Making the call on whether or not to permit invitees to bring guests of their own should be done early, made carefully, and communicated clearly. According to Emily Post, spouses and partners should always be invited to weddings, but can be excluded from business functions if the budget or space is limited. It’s a question that puts pause in the voices of the unprepared, and shivers down the spine of the penny-pinching: “Can I bring a friend?”. A team-building party could benefit from exclusivity, while an employee appreciation party will be more likely to have an impact if guests can enjoy the evening with their loved ones. But you also want to make sure you focus on the part of the list that has the most potential for a substantial return.” Within the context of a company party, different objectives dictate starkly different guest lists. “You want them to feel full and not empty, so the people who come don’t feel awkward. “Some strategic thought is required for open houses,” says our director of operations, Bryan Jayne. Next, what is the purpose of the event? Our event manager, Elle Harala, advises, “You want the right crowd, not just a crowd.” An open house provides the opportunity to invite a wide variety of guests, but high attendance alone doesn’t necessarily translate into success. Unless invitees are likely to share news of their inclusion with others, you can also opt to have two lists: an “A” list that gets the first batch of invitations, and a “B” list that gradually makes the cut as those “declines with regret” checkboxes open up additional seats. The rule of thumb for a wedding, for example, is to expect 80% of in-state guests to attend. First, how many people can you actually admit? It’s common practice to invite more guests than you have room for, if you know that many invitees will ultimately decline the invitation. Now that everyone from Andy in accounting to Zelda in Zurich are counted, set some criteria for narrowing the list. Let the invite ideas flow, and then see where your numbers stand. If you’re planning with other people, consider creating a document in the cloud (such as a Google Doc) that your planning team can collaborate on. Save the meticulous thinking for a later stage of planning, and include everyone that comes to mind in a Word document. Who do you invite? Do you allow plus-ones? How do you estimate attendance, and how do you enforce your guest list? These are just a few of the questions that dance through the dreaming minds of PTA dads, brides-to-be, and White House Social Secretaries alike. All this over a piece of cardstock- an invitation.Ĭreating a guest list is a daunting task. The incident erupted into a back-and-forth that ended in congressional condemnation and public ridicule. But they got in, famously shaking hands with the President and mingling with the Prime Minister of India. They weren’t familiar to those in charge of the guest list at the 2009 White House State Dinner either. See if these names ring a bell: Michaele and Tareq Salahi.
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