Setting Up Your Party Space

Something I fuss about a lot as a host I how a room is set up before, and how it is maintained during, an event.

I’ve noticed that creating and maintaining a great room set gets the party going much earlier, with less people and drinking required to make it fun, and also has people stay at the party a lot longer – it can often be the difference between a great party and a flop!

Here are the main things I focus on:

Layout: I make sure that I think about how I set the room up and I look at all the furniture and decorations I have and try to maximise what I do with what I’ve got. A little thought goes a long way.

Lighting Profile: Indirect light and moving light get people feeling comfortable and make the room feel warm. Also making some areas bright so people can see each other really well and other more dim so people feel more comfortable to dance or pair off gives people more social options throughout the night. Finally having things brighter at the start of the party and dimmer at the end as people settle in can allow them to feel comfortable in meeting new people at the start but also have them stay longer and chill towards the end.

Temperature, Shade and Air Flow: People very often forget to think about this. Will people have to stand in the sun, or have the sun in their eyes? Will there be annoying draughts from open doors or air conditioning that will unsettle your guests? Are the key socializing areas going to be at a comfortable temperature? Remember that you want active areas like dance floors cooler than chill out areas.

Sound Profile: What music style and intensity will suit people throughout the night, and will it be louder in some area than others? Where you want people to dance make it upbeat and louder, where you want them to meet each other and connect then quieter and more moody.

With sound, temperature and lighting, consider all the resources at your disposal. A little thought and effort can make a huge difference for your guests. Think about how they will respond to all these factors and make it as comfortable as you can!

Seating Position: This is my pet thing – I am fascinated by how people settle seating in a room, and have been a keen observer and experimenter for years. Ask yourself: will people feel most comfortable sitting in a few large groups of more smaller ones – I usually find multiple settings of 4’s and 6’s work much better tan a few for 10-12. I also notice that seats against walls and in the middle of a room settle last, with settings close to walls but with chairs all around that are in corners of rooms settle first.

Seating Height: Sort your seating and tables into heights and put height appropriate furniture in different areas – high tables and hairs are great around dance floors, bars, entrances and kitchens, dining level seating is great for general meeting and socialising areas and rooms that connect chillout and party areas whilst couches and coffee table work best in you chill areas. If you make each area just one type of furniture its much easier for your guests to decide what areas they want to be in at different times throughout the night.

Shielding: Protect the shy and the party makers and make it as easy for them to feel comfy as you can. A few balloons at head height in a room make it much less intimidating for shy people. A few well placed plants, screens or drop sheets around a dance floor can have party people comfortable to dance far earlier at your event.

Thresholding: Spreading out furniture to make a room full with less people in it means that people will feel like your party is a sucess far earlier in the event. This makes a big difference to how likely people are to leave. The less people who leave, the longer your party is considered to be “happening”.

Getting the layout, mood and seating right and keeping it right throughout an event makes a massive difference to how successful and memorable you gests perceive it to be. Experiment, learn and have fun!