### Cheatsheet for “[[Nick Gray - The 2-Hour Cocktail Party|The 2-Hour Cocktail Party]]” by Nick Gray #party #networking #### Purpose - Host casual 2-hour gatherings that help build & strengthen social connections - Avoid heavyweight days (Thursday to Sunday, holidays, major events) - Keep it simple: no dinner, just drinks & light snacks #### Preparation “Runway” - Start inviting 2+ weeks in advance - Gives guests time to plan or RSVP - Avoid major calendar conflicts (holidays, long weekends) - Invite your “core group” (reliable friends/family) first #### Guest List - Do: include people you know well & new acquaintances you’d like to know better - Don’t: invite overly critical work contacts or people you feel pressured to impress - Mix diverse occupations and backgrounds for livelier conversations #### Scheduling - Perfect time window: 7:00–9:00 p.m. on a weekday - Allows guests to eat dinner or come straight from work - End on time so everyone knows when to leave #### Hosting at Home - You control noise, cost, environment (fosters intimacy) - Guests appreciate personal touches in your own space #### Icebreakers - Keep them fun and easy for everyone to answer - Example: “What’s your favorite breakfast?” - Avoid deeply personal or negative prompts (e.g., “Worst date?” or “Biggest fear?”) - Use 2–3 rounds of icebreakers throughout the party - They break up awkward conversations and help guests move around #### Typical Agenda - 7:00–7:10: Guests arrive, early icebreakers - 7:10–7:50: Unstructured mingling (with a second icebreaker around 7:40) - 7:50–8:20: Continue mingling, take group photo, do advanced icebreaker around 8:20 - 8:50–9:00: Announce wrap-up, end on time #### RSVPs and Reminders - Collect RSVPs on an event page to build social proof - Send a reminder one week before, plus day-of messages - Confirm attendance for better turnout #### Follow-Up - Reflect: “What went well? What can be improved?” - Consider hosting again soon (practice improves your hosting skill) #### Key Takeaways - Keep it short & structured (2 hours, 2–3 icebreakers) - Focus on maximizing comfortable connections - The simpler, the better—skip dinner, embrace casual fun <hr/> > “Cocktail parties will give you the same or even better relationship-building results than dinner parties… Keep it simple and don’t do dinner.” > — Nick Gray #books #events #community #event-planning