The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
“Every day we find ourselves in gatherings,” Priya Parker says in this human-centered guide to hosting. When you fully understand the meaning behind getting together, she says—to acknowledge, to learn, to challenge, and to change—you can learn how to organize gatherings that are relevant and memorable: from a thought-provoking conference to a backyard barbecue. Drawing on her experience as a strategic facilitator who has worked with organizations such as the World Economic Forum in Cologny, Switzerland, and New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, Parker explores why being a laid-back host is not as effective as you might think, the importance of having special event rules and guidelines for attendees to follow, and strategies for encouraging guests to interact authentically.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
As any event planner or marketer knows, an event cannot be successful if nobody attends it. Disseminating intriguing research about why some things garner the coveted word-of-mouth transmission and others do not, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” by Jonah Berger provides specific, actionable techniques for spreading information. A marketing professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Berger details in this book six principles of “contagiousness” according to his research. Learn about the power of generating mental associations to keep your event top of mind, and how the desire for social status plays a major role in human behavior.
Treating People Well: How to Master Social Skills and Thrive in Everything You Do by Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard
Written by former White House social secretaries (aka, event planners) Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard, this guide to building relationships and navigating social situations might benefit anyone who is in the business of interacting with other humans. Within the pages, Berman and Bernard draw from their real-life experiences hosting events at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C., where they encountered a menagerie of politicians, celebrities, and foreign leaders in the process. The duo delves into subjects such as the three elements of confidence, how to use honesty wisely, and ways to keep a handle on those vast amounts of small details.
