Lindsay Landman, founder of global events firm Lindsay Landman Events, believes the best gatherings start with a simple question: what will make these guests feel comfortable? Her approach turns thoughtful preparation—from place cards to an extra pour of wine—into a practical way to help everyone feel considered and at home.

Lindsay Landman plans multi-day destination celebrations for a living, but her home-hosting approach begins with people, not production. When you are juggling allergies, a tight babysitter window, different comfort levels, and a menu, it is easy to think every detail has to be perfect. Lindsay’s advice is a useful reset: plan around the people who are coming, keep the format manageable, and make it easy for guests to feel they belong.

Hosting Q&A with Lindsay Landman

Q: When planning a gathering at home, where do you start?

A: I start with comfort. What would make these particular guests feel most comfortable in my home? I still stay loyal to my own values and preferences, but I plan with the people coming in mind. If someone has an allergy, needs to get home to a babysitter, or feels overwhelmed in a large group, I try to work backward from that and create the best experience I can.

Q: How do you break the ice or entertain guests?

A: I’m the kind of person who hesitates to ask for anything when I visit someone because I worry I’m imposing. So when I host, I try to have a wide variety and plenty of everything, and I make it clear that guests can help themselves. I don’t personally like rosé, but I keep plenty at home in case someone else really wants it. That creates an immediate sense of comfort and belonging.

I live in a New York City apartment, so my version of entertaining is mostly food, drinks, and company, with music that does not overwhelm the room. I don’t have a go-to playlist yet—but creating one has officially made it onto my to-do list.

Q: If you had a limited budget for a small dinner party, what would you focus on?

A: Place cards. People never seem to tire of the joy of seeing their own name. Knowing you were thought of in advance, in a personal and specific way, can make someone feel truly special without requiring a large budget.

Q: What advice would you give someone who feels overwhelmed by hosting?

A: First, remember that even for people who host often, doing it well takes effort. It may look effortless from the outside, but if you are working hard at it, you are doing something right. Start small with a format that has a formula, so you are not winging every decision. Margarita night is one example: find a big-batch recipe and focus on doing that one thing well. A beginner-friendly party-planning checklist, or a guide to what to decide first and when to start planning, can also help turn a vague idea into a manageable sequence.

Q: What is your signature recipe or favorite hosting detail?

A: I’m an experimenter and use new recipes all the time, but every year for almost 30 years I’ve made pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving from the original Joy of Cooking. According to my family, that is my signature move.

I also buy a lot of cocktail napkins. They are a small obsession at home and for client events; for one recent multi-day event, we printed more than 4,000 napkins.

Q: What is the most memorable gathering you have hosted?

A: My older son’s bar mitzvah in 2017 is probably the most memorable. I had been planning bar and bat mitzvahs as part of my business since 2001, but seeing my own child reach that milestone—and having our friends and family gather to celebrate—transformed my connection to the tradition. My younger son’s bar mitzvah was scheduled for March 2020, and, as many families experienced, that celebration did not happen as planned.

I grew up in a family of true hosts and learned a lot from my mother and grandmothers. I love that Partytrick focuses on the art of hosting; it helps bring together knowledge and experience that can be harder to find now.

Partytrick Take: Real Hosting Takeaways

Lindsay’s approach is a reminder that thoughtful hosting is not about anticipating every possible detail. It is about making a few decisions that help your guests feel expected, comfortable, and free to enjoy themselves. Start with their needs, then use a simple plan to make those decisions easier to carry out.

How can I recreate this hosting style in a simple way?

Choose one specific comfort cue and make it easy to notice. Put drinks and a few snacks somewhere guests can serve themselves, include an option you know someone will appreciate, or write place cards with each guest’s name. Keep the rest of the gathering simple. A party planning checklist can help you decide what matters before you add extra details.

What is the most important planning decision behind this gathering?

The guest-first filter is Lindsay’s anchor: what would make these particular people comfortable? That question can shape the guest count and timing, the food and drink choices, and the room arrangement. If a guest needs an early departure, for example, plan the schedule around that reality; if a guest is uneasy in a crowd, consider a smaller group and a calmer atmosphere. A short pre-party checklist can help move practical preparation out of the final minutes, leaving the host more available when guests arrive.

What can hosts borrow from this approach for their own event?

• Ask about allergies, timing, and other needs early enough to plan around them.
• Make food and drinks easy to find, and tell guests they are welcome to help themselves.
• Add one personal touch—like a place card—instead of stretching a small budget across lots of décor.
• When planning feels like too much, repeat a simple format and focus on doing one thing well.

For more hosting inspiration, follow Lindsay on Instagram at @lindsaylandman. 

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