I adore spending time with family and friends. My chief love language is quality time, so I’ll take any excuse to be part of a get-together.
The main reason I don’t throw more events is my family’s budget — entertaining can add up quickly. That’s why I was thrilled when I discovered House Party back in 2015.
House Party lets you apply to host events that help companies promote — and consumers learn about — new items. Brands partner with House Party to raise awareness of their products by sending selected hosts exclusive complimentary goods to try and share with their guests.
I’ve been picked to host 11 of the 53 parties I applied for, and I find it’s a terrific way to throw get-togethers without breaking the bank.
How to Register
You can create a House Party account for free by completing a short form with your email address and birthdate. Once registered, head to the “Find a House Party” tab to begin applying for parties.
Besides parties open for applications, you can browse prior events and see which are “partying now” — meaning they’re scheduled within the coming weeks.
If you spot a party accepting hosts for a product you like, you can submit an application by answering a short questionnaire.
The questionnaire typically takes only a few minutes. During the application you’ll agree not to sell anything from the Party Pack, to use the site to plan your event and invite guests, and to let House Party and the sponsoring brand use any photos and product feedback you post there.
Make sure to click on the party’s event page and read the details and terms before hitting “apply now.” Some parties are restricted to certain states or territories. Others require participants to be 21+ because of the advertised content (this is common for brands promoting alcoholic beverages).
How to Improve Your Application
After finishing the questionnaire, you’ll land on a page informing you that your application is under review. There you’ll have the chance to make your application “stand out now” by completing several optional tasks. These steps aren’t required, but I suspect applicants who skip them are less likely to be selected as hosts.
I contacted House Party’s team to learn what suggestions they have to boost your chances of being chosen.
They emphasized completing those optional actions. Brian Slattery-Gaston, Vice President of Consumer Marketing at House Party, shared tips on how to elevate your application.
Brian explains, “An applicant can try to ‘Stand out from the crowd’ and demonstrate how eager they are to host!… Examples of how to ‘Stand out from the crowd’ may include activities like uploading photos and videos to the House Party Event Page, tweeting about the specific House Party, ‘liking’ the sponsor brand on Facebook, and initiating conversation on the ‘Main’ tab of the Event page.”
He adds, “Please note that taking any or all of these steps does not guarantee a host spot — all hosts for a given House Party still have to meet the hosting criteria, which includes a number of variables decided by House Party and the event sponsors.”
How Hosting Works
When you receive that email saying, “You’re in the running to host…” the real excitement begins! From that moment, you have exactly 30 minutes after signing in to create your electronic invite on the site and send it to the minimum required invitees.
Speed matters — if enough other hosts sign in and complete their invitations before you do, you’ll be removed from consideration.
Once your invites are sent you’re officially a House Party host! Your Party Pack will arrive in the mail about a week before the scheduled event date.
The concept is to have hundreds, sometimes thousands, of parties for a product take place on the same day. However, you can host your gathering a few days earlier or later if necessary.
The Party Pack typically includes a mix of free product samples, promotional items, decorations, coupons and sometimes even gift cards. I’ve received packs with coffee K-cups, mugs, t-shirts, baseball caps, beer koozies, key chains and coupons.
When I hosted a “Cooked Perfect Premium Fire Grilled Wings® Game Day Party,” the sponsor’s chosen date coincided with a major rivalry game for my hometown NFL team. The pack included miniature footballs for everyone, and we tossed them around during the game.
Yes, you might need to spend some money on snacks for your guests, but I’ve received a few Party Packs with coupons or gift cards that helped cover food and drinks. Being budget-conscious, you can surely find ways to keep food expenses low.
Often the Party Pack supplies the theme, decorations and even activities. For instance, I hosted a “Nature’s Bounty® Earthly Elements™ DIY Night” and the pack provided essential oils and recipe cards for making our own body butters.
What sponsors typically request in return is feedback and photos from your event. Check the website or app frequently because new hosting opportunities appear often.
House Party Advantages
- You can receive free swag, product samples, coupons, decor, and/or gift cards.
- Signing up is completely free and Party Packs cost nothing if you’re selected to host.
- There’s no soliciting or pressuring friends to buy products — just share the complimentary items you receive.
- It removes much of the guesswork from planning a party. The date, theme, decor, invitations and sometimes even favors are provided by House Party.
House Party Drawbacks
- Chances are you’ll spend some of your own money on the event. You can’t expect to invite 10 people to sample a new coffee flavor without at least offering pastries.
- The event date is predetermined and might not suit your schedule. Perhaps you’d prefer to host it to coincide with your birthday, but the window to use, share, and review your Party Pack items is limited. Missing that window could hurt your chances of being chosen for future parties.
- You must be ready on the host notification date and act fast if chosen. Hesitation can cost you the spot.
- You might apply to many parties before landing a host opportunity. Sadly, there’s no secret formula to predict the target audience House Party and sponsors want, so persevere if it takes numerous applications to secure a hosting role.
If you enjoy hosting, love free goodies, and like sharing great freebies as I do, head over to HouseParty.com to sign up. With these application pointers, you’ll be hosting in no time.
Hannah Caldwell is a writer, editor, spouse, and mother to an adventurous toddler and a demanding newborn who wakes at night. She runs a parenting blog at FirstGenMom.com where she offers encouragement and tips for overwhelmed parents like herself.
