Networking Tips How to Throw a Great Dinner Party

Networking Tips How to Throw a Great Dinner Party Recently, I have been reading Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time  by Keith Ferrazzi.    One of the chapters was about hosting dinner parties and it got me thinking about how my husband and I use to throw a lot more dinner parties before we both started grad school.   We found that by inviting friends  and  family into  our home,  we strengthened  friendships and  got to know  our guests much better. Keith Ferrazzi  writes about how powerful dinner parties can create wonderful memories and strengthen relationships.   Breaking bread brings people together at the same table  and is a means of  reconnecting with those  you care about the most.   He stresses to make sure you find the right mix of people to invite to your party with the  optimal number  of guests between 6-10 people.  He  usually invites over 17 people  since he finds there is a 20-30% acceptance rate. Planning a Dinner Party  Helps Strenghten Relationships Think you dont have enough money or a big enough house to host a great dinner party?   Keith argues that anyone can throw a great dinner party and you dont have to go all out  trying to be a Master Chef.   There is nothing wrong with a roasted chicken from the grocery store deli, salad, cookies and  ice cream.   But whatever you do, dont forget the wine! My new goal is to host a dinner party once a month.   Would you like to come over for dinner?   I often feel  too busy to be an excellent host but I really want to  strengthen relationships with my friends, family and acquaintances.   This book pushes  you to invite guests who are different from the normal group of people you hang out with.   If  you usually  have dinner parties with the same group of people, your circle of friends will never grow. Have you ever thought about using your party as a way to bring everyone together for a common purpose to help someone in need? For instance, why not have a party and make  thank you  cards for soldiers in Iraq. Or have everyone coming to your home bring an unwrapped toy or a can of food. Or even throw a cooking party where everyone bakes for a family going through a rough time. If you are creative, the opportunities are endless! Your guests will bond knowing they have volunteered their time together to make a difference in someone elses life. Here are  a few other  tips to host a fabulous dinner party: Create a theme:  Be creative and  generate excitement! Use invitations:  Devote some time and energy to  invite your guests with a  personal call, email, or a handwritten note. Dont be a kitchen slave:  Prepare the food ahead of time or just stop for takeout. Remember, the point is to spend time with your guests! Create atmosphere:  Candles, flowers, etc. Forget being formal:  Keep it simple, trying to create a 5 course meal will just stress you out! Dont seat couples together:  Mix and match to keep the conversation interesting. Relax:  Above all, remember to have fun! Dont let yourself get so stressed you are unable to enjoy the evening. Finally, one of the most important things about throwing a dinner party is to make sure your guests  feel comfortable and welcome. Have you ever been to a dinner party and felt like you were not welcome? The host never talked to you and you didnt  really know anyone.   One of the most important hosting tips is to relax, have fun  and dont worry.   If the host does these things, everyone else will feel more comfortable and will have fun as well.  Have you  created wonderful memories and strengthened relationships at dinner parties?