Planning an event takes a lot of moxie. It’s easy to think about the details, but putting them into action is another thing altogether. There’s a reason that wedding planning has turned from something a prospective bride and groom handle together into a whole industry with planners at hand to help out. After all, a wedding is the biggest party that many people will engage in, and providing food and fun for dozens of guests requires a lot of work. However, there’s another big event that requires coordination, planning, and precision: tailgating! Tailgating is a much more common, inexpensive, and laid back event than a wedding party. Therefore, you can easily reject the idea of hiring a planner or hiring any of the wedding industry professionals offering their services. As long as you give yourself plenty of time, you should be able to plan it by yourself, leading to a tailgating event that is big hit. Despite this, it’s easy to see how a first time host or hostess can become overwhelmed by the challenge at hand. Luckily, there are a few good ways to ensure that an enormous tailgating event is an equally big success.

Having the right tailgating games on hand is a great way to get started. Serving the right food and drink is a brilliant second step. The three ideas below should act as inspiration for tailgate games, recipes, and other fun additions that everyone can enjoy. So, shake off that shiver of fear at the idea of throwing a huge bash! Don’t allow yourself to become intimidated. Instead, grab the challenge of a GREAT tailgating event by the horns and go full throttle! After the tailgate tables are tucked away, you can rest assured knowing that your guests will be chatting for months to come.Here are three ideas that help even a newbie host or hostess pull off a HUGE tailgating event.

Idea #1: Embrace Online Methods for Organizing and Planning!

Tailgating is a practice that dates back to the 1800′s, so you can guarantee that early tailgaters weren’t pulling out their iPhones and checking the calendar on their tablets. That doesn’t mean that modern tailgaters can’t embrace technology and use it to facilitate organizing and planning their event. An organizer can use their smartphone to make a ‘to do’ list of tasks they should complete, a shopping list so they know what to buy, and so on. They can set up a Facebook event that has all of the details guests need to know, including what tailgating games will be available and if there will be additional parking. When you have an efficient way to communicate with the people on your invite list, and a web page where guests can easily check for answers to the most frequently asked questions, then most of the headache that comes with planning a big event disappears. By using social media and smartphone apps, you can ensure that planning is a snap!

Idea #2: Plan Out the Menu Far in Advance

One of the major attractions of tailgating is food. When you’re browsing sites like Pinterest or Tumblr online, you will likely come across photographs of mouthwatering recipes. Before you decide to replicate them for your next tailgating event, slow down and consider the logistics. Feeding dozens of people can become very difficult, especially if you’re taking care of prep work and getting your recipes ready beforehand in a home kitchen. Finger foods that look exquisite in photographs can come out of your oven looking like a disaster. When you’re planning a tailgate event, consider keeping things simple and accessible. For instance, you wouldn’t set up entertainment that was overly complex and difficult to prepare. Instead, you’d go with accessible and fun tailgating games. Take a similar approach to your food. Classic recipes like chili, casseroles, chicken wings and fingers, and so on are so popular because they fill people up and don’t require the assistance of Gordon Ramsay to make. By going with simple finger foods and homestyle recipes, you fill your guests up without turning your kitchen into a disaster zone.

Try These Safety Steps to Keep Your Food Clear of Bacteria

When you’re enjoying an enormous event, it’s easy for some things to slip your mind. Food safety should never be one of those things. When you’re preparing and serving trays of food, things can go wrong and your guests can pick up an unpleasant bug. Following these tips removes any element of risk from your delicious tailgating fare. First, make sure water and napkins are available so people can clean down surfaces and their hands. Double check to make sure there’s lots of soap, and separate plates and utensils for raw meats and cooked meats. Also ensure that coolers and ice packs are on hand for drinks and cold, perishable foods. Finally, quarantine raw meat until its time to go on the grill, and make sure that the juices haven’t come into contact with anything else. Use a meat thermometer so that you know for sure that the meat is ready to serve, and don’t serve chicken if you spot any pink in the middle! By following these steps, you will severely cut down on the risk of any illness.

Idea #3: Invest in Quality Tailgate Tables so the Fun Keeps Going

There’s nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of something enjoyable when a mechanical failure or accident forces it to come to an end. This is true with tailgating games as well. If you bring out tables that you purchased quickly and without checking the quality, they may fail on you in the middle of the day or become chipped and dented easily. By investing in high quality tables, you can keep the games going until your guests are tuckered out.

Hosting a big tailgating party is a lot of pressure, but the end results can be legendary. By taking the three ideas above into account as you plan, you can sidestep a lot of the stress and hassle and get right to the fun. Having lots of delicious food ready for your guests, as well as all the logistics planned out well in advance are both ways to ensure that your tailgating celebration is a success. However, without the right tailgating tables, the rest of the event may fall flat. At Custom Tailgate Inc., we put care into every table so that it can stand up to whatever challenges you throw at it. Start planning your event today by browsing our huge selection of tailgate and beer pong tables!