Web 2.0 Expo 2008 San Francisco -- How to Throw a (Successful) Party

This year the Web 2.0 Expo (our coverage) in San Francisco has been a bit akin to SXSW, but in San Francisco. Last night there were over a dozen announced parties for all attendees, plus a number of more "exclusive" parties. Monday and Tuesday night were similar, tonight promises to be a bit less busy than Wednesday evening but also has a number of Web 2.0 related events and parties. As I stopped by the many parties last night I observed a number of flaws in how many (but not all) of the parties were organized.

So in this post a quick guide to holding a great and business successful party. This is not a guide to having the most fun at a party you hold, rather it is some advice about how to hold an event which furthers your business goals (and probably does not risk negative press on Valleywag).

1. Know your business goal(s) around the party. Why are you throwing a party? A seemingly simple question but one I suspect many don't ask themselves. Is the party mostly for your team (and perhaps your investors, clients and partners?) If that is the case then it probably shouldn't be a public party and I would strongly consider not holding it during a conference or event unless that is the only opportunity for the whole team (and/or for your partners, clients and investors to be in town). If, however, your goals are publicity, recruiting, business development/sales then you may indeed be well served by a more publicly announced party. Likely you will still restrict attendance in some manner (conference badge holders, free but required RSVP, flyer/ticket from your booth) which allows you to manage the crowds (to a degree) and keep your party focused.
2. Pick a venue that is appropriate at both the low and high ends of your estimated attendance. Last night many of the parties were in venues which were too small, resulting in events which were packed and generally of limited utility for anyone attending. In contrast  the parties in larger, more appropriately sized venues seemed full even when starting, but accommodated the crowds as they arrived. The ideal venues have multiple bars (if you are serving), easy access to food, and spaces to expand into as the crowd grows (nightclubs with back rooms/VIP sections often are great here.
3. No matter your purpose in throwing the party your employees and brand should be omnipresent. Everyone who attends "your" event (even if co-sponsored with partners) should leave having had an encounter with your brand many times over the evening. Ideally they should have had great conversations with your team, seen your branding around the event, perhaps left with something to remember your brand and the party. Last night at nearly half of the eight parties I stopped by or attended the sponsor's brand and employees were not present. At many if employees were there I had no way of telling (this is a great time to break out the company schwag or a least train employees on greeting people (and/or to use & enforce the use of nametags)
4. Alcohol is always popular but great parties also have great food. This is almost universally true, even late night parties are enhanced by arranging for food (one party last night arranged for a Taco Truck to be outside). Great food is not terribly hard to arrange for, but does take some local contacts, the right venue, and some thought.
5. Balance the light and noise to your goals for the event. Some parties are about the dancing and mingling, so a great DJ, nightclub lighting and loud music are fine. But many business and trade show related parties are about more than just blowing off steam and celebrating, if you want to recruit, to make business contacts and develop sales or partner leads, then people have to be able to talk with each other, to see each other, to pull others into a conversation and make introductions. This can be as simple as working with the DJ to focus the evening, quieter music early only breaking out the dance grooves and beats as the evening grows later.
6. Offer great, non-alcoholic drink options. Yes people drink and love to drink for free. But many people (myself included) don't drink all that much or don't drink heavily when working (and attending business networking events at conferences is or should be for any entrepreneur working). If you offer great options (not just soda or juice for mixed drinks) even people who would often drink likely will slow down. And many people also appreciate the underlying message of moderation - that as a business your event is focused on business, not just on drinking. Often as well you can have creative drinks with alcoholic or non-alcoholic options. I personally love a mojito without the alcohol (fresh mint, lime juice, sugar what's not to like).

How to have great food on a startup budget.

As an event organizer whether for an evening event or a multiday conference I always focus on having the best possible food for my attendees, very often food is the largest cost at an event I organize, but that said I almost always still manage to feed people very well on less than many events spend to provide not very good food.

1. Great food starts with your choice of venue. Many venues are already serving food (restaurants, bars, hotels) and this typically means you are restricted to food which they provide. So evaluate the venues accordingly, if you wouldn't eat there regularly it is rarely the case the food they prepare for a party will be very good. One minor exception you can sometimes use - some venues will allow you to bring outside food which they don't serve. For example a bar that only serves appetizers might allow you to bring in a cake and other dessert items.
2. Ask a venue to stretch a bit. Not completely outside of their comfort zone but see if they can do dishes that are more reflective of the ability of their kitchen than you might typically find at any event (i.e. not just "fried dough" or "meat on a stick").
3. Always have great options for vegetarians and both sweet and savory items. Whether a pre-dinner afternoon mixer, an evening networking event, or a late night party mixing up sweets and savory items is always good. Offering great vegetarian options is both accommodating of many people with a range of dietary restrictions - not just vegetarians but anyone who keeps Kosher or Hallal, many people on diets, or many people with food allergies and a way to stretch your budget.
4. On the issue of allergies have detailed descriptions on signage and well trained servers. Many people have serious food allergies most critical of which is nuts. A side effect of asking a venue to have good signage is often selecting better food and venues. I would avoid any venue that is serving items which were reheated or prepackaged. Well trained servers if you have passed appetizers will be able to answer any questions about the dishes they are serving and will set of professional tone for your event.
5. Costco, while tempting, is easily spotted. If you are holding an event at your own offices or which you are catering yourself (i.e. at a venue which allows you to bring in the food) it is often tempting and seemingly easiest and cheapest to make a massive run to Costco, buy a bunch of bulk packs of veggies, brownies, fruit and assorted other items and call it a party. Far better, I think, is to work with a great, local restaurant or caterer. For not much more in many cases you can get amazing, locally prepared from fresh ingredients food which will impress your guests. If entertaining in a city you are not overly familiar with look for nearby local restaurants, especially ones that take their food seriously without being too expensive. Here in San Francisco many of the smaller restaurants in the Ferry Building which is a local food market emphasizing quality and local, organic items, offer catering. These are places that focus mostly on a lunchtime crowd and can offer great options for a lunch or afternoon event. I've ordered boxes of fresh fruits from a local CSA as the afternoon snacks at a conference I ran. Everyone loved the seasonal fruits and local nuts. Healthy, tasty and not, in fact, all that expensive (<$250 for enough food for 150+ people)
6. Think about the format as you select dishes with the caterer. Even if that caterer is in fact yourself, think about the logistics of eating the foods you serve. Ideally most items should take only one hand (though if you must have "meat on a stick" try to make it creative and tastier than the rubber chicken/dried beef all too often seen). Also try to avoid dishes that risk serious mess or frustration while eating - a common failing here is "something on very crunchy bread" which are often served but rarely enjoyed. Another common failure are dishes that require a lot of coordination - salads while tempting often require a plate, utensils and a solid surface on which to eat from. For a standing cocktail party this is often awkward.
7. A bit basic, but think about cleanup. Have strategically placed garbage and recycling bins which are emptied over the course of the evening as needed. Or if mostly a served event, have clearly placed spots for people to leave empty plates and glasses. A few minutes of pre-planning here can avoid the messy clutter all to common at parties. Clutter and mess, in turn, rarely create a forum conducive to business.

These are just a starting point. But a bit of planning and attention can transform your event from a costly waste of money into an event that cements relationships and sparks serious business opportunities.

Shannon Clark is a founding partner at Nearness Function, a new ad network for the publishers of dynamic content which will launch in a few months.