By Cambria Bold

Source: The Kitchn

There’s a special feeling that comes over you when you’re halfway through the perfect dinner at a friend’s house. She always manages to do this, your friend — make you feel like the evening could go on forever and you wouldn’t mind. Her last dinner was like this, too. You just really enjoyed yourself, and you’re not sure how she did it. Was it the food, the lighting, the people? You didn’t feel the need to pull out your phone even once, and that never happens.

True hospitality is subtle, as I’ve written before. You don’t realize you’re getting it until after you’re already feeling totally comfortable. One way to figure out the secrets of a superb host? Start with the end result, the good feelings that you, the guest, experience. Here are five things a good host makes you feel, and how they (slyly) do it.

1. You feel totally relaxed and comfortable.

The evening is well underway, and if your shoulders could talk, they would say “Thank you for finally removing me from your ears!” You’re mingling without obligation, you’re talking without feeling self-conscious, you’re laughing because, well, laughing is the best and something as funny. You may even be dancing. And you’re doing it all spontaneously! (And no, it’s not because of the alcohol.) What is happening?!

How your host does it: It starts with the basics, like making sure the house is clean and playing good tunes. After that, it’s all about fine-tuning. Everyone has a different definition of what’s comfortable, but a good host creates a vibe that works for anyone. It may be lounge-y and informal or glammed up; it may be communal or funky. But she lets her guests know what to expect, if necessary, and then helps them tune their inner stations to the vibe she’s working.

2. You feel pampered.

Someone just helped you put your stuff down and is now offering you a cocktail, while your host just came around the corner with a plate of appetizers. Your friend ushers you out to the patio, where she tells you to chill out for awhile while she finishes up in the kitchen. You offer to help, but she refuses. Not a chance, she says. Go enjoy your drink!

Out on the patio you settle into an Adirondack chair, which she’s plumped with a squishy pillow. The setting sun sends pink streaks across the sky. You put on your sunglasses, lean back, and take a sip of your Old Fashioned. You think you hear music, but it may just be in your head, since you are clearly in a movie scene right now. A bird chirps. And another guest strikes up a conversation.

How your host does it: As outlined above, from the moment you walk through the door, your host has set up the Path to Pampering. There’s a place to put your things (or someone to take them), something to eat and drink, somewhere comfy to do it, and someone to talk to while doing it.

That in and of itself is good enough for most people, but a good host keeps it coming. The cooler gets refilled before you even notice it’s empty, appetizers are replenished, a new wine bottle corked and set on the table. All the while the music keeps playing, and you never, ever have to ask for a roll of toilet paper. (There’s a full basket of readily available TP in the candle-lit bathroom.)

And yes, the pampering extends to accommodating special diets, but even there your host has a few solid options. How can things get any better? Well, at this point…

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By Nicole Stevenson

Source: Dear Handmade Life

My favorite karaoke bar in my town closed down last year. Although I love karaoke, I’m not a diehard karaoke junkie but a few times a year I get this itch that can only be scratched by a night spent singing singing off-key in front of dozens of strangers. I found myself deeply missing my favorite spot to do just that. The place I went to was a Chinese restaurant with a big back room that became a standing room only karaoke bar every Thursday night. I missed the smells of pork lo mein and crab rangoon sneaking in from the kitchen. I missed the middle-aged woman in the matronly dress who would come there alone and sing the most quietly lovely version of Nina Simone’s ‘My Baby Just Cares for Me’ every week. BUT I didn’t miss the troves of drunk girls screeching songs like ‘You Oughta Know’ until my ears were ringing. I also didn’t miss having to wait three hours to sing one song.

A few weeks ago my friend who shares my love for karaoke was visiting and we’d planned to check out a new spot to sing. As the day wore on we were tired and she suggested created our own karaoke bar in my backyard. We spent the next five hours (much to my neighbors dismay) barreling through every song we’d ever wanted to sing but didn’t sing when you’re at a bar you’re lucky if you get to belt out a few songs. It was awesome not to have to wait to sing, pay for drinks or be embarrassed when we sang off key or had bad timing.

If you get the karaoke itch like I do or are looking for a fun activity for your next backyard BBQ or birthday party, you should totally throw your own karaoke party. It’s way cheaper, chances are you already have most of what you need and you can do it whenever you want. Best of all you won’t have   to wait very long to sing or sit through tearful renditions of ‘Unchained Melody’ unless of course that’s the song you pick.

WHAT TO GET:

-iPad (like this)
-Stereo with aux input (I LOVE this one – it’s super retro)
-Stereo cable that connects an iPad to a stereo (like this)
-Microphone (this one is inexpensive)
-Amplifier (like this)
-Snacks
-Beverages
-Some props like wigs, hats, glasses and scarves
-Random musical instruments like tambourines, maracas, harmonicas or toy instruments (this pack is inexpensive and has a bunch of different kid’s instruments)

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By Anna Watson Carl

Source: Huffington Post

People tell me all the time that they are intimidated to host a dinner party. They’re not sure what to cook, worried about their lack of space, and afraid it will be a ton of work — so they end up going out to a restaurant (again). I want to demystify the process as much as possible, because honestly, cooking a meal for friends is one of the most rewarding things in life.

After years working as a personal chef, caterer, and food blogger, I’ve learned a couple of things about throwing dinner parties. One of the most important tips I can pass along is this: PLAN AHEAD. I don’t mean to start planning months in advance or anything, just try and do everything ahead that you can (cleaning, set-up, prep, cooking) so you can relax and enjoy your guests once they arrive.

When I throw dinner parties, I like mixing up the crowd a bit. I love to bring different friends together and watch the worlds collide. As important as the food and the ambiance are, it’s the people that make a dinner party. Though I may recall a certain dish the next day (if it was really good), what will linger for weeks and months are stories told, laughter shared, and new friendships formed.

With dinner parties, I’m a list-keeper. First, there’s the menu. Then the shopping list. Then there’s the to-do list (errands, cleaning, cooking, table, music, etc.), and finally the day of, the cooking prep list. I like to check things off and know where I stand in the process. I actually plan my dinner party menus based on the ability to make things in advance. If I can get the dessert done and the table set the night before, I already feel way ahead of the game. Also, don’t be afraid to delegate. Spread the work around-nobody said you have to do everything just because you’re hosting.

Another few tips for a stress-free dinner party:

• Set the ambiance: light some candles, dim the lights (which helps disguise those areas you didn’t have time to dust!), and have a great playlist going when guests arrive. I’m a sucker for jazz-Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Diana Krall, and St. Germain are all favorites of mine for dinner parties.
• Have drinks and snacks ready when guests arrive. This one is key. As long as everyone has something to sip, and something to nibble on, they are fine hanging out in the living room while I put the finishing touches on the meal. Lucky for me, we have an open kitchen that faces the living room, so I can still be part of the party while I’m cooking. And your hors d’oeuvres don’t need to be elaborate — I usually put out some good olives, a couple of cheeses, and crackers. Or a good homemade dip (like white bean hummus) and flatbread. Keep it simple!
• I’m a huge fan of one-pot dinners, especially in the fall and winter. Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon, braised short ribs (basically anything cooked in red wine!), or a big pot of soup can be made in advance and reheated when everyone arrives. And best of all, it can be dished out right from the pot, served with a green salad and some crusty bread to round things out.
• Get some cool vintage bottles to use for water on your table. I use old milk bottles and glass carafes (no need for them to match!) and keep them filled with water during a dinner party so I don’t have to keep hopping up and down to refill water glasses.
• I love flowers, but I’m not a fan of tall arrangements on the table that block conversation. My mom gave me some of my great grandmother’s cosmetics bottles and they make beautiful little vases. I’ll put a single flower in each and line the table with these mismatched vintage arrangements. And I love to put one in the bathroom as well.
• Write your menu somewhere that everyone can see. I’ve got a chalkboard that hangs in the kitchen that I write the menu on, but sometimes it’s fun to have hand-written menu cards at everyone’s place.

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Source: Event Planning Blueprint

We’ve all had big decisions to make, right? Whether it’s about starting an event business, working for an event company, or what kind of clients to work with.

You’ve got important decisions to make about who to work with but you’re torn because you want to plan events. Period. And you wonder that if you plan all types of events, you’re playing it safe so many clients will hire you.

Before we move on, read this if you’re someone who spends any time wondering who your event niche is and who you want to work with.

Because here’s the thing…

I started my event planning business in 2004 from my kitchen table with less than $500 and very little experience. Prior to that, I volunteered for nonprofit organizations and planned a few promotional events for the company I worked for.

When I decided to stop ignoring my passion and take a leap of faith and start my event planning business, I had no idea what I was doing, or what to specialize in and I considered offering all event planning services to all people.

I mean, you have to pay the bills, right?

But soon after choosing my event niche, I was planning events with over 30,000 attendees, working with top international brands, professional athletes, and Hollywood actors.

 When it comes to choosing your event niche, here’s what you’ll learn in today’s video:

• How to decide which event niche is right for you
• About the different types of events and the benefits of choosing a niche rather than offering event services in EVERY type of event niche
• Why it’s important to identify what you’re qualified to do, what you value and what you enjoy doing

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By Kristi Sanders

Source: MPI

If you’re like many corporate meeting planners, planning meetings and events may only be part of your job and you learn as you go, without formal training. But if planning meetings and events are a passion of yours and you want to become a meeting professional, there are 33 skills you need to master to become a pro.

The Meeting and Business Event Competency Standards (MBECS)

The MBECS were created jointly by Meeting Professionals International and the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council. The MBECS comprise 12 categories.

Each category requires mastery of subskills that we’ve outlined below. Each one is linked to a story by a meeting professional that we think will help you understand them better and apply them to your work. So bookmark this page and come back whenever you need some guidance.

33 Meeting & Event Planning Skills

In case you need to visualize the MBECs, we’ve created a periodic chart of the elemental skills every meeting and event planner need to master.