How to Conduct a Roast Party
Hosting a roast for someone that you love or admire can be a lot of fun, especially if the individual in question has a good sense of humor. Roasts are great for birthdays, job promotions, retirements or just as a way to honor the individual in question. Here are some tips for hosting the perfect roast party.
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Things You'll Need
- Place to hold the roast
- Honoree
- Budget
- Roasters
- Invitations
- Pictures of the honoree
- Decorations
- Food and drink
Instructions
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Plan the roast event
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1
Make certain the person to be roasted is OK with the concept. Some people have better senses of humor than others, so make certain this type of event won't offend the honoree.
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2
Establish a date, time, place and venue for the roast. While a lot of roasts are done over a dinner, it is just as acceptable to put one together with light refreshments, as an outdoor barbecue or at another event where the individual is to be honored.
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3
Establish a budget for the event. This will help determine the type and scope of the party.
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4
Establish the program. Determine how much time is allotted for the party part of the event and how much time each roaster will have to speak.
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5
Determine how many and who the roasters should be. Confirm their willingness to participate, and set guidelines to let them know of any subject matter that is off-limits.
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6
Determine the remaining guest list. Guests should include immediate family members, close friends and business acquaintances of the person being roasted. The number involved will be dependent upon the venue for the event.
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Prepare and send the invitations. Include a picture of the honoree as part of the invitation if possible. It will make a good keepsake for participants.
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8
Plan the decor for the event. Use the honoree's favorite color, hobby or type of job as part of the theme. Be sure to have lots of different photographs of the individual scattered around the room.
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Decide on the menu. This will be dependent on whether you have chosen a sit-down dinner, buffet, barbecue, light refreshment or other venue. If you opt to use a local restaurant, meeting hall or party room, choose menu items from their provided fare. If you hold an outdoor barbecue at a local park or at someone's residence, work within their established parameters.
Coordinate the roast
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Keep track of guests as they come in. This will act as crowd control and determine how much food and drink will be required.
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Set limits for gifts. If gifts are allowed, let all participants know and give them a price to work with.
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Make a seating chart if one is needed. Make sure all of the roasters are seated together at one table. Sit family members close to the front so they can view the program easily.
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Arrange for a podium and sound system if one is required. This will depend upon the area where the event is being held and the number of guests involved. If the roast is held at a local restaurant, meeting hall or party room, those places can generally provide this service.
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14
Arrange to have someone videotape the event as a gift for the person being honored. This can be done by a professional or by a volunteer depending upon budget allowances.
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Arrange for photographs of the event to be taken. If a photographer isn't in the budget, seek a volunteer.
Host the roast
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16
Meet the honored guest at the door, and make him welcome. Seat him accordingly, and answer any questions he may have about the event.
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Make sure everyone is in place before the roast begins. It will be difficult to keep the program moving forward if there are too many distractions like people talking or moving around the room.
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18
Welcome everyone, and thank the participants, volunteers and guests for their part in the event. Make a few comments about the honored guest, and then introduce the first roaster.
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Maintain the flow of the program, and keep it on schedule as much as possible. If necessary, step in if any remarks get out of hand or if a roaster cuts too far into another roaster's allotted time. Keep the program moving forward at a reasonable pace.
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20
Present any gifts to the honoree from the business, group or organization sponsoring the roast.
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21
Invite the honoree to speak if he wishes to do so.
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22
Close the program as near to the established closing time as possible. This can be particularly important when holding an event at a restaurant, meeting hall or party room since other events may be scheduled following the roast.
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Tips & Warnings
Roasts lend themselves well to a formal sit-down dinner or buffet. Choose a location for the event that is large enough to hold everyone but that still has an intimate feel. Roasters should know the person being roasted well and be able to tell a good story, joke or anecdote about them. However, all participating roasters don't have to be humorous. Really good roasts should contain a balance of both humor and heart. Get photographs of the honoree from family members to use in the decor. Include baby, school, college, job and hobby-oriented pictures. An open bar is often part of a roast. If that is to be the case, follow the rules and regulations set by your state with regard to open bars. Gifts are not always a part of a roast and need not be included. Another way to provide photographs of the event is to give disposable cameras to guests, instructing them to take pictures during the roast. This will provide a wide variety of photo options that can be put into an album or scrapbook for the honoree, if desired.
Never allow the honoree to feel uncomfortable or picked on. If a roaster gets out of line, quickly dismiss him and move on to the next speaker on the list. If the individual being honored does not wish to speak, do not push the issue.
