Hold Socials on Slow Bar Nights
The Problem
You want to hold a social, but you don’t want to pay for a banquet room. You need a large-ish open space where people can mingle, and probably eat a bit. You’d like to have alcohol available.
The Pattern
Find a bar that’s just large enough to hold your group - one with open space is better than a long, narrow space. Ask the manager what their slowest week-night is, and offer to hold your social on that night. You can probably talk the manager into extending the happy hour pricing for your group.
This works well for the bar, because they get a large crowd on a night they normally wouldn’t, even if they charge happy hour pricing. It works well for your group, because the bar isn’t crowded with other people, and the drinks are reasonable.
This pattern works especially well if you have a bar that you frequent, and the bar owner knows you, at least by sight.
Caution
This is, of course, an event at a bar, with alcohol. Using alcohol as a community organizer has its risks, so be wise.
Example
NewHaven.IO at Christie’s
NewHaven.IO learned this pattern at Christie’s Irish Pub in New Haven. The team went there most Friday afternoons, so they knew the bartenders, servers, and the owner.