5 Ways To Work a Room at a Holiday Party

1.      And this is the most important thing, LOOK GOOD. Pictures will be snapped and you never know where they could end up. I probably overspent in the clothing department this week but it was totally worth it because I ended up on several social sites and got invited to other parties later on in the week. When you look great, you feel great, and when you feel great, other people want to take pictures with you! Dress in proper attire and if you don’t know what cocktail attire means, LOOK IT UP! You don’t want to be the girl in a club dress when people are wearing fur!

It’s Christmastime and you know what that means, industry holiday events! Believe it or not, I’ve confirmed THREE projects this week just from getting out of the house! It started with a table read, which led to being cast in a short film and securing a producer from my webshow. I hit another holiday party, blew up my Instagram and got invited to another holiday party which led to being cast in another project. Could these things have happened without the help of a little glam? Maybe, but they certainly would not have happened if I had stayed warm in the house. I made my rounds in Atlanta this week for holiday parties and events and I want to share what I learned along the way. Here are Five Things you need to know before heading into industry holiday parties!

Director Brandon '2 Mill' Thaxton

Producer Tabari Sturdivant

2.  Have a fully charged phone! When I get in my car, I plug up my phone, whether it’s dying or not. This may not be good for the battery but who keeps a phone longer than a year anyway these days? That 20% of battery could mean all the difference in the world when you’re talking to the right person. It also keeps you from looking like a jerk. I need to work on remembering people I’ve already met before. They always remember me. So when I don’t remember them, I ask to follow them on Instagram. Everyone is delighted to have a new follower, they type in their name and suddenly I remember! No one gets offended and everybody is happy. Following somebody is also an excellent way to stay in touch with what they have doing. It’s more important to know what THEY are doing, especially if they can cast you. Make sure you post and use the hashtags in case someone tries to find you later!



3. Pack business cards. I know this is a given but I’ve been giving out so many, I forget to restock my purse! I don’t even bother putting my phone number on my card anymore, as long as my social media info is on it, we’re square. That’s good for when you meet a creeper also, but anybody can be blocked so give everybody a card just in case!

Casting Director, Laquanda Plantt

4. Bring the host a gift. Sometimes that person can be difficult to identify, but if you’re going to a party hosted by your agency, bring your agents a gift. It never hurts to stay in good graces with the people who help you.

5. Arrive late and leave early. This trick to this is to be disciplined about making your rounds in a short time. It makes you look desired. You don’t want to be there person holding a drink and waiting for someone to talk to you. Make your catch-ups quick. Invite yourself to others’ conversations and excuse yourself quickly also. You’ll be memorable but not annoying. Hop in a couple of pictures, post and like, and your deal is done. This is also helpful when you have more than one event on the same night!


Now get out there and go party!