PARTY + PLAY: So You Want to Be a VIP Host?

Wednesdays at Justin + 6 are Party + Play with the co-director of NYC's number one gay nightlife company, BoiParty and published author of the gay novel Gulliver Takes Manhattan, Justin Luke Zirilli. 
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There are a lot of moving parts to the world of gay nightlife. So many different people and groups of people who, working together as a team, produce the award-winning events that you and your friends like to attend.

One of these moving parts is the VIP Host. Now, you may ask, what does a host do? They're not a promoter. They're not a DJ. They're not a go-go boy. Yet their names appear on invites and flyers, don't they? They must be doing something.

Well, they're actually doing a lot. Allow me to explain.

Host Joe Roszak in the 20Something Thursdays VIP Section

At BoiParty we have immense respect for our hosts. We take unbelievably good care of them because we recognize that a host's job isn't easy. That they're working damn hard (unless they're a sham, in which case we fire them).

A host is the face of the party. While Alan and I and Jonathan Nish are running around 20Something Thursdays at XL, our hosts serve as our proxies. The promoter/producer is in charge of designing the event and making sure that it runs. The host's job is to bring their friends and make sure everyone is having a good time (including them).

The best hosts (a few come to mind from my team... Joe Roszak, Lucio Abruzzi, Paige Turner, Tristan L. Wright) often spend the night or nights before the party on their phones and emails, inviting their friends to come. They post flyers and make sure that everyone knows about the event. These hosts tend to have lots of friends who trust them with where to go.

Hostess Paige Turner at 20Something Thursdays

Hosts tend to have very outgoing personalities, and are all about meeting new people, and introducing their friends to everyone. They have loyalty to the party and the cause, and they are there early, and leave near closing time. They don't just slap their name on any party. They know what they're doing, and why they're doing it.

At the party, the hosts are on the floor networking. They're meeting new people and introducing them to all their friends. This allows them to expand their networks through the people they meet to the friends of the people they meet. As they encourage more and more people to attend the event organically, so their numbers grow.

Also, hosts hear everything first. They know what works in an event, and what doesn't. They give Alan, Jonathan, and I criticisms on the evening and even suggest ways to improve for the next event. This is invaluable advice we might not get on our own because we are running around the event making sure that everything is working as seamlessly as possible.

Host Lucio Abruzzi celebrating his birthday at 20Something Thursdays

Like I said, this is a lot of work! The crappy hosts (the fake ones) in this world will just brag that they're hosts. They'll show up and drink free booze and then leave whenever they want to. Sometimes to other parties. We won't work with these hosts. We expect our hosts to be proud of what they do and improve every week, just like we are as producers and promoters.

Luckily, at this point, I am able to detect a host that's worth it, and a host that isn't worth it. Once upon a time I could be fooled, but it's easy for me to spot now.

And, as I said, we reward our hosts because we know they're working hard. Here are the benefits our hosts at BoiParty get:

1. Free entry for them and all of their friends, all night long, at 20Something Thursdays at XL
2. A VIP table on the dance floor or just off the dance floor
3. Celebrity via constant mentions of them to our over 200,000 worldwide contacts and audience
4. Completely free bottle service if they bring us 15 or more people
5. A per-head pay in addition to a bottle if they bring us 20 or more people
6. Free entry for them and a friend to all of our other events

Look around and see what hosts make elsewhere. Some promoters are snakes. They'll ask you to be a host, promise you the moon, and then give you nothing. They burn bridges and leave new hosts jaded. We don't play that way. We promise, and we deliver.

Host Patrick Day and the hotties he tends to bring to 20Something Thursdays at XL

Because, while we're running the event, we need eyes, ears, and smiles on the dance floor making sure that all of our hard work pays off and gets better every week. That's the job of the hosts. And I'm beyond pleased with the hosts we've got working for us.

Do YOU want to be a host with BoiParty? We're always looking for more of them. Just fill out this form and we can chat about it. We look forward to working with you :)

xo
JL