Planning a big party for family is tough enough, so what does it take to exceed your company’s expectations for a business event  with 500 or more guests? Mega special events coordinator Steve Norton of Lake Forest-based Steve Norton Perspectives (snperspectives.net) says follow these ten tips for success in the world of special events:

1. Plan ahead and make sure the invite is sent at least six weeks in advance. Business executives and colleagues are busy with lots on their calendars. Make sure they have your event on their calendar in plenty of time.
2. Use technology to help you manage RSVPs. Web- and email-based RSVP programs make things quicker and can be done at any time, even while traveling or working at the office.
3. Make sure parking is easy and convenient for your guests. If getting a valet service is an option, then spend the money. A hosted valet services shows you value the person as a busy business colleague.
4. Classy nametags can break the ice for an event where guests don’t know each other. And, they can remind someone if they have met the person before, but don’t remember their name or their company. Such a small thing is powerful and can help avoid awkwardness and improve confidence at more anonymous functions.
5. At minimum, provide a premium soft bar, which includes beer, wine, sodas, water and perhaps one specialty drink of the evening. Nobody wants guests to drink excessively. However, if it is a cocktail event, make sure to pour premium liquor as it shows you value your clients.
6. Make sure to order bite-sized and easy-to-eat foods, especially nothing messy or crumbly. Serve trays of passed hors d’oeuvres and offer a few chef exhibition food stations for your guests to explore at their leisure. These stations create conversations as well as fill the room with the wonderful aroma of cooked-to-order food.
7. Design the party room to create movement for optimum circulation. Keep the wine, water and appetizers at the front of the room, placing the bar in the back to avoid crowding. Make sure to plan for at least one bar for every 75 guests, with food stations around the room rather than all in one place. Stand-up round cocktail tables along with 36-inch round sit-down tables work well by creating ease of movement.
8. Movement is also important for the host/hostess. Move around the event, talking to different groups, introducing them and bringing them together based on common interests. If you do know a guest who has a food allergy or enjoys a certain drink, make sure the catering staff knows this. This show you value them and can express concern about their individuality. To avoid being the tipsy host, drink one alcoholic beverage and then always follow it with a non-alcoholic one.
9. Tuesday or Thursday evenings are the best days of the week to have a business event, as Fridays and weekends are peak being-with-the-family time. Begin your event around 5 p.m. and run until about 9 p.m. By not having a timed event with much of an itinerary, guests coming later feel comfortable about joining the party.
10. Upon each guest’s departure, have the valet put a small gift in the car, along with a thank you note. This surprise party favor can be as small as a box of two chocolate truffles, creating a nice memory for the drive home.

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer from Costa Mesa, whose OC-based car reviews and weekend road trips can be found at BuyingACar.Suite101.com. She is a regular contributor.