How To Be A Good Host: Tips & Tricks To Wow Your Guests

What does it mean to be a good host? No doubt everyone has their own ideas about how to answer that question. In the days of Emily Post-style etiquette, a good host would be 1. Female and 2. Gracious — whatever that means. Contemporary ideas of what sets a stellar host apart from the others have changed since the early 1900s. Nonetheless, our expectations of a host likely have elements in common as well. Here’s an updated list of tips and tricks on how to be a good host in modern days.

1. Book a Peerspace venue for a change of scenery

Peerspace is the world’s largest online marketplace for thousands of event spaces in hundreds of cities. Whatever the type of event you’re hosting, Peerspace has a perfect venue for you to rent. Is it a cozy, intimate dinner for a small group of adults? Check out this mid-century modern home in Venice, California, where up to 15 people can dine indoors or out. Is it a wedding of celebrity proportions? Check out this open floor plan industrial-style studio in Berlin that accommodates up to 200 guests. A corporate event that would otherwise be boring were you not at the helm? Try this upscale Chicago event space to please the masses.

It’s not just a change of scenery that a Peerspace venue can provide. For example, a surprise bonus to hosting at a Peerspace venue versus, say, a personal home is that you can ensure that pets aren’t allowed. This rule protects guests from potential allergens and jumping, barking dogs. (Service animals being an obvious exception.)

With Peerspace, the event planner communicates directly with the venue’s host to coordinate logistics. And suppose the venue doesn’t include something the event planner needs. In that case, Peerspace’s Concierge service can deliver event items from tableware to tables, audio-visual equipment to caterers straight to your venue.

2. Don’t overthink it

When a host is relaxed, it shows. The opposite is even more impactful — when a host is stressed out, it can 100 percent ruin an event. It’s good to prepare for any potential disaster with contingency plans, such as rain forcing an outdoor wedding inside. But the reality of hosting is that we never know what’s going to come up. And it’s simply unhealthy and unrealistic to make plan after plan in anticipation of every known and unknown disaster. So, hold on to the hosting reins loosely and never grip too tightly to any expectations.

3. Plan for an overage

One of the most important etiquette rules of being a guest at an event is to RSVP accurately and on time. But from the host’s perspective, this rarely happens. A wise approach is to connect with everyone on the guest list a month to two weeks before the event to ensure their RSVP is still accurate. And then add a 10 percent overage to everything that the event depends on a headcount for, including food, chairs, and swag bags, to name a few. As a general guideline to event hosting, it’s better to have too much than not enough. It would be best if you treated unexpected guests the same as the first person who RSVP’ed.

4. Food and beverages

Let’s stick with the thought that it’s better to have a little more of everything than too little of anything. This brings us to another excellent tip on how to be a good host: provide tons of food and beverages. Make sure there are at least one or two things that everyone can consume. Dietary restrictions are so common that it’s key to provide at the very least gluten-free and vegan options, even at a small-scale event. This includes providing at least one dairy alternative alongside the coffee.

And remember that a lot of people don’t drink alcohol. And it’s a real drag for them to only have tap water as an alternative to the rest of the full bar. You might want to avoid serving peanut products altogether lest the allergens spread in the air, especially if the guest list feels too large to ask each attendee about any nut allergies feasibly. There’s no shame in getting an event catered. It’s often easier and appreciated by all (not the least of which is the small, local catering company itself).

5. Sensory input

A good host puts a lot of attention into the event’s scents and sounds. It’s vital to ensure that the volume level matches the aim of the event. Can guests hear one another speak at a dinner party, or is Mozart blaring? On the flip side, is the audio-visual equipment working so the lecturer can adequately present their material? Regarding scents — avoid them. It’s tempting to scatter candles around an evening wedding but ensure that they’re unscented. It’s a simple courtesy for sensitive guests, and less sensitive guests won’t notice that there’s no waft of vanilla permeating the party.

6. COVID-19 protocols

Today’s good hosts specify on the invitation what guests can expect regarding COVID-19. Are vaccines mandatory? Negative test results? Masks? Invitations should be clear about these protocols to save everyone from potentially awkward exchanges. Place hand sanitizer around the space and ensure that the bathrooms and kitchen area have adequate soap and towels. Don’t forget the hand lotion to prevent that post-wash dry skin!

7. Attend to the right details

In addition to ensuring that guests can easily wash their hands, a good host will keep an eye out for more minor details. Make sure there is ample toilet paper in the bathrooms. Ensure that a place is designated for guests to put their coats, bags and wipe their shoes in inclement weather. The most detail-oriented host will be sure to learn each guest’s name and greet everyone by name – and, if appropriate, provide name tags so others can do the same. This is the sort of thing that is more important than the event’s theme. While cohesive décor is pleasant, it’s even more enjoyable for guests to feel provided for and recognized.

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