Jackpot Party: More than Just a Celebration
Published: 12th April, 2011
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HOWEVER many you go to over the course of your life, it is probably a safe bet that no two could ever be the same. Whatever the occasion and whoever is in attendance, the party is an essential part of life, so much so that when we get the chance to organise an event, we want it to be the most talked about social gathering of the year; a Jackpot Party event if you will, the one that all others have to outdo.
In 2011 there will be a few contenders for this crown. A small event involving a member of the Royal Family and his chosen partner will probably be fairly special; likewise the various knees-ups after the Academy Awards in Los Angeles would have been great, especially if your name was Colin.
Closer to home, there will be thousands of events being planned, millions of menus being studied and hundreds of endless debates about what venue will be the best place to hold that celebration that will get the most social media traffic the next day.
We like to party, we enjoy celebrating. Anyone who doesn’t appreciate the joys of having fun with groups of friends, relatives and the occasional stranger is a party pooper. Parties bring humanity together and increase the bonds of community that can sometimes seem to be missing in the fast-paced existence that so many have chosen to embrace.
Parties are fun, they allow us to let our hair down and enjoy the company of others. They are a celebration, a chance to rejoice and to make merry. The best parties fly by, a blur of food, drink, great conversation, dancing and music. And some of these parties exist beyond the event themselves, becoming an occasion that those in attendance will remember for years to come. When this happens, the host or hostess can claim that their event was a Jackpot Party style event; you just had to be there.
So, how can you reach these elevated heights? What should you be looking for to become the talk of the town? What is the secret to a great party?
There isn’t actually an answer.
A successful party relies on so many variables that the host or hostess can only have limited control. Music, food, the guest list, the choice of venue, the variety of cocktails, the decorations, the amount of ice sculptures, the entertainment, the additional distractions, the interactive elements…a Jackpot Party style event doesn’t just happen, it fits together like a beautifully crafted watch.
Want your guests to do more than just dance? Invest in a gaming console that allows them to compete in dance competitions. Want them to experience the feeling of being in an up-scale casino? Set up an area with online slots, blackjack and roulette tables so that people can have a flutter and perhaps win enough money to pay for a taxi home.
Great parties flow naturally; the food, drink and music are part of the event without becoming the main attraction. The guest list will complement the effect that the hosts are trying to achieve, the additional touches add to the overall feeling that this will be a night to remember.
People don’t go to parties to have a bad time; that defeats the purpose. The party should be a release from the everyday minutiae that we have to deal with and as such the main element should be fun. A serious party is not fun. A serious party does not appear on the social media feeds of guests the next day and a serious party is not something that is discussed over tea and biscuits.
Wikipedia (much maligned, occasionally useful) defines ‘party’ as "a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socialising, conversation, or recreation", while the dictionary defines ‘celebrate’ as "to have a good time".
If you had never been to a party and were looking for clues as to what to expect, then both of these sources of information would be of little help. Parties are a chance for us to enjoy ourselves and when someone organises an event specifically for that purpose, there is an obligation by us to fulfill our side of the bargain.
After all, we wouldn’t want to miss out on the best party of the year.