Who says the fun begins once you hit the nightclubs? It’s a well-known fact that a pre-party is an excellent way to meet new people, show off your house and establish yourself as a nightlife guru. For those of you new to the party scene, here are a few pointers on how to throw a successful pre-funk.

• It’s pivotal that your party is group hosted. If not for the obvious alcohol discounts, do it for the people. A party cannot consist of the same faces you see every day. That’s called a regular Saturday. Break out of your shell. Throw your pre-party with a new acquaintance and you’re guaranteed to have a motley crew of clubbers looking for good drinks, good convo and new friends.

• Remember to pay attention to strangers. Your buddies barhop with you every weekend and will probably crash on your couch later. Try getting in good with the few people at the party you don’t know. Try some drinking games and make sure to mix teams in order to urge people to meet each other. Just keep in mind, the point is to store some new numbers in your cell phone, not to drink yourself into a coma. Strangers have the best word-of-mouth and you’ll see the pay-off when a random hottie creeps up to you at the bar and says, “Hey, everyone’s talking about your party.”

• Lastly, remember, this is not how your night ends! A good host has a set time of departure from the festivities; usually no later than midnight. The bars are waiting, and nothing clears a pre-party faster than when the booze stops flowing. You may have to hide a few bottles, but that’s more for you to pour later in the weekend. Grab the coats, kill the music, call the cabs and get those crazies out of your house. Just be sure everyone knows where the first drop spot is.

As always, when partying, remember that the most important person is you. Tweak this advice to fit your personal style and I’ll see you on the strip for last call.