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Of course, it's a party so you'll want to be sure to set up activities to keep people talking and interacting. You'll want to tailor those activities, however, to the number of guests you'll have as well as the interests and personalities of your guests. Create large group activities. If you have lots of people, you'll want to have at least one activity that lots of people can do together. Try a cheesy dance competition, rent a karaoke machine, and hire someone to come and give your group dance lessons. Of course, the activity you choose should take your guests into account. If they're quiet ladies, for example, someone to give a lesson on decoupage might be better appreciated than a dance instructor. Create small group activities. If you have a more intimate group, you'll have a few more options for activities you can all do together. Set up a game of sackhole or pull out some board games. Don't feel limited to Monopoly, either. Newer games, like Apples to Apples, are great for small party groups (around 10 players). Remember that not all of your guests will be extroverted, just because they're at a party. By giving introverts a quiet place to escape for a few minutes, you can make sure that everyone enjoys your party. But of course, you also want to give them the tools they need be social comfortably. Try: Creating conversation starter cards. These cards have a couple of questions or conversation topics written out on them. Place these cards at their place setting or on a table in the middle of the room, so people can use them when they want to. If your party will outside, you'll need outdoor activities. If your party is indoors, you'll need indoor activities. Having both available might be a good idea too. Just remember that if you're planning an outdoor party and environmental factors might ruin your plans (like rain), you'll want to have indoor activities available as a backup plan. For outdoor activities, you can set up carnival games, a s'mores station, or an outdoor movie theater. For indoor activities, you can set up a photo booth (all you need is a camera, a stand, a backdrop, and props), white elephant gift exchange, or a station for temporary tattoos. Choosing a theme for your party can also help you in planning activities. For certain occasions, a theme might lend itself (such as a party for a particular holiday). Otherwise, you'll have to come up with a theme and themed activities that you think will appeal to your guests. For a Roaring 20's themed party, screen a silent movie and set up some casino games. You can even make alcohol free cocktails if there will be too many younger people at the party for real ones. For a manly party, hire a cigar roller. Get a custom blend made up just for the occasion and then get someone to roll cigars for any guest that wants one. If you're having a formal gathering, you'll probably need to take a slightly different approach to entertaining. Make sure you account for this when you plan your event. Often, formal parties are more challenging, since people are less inclined to be social and friendly. This means that you might want to make sure that people have cues that can get them talking and interacting. You can have guests play the "Who am I?" game. This is where you write down the name of a well known person on a card and tape it to the back of each guest. The guest then has to ask questions of other guests to find out what person they've been assigned. Favors that get people doing an activity are also a great option for formal parties.
Find ways for people to have fun together. Create space for introverts. Mix outdoor and indoor activities as needed. Theme your activities to the party. Account for formal parties.