{"id":106928,"date":"2026-03-09T12:23:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T12:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/09\/was-be-more-social-your-2026-goal-expert-advice-for-hosting-at-your-home\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T12:23:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T12:23:53","slug":"was-be-more-social-your-2026-goal-expert-advice-for-hosting-at-your-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/09\/was-be-more-social-your-2026-goal-expert-advice-for-hosting-at-your-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Was ‘Be More Social’ Your 2026 Goal? Expert Advice for Hosting at Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Sultan wasn\u2019t finding the tech scene she was in super social. And she\u2019d often hear others in her circle bemoaning the idea of their losing connections when friends got married or worse: <\/span>moved to New York<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

This sense of disconnect was in stark contrast to her childhood growing up in the Middle East, when Sultan said she recalled constantly meeting new friends and being \u201calways around people.\u201d Here in the Bay Area, she\u2019s observed \u201ca little bit of a difference in social culture and tendency of people to do that, at least in the SF community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jordan Senigar, the founder of the Leave Your House Project and East Bay resident, echoed this. \u201cA lot of people want connection, but the Bay Area can honestly feel really overwhelming and expensive,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really easy to feel like community isn\u2019t accessible if you don\u2019t fit a specific mold.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially in SF,\u201d Sultan said, \u201cwhere people are so enamored with tech and digital experiences, I think people have forgotten that at the end of the day \u2026 we crave connection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With all this in mind? I spoke to Sultan and other Bay Area hosts on how to throw an excellent party \u2014 from logistics like invites and food to vibes like music and themes to getting your friends to <\/span>actually<\/span><\/i> show up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What kind <\/i>of event do I want to host?<\/h2>\n

The main goal of your first event is getting people to just show up, Sultan said. So make your gathering something easy for <\/span>you<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the possibilities are endless. According to Anita Osuala, a spokesperson with Partiful \u2014 the <\/span>popular online platform<\/span><\/a> that allows people to create customizable private or public event pages \u2014 users have been getting creative with events that go beyond birthdays and house parties, according to trends she said she\u2019s observed from \u201ca mix of both product data and behavioral patterns we see across invites on the platform.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Osuala said Partiful is seeing the platform used for more \u201cadmin night\u201d invites and chore parties where, as she put it, \u201cpeople tackle life tasks together\u201d: like paying the bills and scheduling dreaded dental appointments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dosti is a Bay Area-based social club for young Muslims. (Courtesy of Muhammad Anjum)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is also the everlasting appeal of off-kilter or ironic events \u2014 like<\/span> the Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet look-alike contest in 2024<\/span><\/a> and their subsequent spin-offs, including <\/span>San Francisco\u2019s pre-Super Bowl Bad Bunny look-alike showdown<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One Partiful Sultan came across was made by someone who claimed to never have eaten <\/span>an Uncrustable<\/span><\/a> and was inviting people to watch them \u201ctry an Uncrustable for the first time in the park.\u201d By Sultan\u2019s count, the event had around 400 RSVPs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your gathering can even be \u201cstupid stuff like that,\u201d she laughed. \u201cHow low maintenance is this?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a personal note, I can attest that movie-themed events are crowd-pleasers, too. Last year, I hosted <\/span>a Conclave-themed party<\/span><\/a> in honor of the 2024 papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci.<\/span><\/p>\n

And as the Academy Awards on March 15 grow closer, hosts of an Oscars party could have a lot of fun <\/span>printing and passing out ballots<\/span><\/a> for people to predict winners and compete with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Bad Bunny look-alike competitors interact with the crowd during a contest at Tacolicious in San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Childhood throwbacks are also always a winner. The Leave Your House Project\u2019s first \u201cadult field trip\u201d was \u201cindoor recess\u201d: \u201ca little throwback to elementary school days where you play four square and do double dutch,\u201d Senigar said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSmall, simple moments can create really meaningful community because that\u2019s essentially what we did when we were kids,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had to make do with what we had \u2026 \u2018Okay, we don\u2019t always have to spend $600 and go to Monterey. We can just do something local.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And what about dinner parties \u2014 those gatherings that are often considered the cornerstones of adulthood?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Given that they can be a stressful affair with all of the cooking and preparations they entail, going potluck style for your first party can be a more manageable way to host a dinner in your home, where people can chip in with food. Hosts shouldn\u2019t have to \u201cbear the financial burden\u201d alone, Sultan said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How should I think about food?<\/h2>\n

The days of college party catering \u2014 A.K.A. a bag of chips and beer \u2014 may be behind you. But that doesn\u2019t mean that food for a party, even a dinner party, has to be a fancy five-course meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yasmine Davis, a San Francisco resident dubbed (by a friend) as <\/span>\u201cthe queen of SF dinner parties\u201d<\/span><\/a> on TikTok, said that she started hosting dinner parties before she ever <\/span>had<\/span><\/i> a dinner table.<\/span><\/p>\n

The idea of hosting people for dinner can be stress-inducing for many people, said Davis, and it\u2019s often motivated by feeling they don\u2019t \u201chave the right materials to do it.\u201d But \u201cI was just having people over, and we would sit down on the floor, and I would just put everything on my coffee table,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Davis herself <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> a cook, and said that it \u201cactually brings so much joy to me, my friends actually enjoying the food that I\u2019m making.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A friend dubbed Yasmine Davis as \u201cthe queen of SF dinner parties,\u201d on account of the colorful, themed meals David hosted in her apartment. (Courtesy of Yasmine Davis)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But she added that hosts shouldn\u2019t have to over-purchase food for a dinner party or an event, because \u201cwhen people are at a party, they\u2019re being so social that they don\u2019t eat as much as they would at a restaurant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Davis said she often focuses on finger foods and crowd-pleasing staples like vodka pasta, crispy chicken cutlets and a big salad. She also enjoys seasonal-themed dinners and meals \u2014 like a winter-themed meal with cosy grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also cost-effective if you don\u2019t want to spend an arm and a leg on this food for a party,\u201d she said. \u201cYou could be so creative with the salad and make it look so beautiful with edible flowers and different pickled things in it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As for drinks, hosts should always make sure to have other cold beverages on hand other than alcohol, she advised.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How should I prepare my home for hosting people?<\/h2>\n

Sultan is an advocate of cleaning up the space before people start showing up, and notes that even a small act like wiping the table can make a big difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another major requirement for her is emptying the fridge, to stop days-old leftovers from taking up space from your party snacks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A table with glasses, photos and a plate with pasta. (Janina Steinmetz via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Davis herself has found it fun to explore tablescaping \u2014 the art of arranging silverware and decor \u2014 she acknowledges that getting overly focused on the aesthetics of a dinner party can bring people a lot of stress: not to mention the cost that wrangling matching cups, plates and table covers can incur.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In these cases, Davis said it may help to focus on the food more. \u201cI want to make sure people are enjoying the <\/span>food <\/span><\/i>at a party,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For my part, I am a stickler for good lighting \u2014 i.e., never subject your guests to the too-harsh overhead ceiling bulb. And a small thing I\u2019ve noticed that always makes people smile: printing out a \u201cmenu\u201d for a dinner party. We have fancy restaurants at home!<\/span><\/p>\n

What should I do <\/i>during the party?<\/h2>\n

To many people\u2019s surprise, the Leave Your House Project\u2019s Senigar considers herself an introvert. But she said she steps up when it comes to hosting duties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHosting is about the guest experience, not always about how impressive something looks,\u201d she said. \u201cYou really have to be adaptable, you have to be flexible, and you have to be calm and welcoming and intentional because it sets the tone for the entire space.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Top-down shot of a festive dining table covered with holiday food, drinks, and decorations. (Alina Rudya via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During an event, Senigar will drive herself to stay extra mindful, checking in on guests to see how they are feeling and talking to people who seem to be standing by themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt lets the attendees know that they\u2019re welcome and they don\u2019t have to navigate the space on their own,\u201d she said. \u201cWhether the event is perfect or not, they will remember that moment.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It can be \u201creally anxiety-inducing for new people to come to events alone,\u201d Sultan said \u2014 so \u201cliterally when they come in, just be like, \u2018Hey, oh my gosh, I have someone I want to introduce you to.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd introduce those people and have them start a conversation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the host, you may have a picture-perfect idea of an event in your head. <\/span>But Davis said, \u201cWhen you try to over-complicate it, it\u2019ll just stress you out a lot\u201d \u2014 especially at the beginning of your hosting journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
View of a group of friends enjoying the time together with laughter at brunch. (Janina Steinmetz via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, \u201cas you get more comfortable, you can experiment with other things,\u201d she advised. \u201cKeep it as simple as you want and just add different parts of yourself that you would want to shine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One of those shining things should be music. \u201cIt gets so awkward if you go to an event where they don\u2019t have music playing, because then you can just hear everyone\u2019s conversations,\u201d Sultan said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I, for one, love making a collaborative playlist on Spotify, which allows anyone attending to add songs during the party. (Although, beware \u2014 people may also try to annoy you with this generous function.)<\/span><\/p>\n

How can I make sure my friends actually <\/i>show up?<\/h2>\n

Now here is the true host nightmare. People \u2014 maybe even lots of them \u2014 RSVP \u2026 but then they don\u2019t show up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And while yes, emergencies happen and sometimes people get too tired and just don\u2019t want to leave their house, it can feel like a rather vulnerable moment for a host.<\/span> Sultan\u2019s advice here is to <\/span>over<\/span><\/i>-invite people, because there will always be last-minute cancellations.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to the number of invites she sends out, \u201cmy rule of thumb is \u2018always 20% more,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it has never failed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dosti hosts events like picnics, book swaps and holiday parties \u2014 all advertised with eye-catching colorful Instagram posts and Partiful pages. (Courtesy of Muhammad Anjum)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asking invitees to bring a plus one is a good way to boost attendance with people who are vetted by friends, Sultan said. And when it comes to those \u201cI\u2019m just not feeling it tonight\u201d folks, Senigar said she tries to \u201cmeet people where they\u2019re at, especially for people who don\u2019t go out as much.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really honest \u2014 but in a gentle and supportive way, kind of like in a big sister way,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll literally say, \u2018If you wanna make friends, you have to leave your house.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s not judgmental,\u201d she stressed. \u201cIt gives people a clear next step, and it lets them move at their own pace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n