damn. people in the world take cocktail parties (aka business networking) really seriously. for example, http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/12/05/colosimo_cocktails.html and http://www.epicurious.com/features/entertaining/kbnewyears/look
geez. the acronym “cbf” comes to mind here. i’m going to use all the votives i feel like, crazy woman. evite takes parties really seriously, too. i guess that’s what you do, promote “entertainment is really serious,” so that people spend more money on your advertisers, who give more money to you. i just need to find something that isn’t being done to death on the internet already and create buzz for it and then i, too, can be filthy-rich. (i just read an article on facebook.) it’s so simple
oh! thanks for reminding me! i forgot to buy votives.
Any set of party ideas that uses the phrase “_____ is forbidden” loses my vote.
There are too many rulebooks for etiquette, these days. The problem is, they have a hard time distinguishing themselves if they all say the same thing, but if they don’t, the unified framework for politeness falls apart.
More importantly, who cares? Would you remember a party with flawless etiquette better than one that was well and truly fun? (Granted, it depends on the kind of fun we’re talking about..)
I didn’t think so.
yeah, it’s a different world. you’re not *supposed* to have fun at “business networking” cocktail parties. you’re supposed to develop business contacts. that is a world i know nothing about. it’s just funny to watch them and provide dirisive commentary from far away about how they are mechanical, soulless robots to hide my jealousy that they are rich, influential people.
It’s all about Comfort–Emily Post
(Actually, I hear that the Google people have a great time at their gatherings, and they’re in roughly that class, aren’t they?)
Upon actually reading some Emily Post, I was surprised to discover that she considered the primary purpose of etiquette was to put her guests at ease. Her rules were intended to avoid anyone feeling left out or uncomfortable. “Amazing,” I thought, “far from being the stuck-up prude I imagined her to be, Mrs. Post is a Breakfast-at-Tiffany’s-esque facilitator of socialization!”
Some of the comments were quite good: doing research on your guests so you have something to talk about makes plenty of sense. I just hate the “The toaster must be standing and the toastee should be sitting with a glass but must not raise it” details. Restrictions for the sake of restrictions are irritating. More to the point, they generally don’t “put guests at ease”. Another of Post’s rules I read boils down to “if the group is more comfortable with a changed rule.. change it!”
So I haven’t been to anything that you might call your typical “cocktail party” (well that’ll change tomorrow night :-)), but a lot of the gatherings I’ve would be considered a business networking gathering (the Cal engineering alumni events or the 20s/30s socials yahoo group thing I monitor).
When I’m there I’m trying to develop friendships, it just so happens some of those friendships and acquaintances happen to have some interesting potential business relationships to them. I’m quite sure at least a few of these people I’ve met are eventually going to be at startups, and I now know some realtor and financial advisor types, but it’s not the primary reason I’m going to these things. I doubt it’s the primary reason anyone else is going… it’s just like any party: food and booze and good conversations (and for a few people, meeting potential tennis partners or drinking buddies).