When Nick Gray moved to New York City, he was a shy introvert with few friends. But he wanted to build up his social network. So he started throwing cocktail parties to meet people. These parties changed his life, and he thinks they can change yours, too.

Nick knows what you're thinking: you don't throw parties, and hosting them is simply not for you. But, he would encourage you not to tune out. He's got a great case for why you should give this idea a try, and just as he does in his book — The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings — Nick is going to lay out exactly how to throw a party that's low stakes and low effort, but will be highly successful in helping you build all kinds of connections.

Today on the show, Nick shares what he's learned from throwing hundreds of parties and refining his hosting technique to a T. He explains why cocktail parties are better than dinner parties (and don't have to involve actual cocktails), the best night of the week to throw a party, why the party should only be two hours long and have a firm end time, how many people to invite, and who to invite when you don't yet have any friends. And he explains why he's a big fan of two things you might be hesitant about — name tags and icebreakers — and why two of his favorite things to include in a party are grapes and a harmonica.

Resources Related to the Episode

• Related articles by Nick:
  • How to Host a Party at Home With Kids
  • How to Host a Digital Nomad Happy Hour
  • Mocktail Party: How to Host When You Don’t Drink Alcohol
  • How to Do Icebreakers: The Ultimate Guide
  • Event Platforms: Pros, Cons, and My Favorites
• Related AoM articles and podcasts:
  • The Manly Art of Hospitality
  • How to End a Conversation
  • 9 Reasons You Should Host a Party This Weekend
  • Podcast #378: Brunch Is Hell
  • Podcast #362: The Art of Mingling

Connect With Nick Gray

• Nick's website
• Nick's newsletter
• Nick on IG