Looking to host your first dinner? Here are 10 recommendations for hosting a great dinner. We strongly recommend that you follow the advice, formats, tips and tricks below. You can watch this video – and find more detailed advice and the suggested Dinnr format below:
1. Great dinners gathers 6-10 people – you get 250 Dkr. pr. guest to cover your expenses
On Dinnr, you can invite people to dinner in your home on a topic that interests you. The best dinners are typically gathering 6-10 people. Per guest signing up, you get DKK 250 to cover expenses for food and wine. If you host a dinner and say 7 people sign up, you will be paid DKK 1,750 for buying food, wine, etc. If your dinner gathers a significantly lower number of guests, you can choose to go ahead and host it or cancel it.
2. Post your dinner min. 14 days in advance
For guests to be able to discover the dinner we recommend that you post dinners two weeks in advance. This increases your chances of a fully booked dinner.
3. Choose a personal theme for the dinner
Choose a theme that you are passionate and curious about personally. Great themes are typically centered around things you are curious about yourself. Areas of your life where you can feel butterflies in your stomach or areas where you struggle to solve a challenge – or strike the right balance in your own life. For inspiration, we have gathered all previous dinners here.
4. Describe what you would like to share and discuss with the guests.
Every dinner starts with a sharing on the theme. You go first followed by the guests. To set expectations please describe what you would like to share and discuss with the guest.
4. How many guests to invite?
We recommend dinners with between 6-10 people attending (including you). Our experience is that the optimal number is 8. This allows for diversity, different perspectives, and a vibrant atmosphere where all get to share and you can have a shared conversation.
Don’t worry if you have only space for 6 people – just prepare for a quite intimate dinner. If you go for 10 people at your dinner, be aware that the time for sharing is short. You might want to time people’s sharings so everyone gets an equal opportunity to speak.
5. Choose your guest profile
Based on our experience we recommend that you strike a 50/50 gender balance at your dinner. So choose Men & Women (Standard) – and add the number of seats for Men and Women accordingly.
– If you are a Woman hosting make: 3 female and 4 male seats.
If you feel strongly about making a women-only or men-only dinner, choose this option and set available guest seats accordingly.
If you don’t identify with traditional gender roles choose ”’Gender-nonconforming’ and set the seats accordingly.
6. Foods profile
Let people know what food you are serving. We recommend that you cook a vegan or vegetarian dinner. This is healthy, climate-friendly, and allows all types of Guests to join. But if you want to do your magic stew/pot with meat, let people know if there is a vegan option – or not.
Our best advice is to cook a simple meal/dish. It’s great with a homecooked meal that you have put some love into. But don’t overdo it! One main course, salad and bread, and a bit of chocolate is great. And yes! It’s ok to order some high-quality takeaway if that enables you to make it all work and stay focussed on the facilitation.
7. Alcohol/wine?
It’s up to you. Most people expect to be offered a glass of wine for dinner when they are out. It can make people relax and open up. But it’s up to you. It’s perfectly fine to make a non-alcoholic dinner. But mention this in your description under the three questions for the guest.
If you serve wine we recommend dry bubbles or white wine – as some guests don’t drink red wine.
8. Format and Tips for facilitating a great dinner
The dinner is all about the theme, making guests feel welcome, and facilitating a great sharing & discussion while ensuring guests stay on topic during the evening. Here is a recommended format for running the dinner.
Dinnr recommended format:
1. Arrival – welcome everybody, give them some practical information and mention tonight’s theme.
2. Serve a glass of bubbles/wine / water
3. Facilitate a round of sharing (turn-based or pop-corn style). You go first as the Host – followed by the Guests. Ask people to state their name, what brought them to this dinner, and their reflections on the theme.
– Time people for 3 min. each for equal opportunity to speak
4. Invite people to sit down or join the table – try to facilitate that people sit mixed/gender/age and not with one they might know already.
5. Serve food and let the conversation flow.
6. Raise a toast and offer people to start eating – and challenge people to stay on topic if the conversation drifts towards work, real estate, politics, or other safe/boring topics.
7. You might want to intervene mid-way and mix the seating of people for everyone to get a chance to meet.
8. Make a check-out 20 min before the dinner ends. Give each guest 2 minutes to mention the most surprising thing about the night/conversation + one thing/learning they will take with them after the dinner.
9. Make everyone help fill the dishwasher and clean the table. Don’t be a hero/perfect host! Ask people to help clean up. All Guests are instructed that this is expected.
10. All Guests leave your home together at the announced end-time. No exceptions. Don’t go late – people will get frustrated missing the last part. This is to be respectful of everyone’s time and a shared closure. And also to make sure no guests stay late if you need to get up the day after.
9. Setting expectations and managing time
Start the dinner by laying out the program for the night to set expectations and make Guests feel safe.
Motivate the theme and go first on the sharing. Make sure to time the sharings (including your own) so everybody gets equal sharing opportunity. Don’t be shy to cut off guests who go long. It’s respect for everybody’s experience.
Make sure to intervene if conversations go off topics. Don’t be shy to confront guests if they interrupt other guests, keep rambling about their ‘terrible ex-partner’, start man-splaining, or go into fixing mode on other guests.
It’s very seldom, but should you experience a guest who gets drunk, keeps behaving inappropriately, is narcissistic, or simply unable to follow instructions please report the incident to info@dinner.co – with a short description of the episode, the name of the guest and we will take action.
10. Nervous? Team up with a friend!
We recommend that you team up with a friend if you feel stressed about both cooking and facilitating the conversation. But all guests are instructed to help out, so please put them to work making the table, serving food, and cleaning up after dinner. Sometimes it’s great having a friend as a sidekick. But sometimes it’s also nice to be able to share more freely when you don’t have a close friend at your side. The choice is yours.
Ready to host your dinner now?
If you feel ready to host your dinner, you can post it here
Tips from 3 experienced hosts
What are the top three pieces of advice for hosting a great dinner from three experienced Dinnr Hosts?
