually such a drag, but what if you themed it based on Las Vegas?! Often, that one first idea can start off a chain of events that lead to a brilliant event:

THE INVITATION
Send out invitations containing specially-numbered poker chips which guests can bring to the party to be included in the door-prize draw. This creates a great feeling of expectation. Everyone likes to win prizes, and this could get the shy person who wasn't initially thinking of going to attend!

DRESS 'EM UP
On the invitation, encourage your guests to dress up, offering a prize for best costume, or even better, best ELVIS costume! Do not underestimate your guests! They can create magic as they bring their own creative costumes to the party with their unique takes on the theme. You will be pleasantly surprised how many showgirls, brides, Siegfrieds & Roys, Mobsters and Card Sharks will show up!

THE FIRST IMPRESSION
Like the cliché goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so do it big! As guests arrive, greet them with cigarette girls offering "Cigars, cigarettes and party favours" (feel free to substitute items with company products, unique giveaways, etc.) and have them walk past a chorus line, or a lion tamer, or a lounge act. You will want to create expectation, so have them walk through a closed curtain to enter the main event space. Dramatic lighting and themed music ALWAYS works!

ENTERTAIN AND GET PEOPLE INVOLVED
Entertainment ideas abound, from cheesy lounge singers (professional or karaoke) to revue acts to (most recently) Celine Dion impersonators! You could stage a mock wedding (complete with extra bridesmaid dresses for guests to wear), have gambling tables, or have a bingo parlour. Encourage your guests to become part of the action! Drag them onstage to be a "back-up singer" or get them to take the stage themselves!

BASE EVERYTHING ON YOUR THEME
From table cloths to waiter costumes to themed cocktails and catering menus, base EVERYTHING on your theme. In the Vegas theme, create a dessert buffet with Chocolate fountains and Wedding Cake. Create Buffet signage with the "Blue Plate special" or "All you can eat for $6.99." Balloons, confetti cannons, silver table toppers, ice sculptures and glowing tables create a tacky, yet effective ambiance that will be remembered for years to come.

CREATE MEMORIES
And always have a photographer on hand with a regular and an instant camera. Keep the professional shots for newsletters or photo albums, but snap instant shots for guests to take home at the end of the night.

And remember, with all these ideas, your event can't help but be a success. If you keep in mind that you want to give your guests ONE THING to go away with that really impressed them, you will have created a successful event!