Numbers 1 and 7 are the most important.

These steps do not have to technically be completed in order but if you complete them all, your event is likely to be a success and you will feel more ease as a host.

Each step contains microsteps.

The content in this list grew longer than I initially thought it’d be.

Ok, The Steps

1. I decide what the intention is for the event. I answer the question, “why am I doing this?” Everyone tends to skip this question and I don’t know why because this is the soul of the event. What are you doing it for? People can feel it.

Example: My friend Andrew who builds Fractal, a residential community in East Williamsburg, hosted recurring Sunday dinners. When I asked what his intention was with these dinners, he goes: “I want all my friends and new people I meet to come hang out with me.” Simple. And we did, every Sunday night, it’s always a good time.

2. When and where is this happening? I think about the best date and time– is it a breakfast thing or an after work thing, maybe it’s a weekend vibe? Where’s the best place that can facilitate the intention? If I plan to have people connect through intimate conversations, I won’t do it at a loud bar.

3. I consider potential co-hosts to do this with. I love hosting but like most things I love in life, it’s a lot more fun to do when shared. I think about other community builders or founders or operators that want to jump in and help co-host an experience together and I’ll hit them up.

4. I set up 20-30 minutes for me and the co-host(s) to jam. It’s easier to make something great come to life when you can ideate synchronously. This time is used to confirm we’re aligned on the intention because that makes every other decision easier. It’s also easier to troubleshoot logistical things together like location ideas than just bang my head against the wall because I can’t find a space to accommodate 75 standing, downtown and ideally a private office or residence. Who’s ordering drinks and food? How will it get there? Are we asking for sponsors? Is there fun swag we can raffle off or stickers we can give out? Who’s owning the invite creation? This is the time where we divy up the responsibilities.

Our August 2022 event to-do list, created by Tem to help us project manage

5. Draft up the invite on Supermomos or Luma or Partiful. Invitation copy is important. In the copy, I’ll write the why of the event and some lines about what to expect and who to expect. The purpose of an invitation is for someone to make an informed decision about whether they should attend and for you to keep RSVPs and approve, if you choose to use that setting. I like it to be pretty so I’ll ask the co-host to create a banner in Figma or I’ll use my 101 Canva skills and if I can do it, so can you.

6. Then I’ll tell the world about it. Cross promote on newsletters and Twitter and LinkedIn. Time is of the essence so it’s great to get an invite ready and shared with the world as soon as you’ve got the logistics locked in. Supermomos has a great community of people your event reaches when you use their platform for your event. I believe Luma is also coming up with a “Discovery” feature. There are a ton of newsletters you can also ask for your event to be posted on, such as: irl nyc, z’s list, charlie’s vc. On Twitter, Sophia does a great job of curating events for the week.

7. I walk myself through the flow. I’m a big visualizer. I have to keep asking questions about things until I can see it in my head. Seeing things in my head = understanding. I can’t possibly put on an event I don’t understand. What I do is I mentally walk through what the event feels as an attendee. This is where a lot of the details surface. Ex: I arrive at the location, am I walking right in or do I ring a doorbell on the street? Do I need my ID? Is there a sign (or a person) to remind me what floor to go to? When I get there, where’s the best place to drop off my stuff? I feel very strongly about coat check. It’s a fabulous feeling to let people check their things, it makes them feel more at home and welcomed. If you haven’t noticed, New Yorkers also haul so much shit, work bag, gym bag, jacket, bike helmet, etc. I want them to meet and mingle– shaking peoples hands and feeling at home. You couldn’t be holding all your stuff like that in your house. This is what I mean by flow. Walk through the entire experience. These are good questions to answer as you envision every single detail. Like, where are the bathrooms?

8. I invite specific people who I know would benefit from a particular event. I like to personally invite them. This gives me a great opportunity to build a relationship and offer something of value while building our RSVP list. I also love being on the receiving end of this. Big love.

9. I draft the copy for the “day before” email and the “day after” email. I write these in the lens as if I’m inviting my best friend who doesn’t work in tech. I’m not married to any particular format but I try to include as much detail as possible.

10. On the day of, I arrive about 30 minutes early. This is to help set up and put out a sign that lets people know they’re in the right place. Social events in themselves can make people feel stressful so anything to help uplift that and make people feel more taken care of, I’m about it. I try to ask the co-host to also arrive early and we strategize about who’s greeting and helping check-in, etc.

11. I make sure to center myself before everyone arrives. This looks like a quick 5 minute meditation or just a slow look around the venue one more time, to take it all in. My personal one rule is to make sure everyone who comes is greeted and when they’re headed out, I like to say bye, too. It’s a very easy, nice touch that just says “hey, I see you for coming out to this.” Eye contact, people. This should be foundational, just to acknowledge every guest that comes. *Ru Paul quote* Sometimes, I’ll approach a host

12. During the event, I make sure to speak. If the event is a mix and mingle format without any real structure for speakers, then about 60-70 minutes into the start of the event, I will rally the crowd to do what I call a “host’s toast.” It’s a 2 minute little toast where we 1. thank them for coming, 2. shout out our sponsors who helped make it happen, 3. return to the intention of the event, give the audience a reminder about why you decided to create this and then, 4. do a time check for when you want them to begin heading out, 5. run a fun giveaway. I like to end the toast with a big applause and a fun giveaway lights up the room and gets the audience engaged.

13. After the event, I help clean up. Take down the sign and do my best to leave the space better than how I first saw it. Then I usually grab a slice of pizza, reflect, and make my own way home, typically feeling happy for getting to do something I love.

I hope this list helps. :)

My Personal List of 13 Steps to Event Hosting

Ok, The Steps