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It’s only right to welcome in the New Year with a bang. People expect a big party but if you’ve taken on hosting duties how do you make it a night to remember?
Follow these steps when planning your celebrations so your party goes off without a hitch and you have a night of good company, good food and good times...
Decide on a theme There are many directions your party can go. To throw the perfect party, it’s important to think of something that your friends will enjoy so they have a really good night. Whether it's a dress-up, cocktail or dinner party, you’ll need to give plenty of warning so they can all get in on it. For a memorable night it might be time to have something a little different. This gives everyone something to look forward to, that's a bit different from the average Saturday night.
For example, If you’re not traveling away this New Year's then it might be fun to introduce a holiday or beach theme - think dress up, decorations and that uber summer feel to get people in the spirit and as close to your communal holiday memories as possible. To get some ideas on what you party style is, take our quiz here Get inviting This may sound simple, but it’s important to make sure that you give everyone ample warning so you don’t end up with just one or two people! When it comes to New Year’s, people get booked up well in advance so the normal week or two before rules don’t apply. Get a gauge on who’s traveling away and who’s in town to ensure that all your planning doesn’t go to waste.
Food and drinks Make sure there’s ample of food and drinks to last the night because a) a dry party is not a good party and b) it’s important to have food in any drinking situation. If your budget is a bit tight then have your party after dinner or organise for your close friends to bring a plate. When it comes to drinks you can either find something in your price range and provide people with a couple of drinks or go BYO. Because it’s summer, drinks like STARK make the perfect accompaniment because they're super refreshing! STARK is a 5% vodka drink, which combines triple distilled Swedish vodka with New Zealand sparkling water and comes in three flavours; Feijoa & Apple, Lemon & Lime or Mandarin. It has no artificial colouring, flavouring or sweeteners. Don't forget to make sure you have some alternatives for those who are not drinking!
Expect the unexpected If your party is going to go off without a hitch then you’re going to need to relax. Things are going to get spilt, glasses will possibly get broken and people may drink too much. The best way to deal with all this is remove any valuables from the room, clear out lots of space and use glasses that you won’t miss if the odd one gets destroyed (or even better go plastic - makes the clean up easier as well). Knowing that all your valuables are safe, you can deal with any problems as they arise - just don’t let them ruin your night. Worry about the mess in the morning.
Introduce some games If things start getting a bit stale then bring in some games to get the night going. No matter how old you are, everyone enjoys a good game of Singstar (I’m looking forward to breaking out the 90s version) or go old school and pull out the broom for a bit of limbo dancing... people tend to really let their hair down when they're doing something a bit silly!
Look after your guests Try to bridge the gap between different groups of friends by introducing people you think will get along. There’s nothing worse than a party where everyone sticks to their little cliques, so make sure everyone is feeling included. If everyone’s talking and interacting it will create a buzzier atmosphere. People will feel more relaxed and therefore have a better time.
Make sure everyone gets home safe Because you can’t always rely on other people to act responsibly, make sure no one’s driving drunk. Going back to the expect the unexpected thing; offer people a bed, couch or even piece of floor if they need to stay and sober up for the night. As an added bonus, this will help with the clean up in the morning because you'll have a few more hands to help out.
There’s no foolproof recipe for the perfect night, but employing these steps will take you in the right direction. At the end of the day (as cheesy as it is) the most important ingredient is your friends. When your nearest and dearest are around you, the good times are sure to roll, so party on, party hard and welcome in New Year's with one big bang.
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It’s only right to welcome in the New Year with a bang. People expect a big party but if you’ve taken on hosting duties how do you make it a night to remember? 
Decide on a theme 
If your party is going to go off without a hitch then you’re going to need to relax. Things are going to get spilt, glasses will possibly get broken and people may drink too much. The best way to deal with all this is remove any valuables from the room, clear out lots of space and use glasses that you won’t miss if the odd one gets destroyed (or even better go plastic - makes the clean up easier as well). Knowing that all your valuables are safe, you can deal with any problems as they arise - just don’t let them ruin your night. Worry about
Look after your guests