Want to throw a party? Make sure you read these tips from a pro before jumping into the deep end, and potentially drowning in party failure.
By Leslie K. Hughes
Everyone loves a good party. But do you know what it takes to throw a party that people will love? Unless you’ve been in the driver’s seat and planned and executed a party from start to finish, the answer is likely “no.”
You know you need some food, dance-worthy music, and maybe even a rad theme if you’re feeling it. But most peoples’ knowledge about parties doesn’t extend much beyond those things. That’s where Visceral’s favorite party planner comes in. Meet Brigitte Kozena of Intro Only, an app that has completely rebranded the concept of a private club.
Brigitte is a professional when it comes to throwing parties. No literally, she does it as part of her job in running Intro Only. And if you’ve ever been lucky enough to attend an Intro Only party, then you have seen her skills in action.
Since planning a party doesn’t come as easily to the rest of us as it does Brigitte, we decided to go straight to the source and get all the tips and tricks on how to throw the perfect party.
So if you’ve got a party on the horizon that you are looking to plan, make sure you read through our chat with Brigitte so you make it a soiree to be remembered (for all the right reasons).
VM | Tell us about you and the Intro Only app.
BK | Having moved 14 times, I experienced starting my network from scratch over and over again. I couldn’t understand why if I had a network in the London area, I couldn’t have an equivalent network in NYC or Paris.
So, with my background in computer science and design, I developed Intro Only with my sister, Jenny Kozena, to help connect transplant friends across the world. Intro Only is a private digital club where members can meet up through curated events around the world. The network is run through an app. It’s kind of like if Raya merged with Meet Up. Our focus is on introducing people organically through dinners, parties, and other social gatherings.
VM | What is the first step in hosting a party?
BK | Selecting a date. The right date is important to ensure you will have a good turn out.
The last thing we want is to relive our childhood — remember when two classmates’ birthdays were on the same day and everyone picked the cooler kid? Picking a date that doesn’t clash with a holiday weekend or another event going on can be crucial to the event’s success.
When we planned our pre-launch party, we selected the weekend before Coachella. We knew everyone from LA to Tokyo would be in town gearing up for the festival and there would not be too many events to compete with.
VM | How important is a theme for a party?
BK | I think rather than a theme, a standard dress code is essential. I’m guessing Lindsey Lohan wished she had a little more clarity on the dress code when picking her Halloween costume in Mean Girls. If you are hosting a party, you don’t want to have one person show up in shorts and flip flops and another in black tie.
I am a big fan of white parties when it comes to people meeting new people for a few reasons:
1. Everyone looks amazing in white
2. It removes a preconceived identity of the person. Naturally, by dressing everyone the same you are preventing any pre-judgments from happening.
VM | Where should most of your party budget go?
BK | Your budget really depends on what kind of party you are throwing and what the focus is. Are you doing dinner? Or just drinks? Is it a themed event? Is there entertainment or a DJ? Depending on what you want the focus to be you want to invest the most in that area.
What people don’t realize is how much you can negotiate pricing for event rentals and entertainment. When you start the bargaining process you begin to realize the events industry is like a Turkish street market.
VM | What are your tips for the host/hostess actually enjoying the party and not stressing?
BK | My tip is to do as much the day before. A lot of people I have worked with think they can set up everything 2 hours before. And yes, technically you can but you will end up dripping sweat and forgetting something, causing you to stress during the event. When I do our dinner parties, I set up as much as possible the night before, including and especially laying the table, and prepping as much food as possible.
VM | What’s the best piece of advice for someone throwing a party?
BK | Pick your outfit the night or even the week before 🙂
VM | How far in advance do you need to invite people?
BK | I like to start getting the word out and a Save The Date a month prior so that people can arrange their calendars accordingly. I then send out the actual invite 2 weeks before the party. That’s not too far in advance that it gets forgotten, but enough time to get an accurate RSVP count.
VM | What type of parties do you think will be big in 2021?
BK | Due to COVID, we have seen a decrease in parties but an increase in small dinners and gatherings. Through the pandemic, connections between friends have strengthened and the seeking for community has grown. It’s as if Americans are turning European.
VM | What’s the biggest thing you want people to take away from this?
BK | I think at any event, the real purpose is about connection and doing anything that keeps people off their phones and engaged. This is crucial to the event’s success. I often create ice breaker games that involve people talking to strangers or embarrassing themselves a little to get their guard down.
I think for larger dinners (20 people) having everyone speak for a minute or two helps people not sitting next to each other connect. I also like moving peoples’ seats around.
But I think really the key is fostering connections. Doesn’t matter if you are in a dust bin or a mansion — if you develop meaningful friendships, then you have succeeded.
**To become a member of Intro Only and gain access to fabulous events in Los Angeles and all over the world, visit here to download the app and apply**
