5 Tips for Creating Unforgettable Connections at Your Next Gathering

I’ve hosted a lot of gatherings over the years. Retreats. Dinners. Salons. Lunches. Circles. And while the settings have ranged from living rooms to long tables to beautiful far-flung locations, the intention has always been the same:

I want people to walk in feeling a little unsure… and leave feeling connected.

Because here’s what I know to be true: most of us don’t need another perfectly styled event. We need rooms that feel intentional. Thoughtful. Human. Places where we can skip the awkward small talk, soften a little, and actually see each other.

Hosting like a pro isn’t about fancy centerpieces or flawless menus. It’s about creating the conditions for connection.

These are the five simple practices I come back to again and again when I’m hosting. They’re easy to adapt, don’t require a big budget, and they work whether you’re gathering six friends for dinner or twelve strangers around a table for the first time.

If you’ve ever wanted to host something that people talk about afterward, not because it was impressive, but because it mattered—start here.

1. Set the Tone

You set the tone for your event from the minute you invite someone. Let them know what they’re in for! I often invite people to an “intentional dinner.” That immediately signals what kind of experience they can expect.

Depending on the vibe you want, adjust the language in your invitation. Some ideas:
“Come ready to meet new friends!”
“Come ready to exchange ideas, support, and resources!”

2. Hack Your Seating Chart

Add a little mystery and fun right from the start. For my Women in Wellness lunch, I bought two identical tarot decks of archetype cards. Each guest drew a card when they arrived, and that card matched a place setting at the table.

Instead of agonizing over a seating chart (a harrowing endeavor!), I let the fates decide. And of course, eerily accurate pairings ensued.

3. Cut Through the Small Talk

I don’t know about you, but I just can’t anymore with small talk. One way to skip right past it: ask everyone to answer a question as soon as they get settled. It gives each person a chance to share a bit of themselves and helps the group access a deeper layer of connection.

Great starter questions include:
“What’s something from the past year that you’re proud of?”
“What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?”

4. Have a Full Table Conversation

I love a full table conversation, and it works beautifully for groups of up to 12.

How it works: I offer a question to the table and ask everyone to share their answer one by one. Who says an icebreaker should only be one round? After the first, I’ll often add another short prompt and go around again.

The free-flowing conversation that follows is always connective and surprisingly rich.

5. Surprise and Delight

At my Women in Wellness lunch, I hid something under everyone’s plate: a connection card with the name and contact information of another participant. Since seating was chosen at random, the connection cards were too.

I encouraged everyone to reach out afterward and discover what collaboration or friendship might unfold for them.

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At the end of the day, hosting isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being intentional. When you set the tone, invite depth, and create just a little magic, you give people permission to show up as themselves, and that’s what they remember. Not the menu. Not the playlist. But how it felt to be in the room, and who they left connected to when they walked out the door.