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Who To Invite to Your First Party

Last updated: September 25, 2024

I’m going to tell you exactly who to invite to your party. Listen up, because this is important.

Your first party should feel easy to host.

Start by inviting close friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

Do not invite VIPs (yet). I’ll explain why.

Guidelines for Who to Invite

Follow these guidelines for picking who to invite to your first party.

  • Do: invite friends, neighbors, classmates, colleagues, and their significant others.
  • Don’t: invite important new relationships or critical work contacts.

Don’t Invite VIPs… Yet

Some people become so excited to host their first party that they rush to send invitations.

They reach out to everyone they’d like to have at their party, including big business contacts and new romantic interests.

It’s great that you’re excited to show off your new hosting skills. You should be.

But pace yourself.

Don’t start your hosting journey by inviting people who intimidate you or who you badly want to impress. Focus your guest list now on friends and colleagues.

When your first party is a low-stakes affair, you’ll avoid the stress of trying to impress VIP guests. Invite them later after this first practice party.

Does everyone need to know each other?

No. Definitely not.

It’s fine to have a seemingly random group of connections at your party. In fact, it’s what will make your event special and allow your guests to meet new and interesting people.

The common thread is that everyone knows you.

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About the author

Nick Gray is the author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party. He’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and in a popular TEDx talk. He sold his last company Museum Hack in 2019. Today he’s an expert on networking events, small parties, and creating relationships. Read more about Nick Gray here.

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