Tips on throwing a big party

[adairusmc]

You need good costumes. This guy has the right idea.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: Rebasxer
As someone who has been throwing 300+ person parties for two years now, I'll give you the advice that I have learned.

1. The people that live there need to be relatively sober, you need someone who can talk to the cops, they're generally a lot nicer when a sober guy is talking to them then some drunk kid spitting on himself
2. Keep people out of restricted areas, we don't let people go upstairs because the party is downstairs.
3. Hide everything valuable that could get stolen. All of our gamesystems, laptops (except the one playing the music), ipods phones and even our plasma get moved upstairs and locked away.
4. This is the most important thing of controlling any party, control the smokers. There will be hordes of people in your backyard all smoking or standing, while this is inevitable, make sure smokers go back in as soon as they finish thier cigs, nothing attracts cops more like 200 people all screaming in a back yard.
5. If your're playing music, don't use an ipod, use a laptop, and make sure the laptop has a password so people can't change the playlist.
6. Get less alcohol then you really need. Usually people will be so smashed by the time they show up, they don't need to drink that much anyhow. The average party starts at around 10pm and should run to about 1 or 2. It takes 300 people roughly 45 minutes to kick a keg, but realize that the party won't get big until around 11-1130 when word gets out. The best way to make sure a party stays under control is to make sure there is enough beer in the kegs for about 2 hours of solid beer flowing, and after that give it an hour before people finally finish their last cups and head home. Make sure you have a few back up 30's stashed away incase you and you're buddies, or girls want to stay and keep drinking.

This is all pretty solid advice, essentially what I would have said.

 

[Oil]

Riot punch

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Boose, lots of boose. And toilet paper. Maybe some matches too. It's common practice to burn a couch at university parties.

did you get this from watching movies? I thought you made it clear that you'd never been outside your parents house until recently?

and what the hell is boose?

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Bibble
My roommates and I decided to have a big Halloween party at our house. I have thrown parties before but never one where more than 30 people were expected to show up. We were generous in our invitations and some 250 were sent out. So far 94 have RSVPd as confirmed and 35 as maybe. For past parties the turn out has always been less than what Facebook predicted. Another thing to consider though is that guests are allowed to bring friends so we could have much more than the # of confirmed guests on Facebook. Right now, I'd guess that 100 people might show up, but it could be anywhere from 80 to 150.

Just to provide some other background information before I ask questions:
It is a costume party on Halloween at a university.
Location is an off-campus house very close to downtown.
We are on somewhat of a main street just outside of downtown.
10pm-1am.
We will serve booze (plan now is a gin bucket/cauldron and 300 beers or 2 kegs)
Half of the house will be drinking game oriented and the other half will be dance party oriented.
Black, orange, and possibly strobe lights will be utilized.
Nine people (myself, 3 roommates, and 5 of our best friends) will be supervising/working the door.
Only the front doors of my house lock, meaning back, bedroom, bathroom doors do not.


Questions:

What are some general tips for throwing large parties?

What are some general tips for throwing Halloween parties?

How do you deal with cops if they show up? (our music isn't going to be super loud and you won't be able to hear it unless you are within 10 feet of our house, but the sidewalk is 10 feet away)

How much booze is needed for 100 people? (mind you that they will likely be drinking at other parties before ours)

Pros and cons of kegs vs. cans? (note: kegs are against my lease so we will only use them if we anticipate they provide a good amount of benefits over cans)

Is it worthwhile marking the hands of 21+ year olds even if I have no intention of restricting younger people from drinking? (maybe about 20 or so people on the guest list are under 21)

Any recommendations for Halloween songs?


Thanks for your help guys. If you need more details just ask and I will provide them.

First... Why do you have to ask this? If you live off campus and can buy alcohol, how have you not figured this out already?

Kegs, outside if necessary (for your lease). Lots better than cans for cost reasons. Sounds like you should start with 2 kegs. Charge $5 / cup. Chicks get free cups if they are hot and prove they're not wearing underwear.

Take half of the food out of your fridge and make jello shots to fill (about 200-300 jello shots). Charge $1 / 2 jello shots.

Buy big bottles of cheap but not generic liquor. Charge $1 for a big-ass mixed drink.

Be generous with the $1 shit, tell people it's to cover your costs, not to make money. You will end up making a little, but this is usually welcome because you have to buy cleaning supplies and clean your ass off the next day.

Do not mark any hands. This will only make you liable because you actually checked.

If police show up, DO NOT LET THEM IN TO THE HOUSE. Talk with them on your porch.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: mesthead21

Originally posted by: Xanis
You need to party-proof the house. Anything of value and anything that's not heavy or bolted to the walls/floors should be removed and locked in your bedroooms.

This.
I would definitely tell your neighbors you are planning on throwing a party and to come to you before they call the cops. It usually helps if your on good terms with your neighbors

Also, invite your neighbors to the party and offer them (but not their friends) free booze.

 

[nanette1985]

If you're the one throwing the party, you're going to work. Don't think of it as a party for yourself. Stay sober.

Ask around your friends, relatives, whatever - you probably have some kind of connection with the cops. Ask ahead of time for advice. You might find yourself in need of help from the police (or fire dept etc) at sometime during the party, it really helps to have a connection there.

Give consideration to calling it a fund raiser - and pick out a local charity to give money to - really good for the public relations, and sounds good in court if something goes horribly wrong.

 

[MyThirdEye]

for a party to be successful, you need to have more women than men.

and make sure to count the uglies as men, that way everything will work out fine.

 

[Bibble]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I really appreciate your tips as some of you have mentioned things I would not have thought of, and others have clarified on points I was wondering about.

Some of you mentioned things with money - We will not be charging guests anything. I guess this sounds silly, but I've never heard of a party charging admission at my school (although I have seen it at other schools).

Originally posted by: MyThirdEye
for a party to be successful, you need to have more women than men.

and make sure to count the uglies as men, that way everything will work out fine.

I just counted this afternoon and we have about 67 girls and 29 guys confirmed. I think that's a pretty good ratio. I didn't count "uglies" as men, but I did do a count of girls I want to see there vs girls I am indifferent to or do not want to see. There were 37 of the former and 30 of the latter. If you include maybes, it jumps to to 44 and 33.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Bibble
... we have about 67 girls and 29 guys confirmed.

Not good enough, you need about 5 to 1 invite ratio to get a 1:1 party ratio.

Invite more women. Dont invite any more dudes. Trust me.

 

[RU482]

free jungle juice. Lots of Koolaid and a lil everclear

 

[Tangerines]

Don't charge guests anything. If you don't have a liquor license it's illegal plus it's just lame. Also, a good ratio is key. Have people at the front door screening out uglies/random dudes. Be sure to have someone outside for crowd control so if (when?) the cops show up things will be less conspicuous. Above all, lock ALL of your valuable stuff away and stay sober-ish (or at least coherent).

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Bibble
... we have about 67 girls and 29 guys confirmed.

Not good enough, you need about 5 to 1 invite ratio to get a 1:1 party ratio.

Invite more women. Dont invite any more dudes. Trust me.

Gotta have "hot guys" there to satisfy the women though. A small group of loser guys wont hold them around.. Where's the party

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Tangerines
Don't charge guests anything. If you don't have a liquor license it's illegal plus it's just lame. Also, a good ratio is key. Have people at the front door screening out uglies/random dudes. Be sure to have someone outside for crowd control so if (when?) the cops show up things will be less conspicuous. Above all, lock ALL of your valuable stuff away and stay sober-ish (or at least coherent).

Yeah, don't charge at the door - at most, consider putting out a donations jar and continually pull money out of it to keep it from getting stolen.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Boose, lots of boose. And toilet paper. Maybe some matches too. It's common practice to burn a couch at university parties.

did you get this from watching movies? I thought you made it clear that you'd never been outside your parents house until recently?

and what the hell is boose?

Funny things is, where I did my undergrad, couch burning is what university students do after they've been drinking.

Wikipedia, you can jump to the couch burning section

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Bibble
... we have about 67 girls and 29 guys confirmed.

Not good enough, you need about 5 to 1 invite ratio to get a 1:1 party ratio.

Invite more women. Dont invite any more dudes. Trust me.

Gotta have "hot guys" there to satisfy the women though. A small group of loser guys wont hold them around.. Where's the party

You don't think I'm hot?

 

[Josh]

Make sure you have a DJ and/or GREAT music. This will make a party stick in people's minds. If people are dancing and having a good time, they will remember it. Also, don't keep too many lights on near DJ/dancing area - darker it is, more people will be dance freely.

 

[SN4p]

Originally posted by: Josh
Make sure you have a DJ and/or GREAT music. This will make a party stick in people's minds. If people are dancing and having a good time, they will remember it. Also, don't keep too many lights on near DJ/dancing area - darker it is, more people will be dance freely.

This is crucially important. If you don't have someone to DJ maybe find a recent pre made mix online somewhere.

Keep your shit locked up/not even in the house.

Talk to cops on the porch. Never inside.