What’s one of your favorite things to eat for breakfast?
My go-to. I’ve led thousands of icebreakers and this one works every time. (Mine: scrambled eggs with spinach, cooked in coconut oil.)
Hi, I’m Nick Gray.
I wrote a book that will help you with soft skills: The 2-Hour Cocktail Party. A lot of people know me as the founder of Museum Hack, a company of renegade museum tour guides.
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Author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party
I’ve been featured in
Selling two multi-million dollar businesses catapulted me towards my passions: writing articles on my blog, sending out my free monthly Friends Newsletter, and hosting great events.
My party method is spelled N-I-C-K.
I’ve hosted hundreds of parties. Everything I know fits into four letters. Tap one.
Name tags. No exceptions.
A party without name tags is like a museum without labels for the paintings. First names only. They cost about ten cents a guest.
I’m so bad with names that I’ve written the names of first dates on the inside of my hand. I was only caught once. (There was no second date.)
Go on, write yours
Nice to meet you. Now go say hi to a stranger.
Three quick icebreakers.
A good icebreaker is a fast icebreaker. Get everyone in a circle and go first, every time. Keep your answer under 30 seconds.
Here are the questions I actually use. Draw a card.
What’s the best piece of media you’ve consumed recently?
A podcast, a movie, a show you binge-watched. Everybody walks away with a new recommendation.
What’s the best purchase you’ve made for under $100?
A kitchen gadget, a gizmo, an experience. People love hearing these.
What’s a local restaurant more people should know about?
Questions like this make the whole room a little smarter.
What’s a skill you wish you had?
Use this one when the group already knows each other.
What’s something about your industry that most people don’t know?
It lets people show off a little instead of reciting their job title.
What’s your favorite city or life hack?
A dog park, a local business, a spot most people don’t know about.
Is there anyone here you think I’d especially enjoy meeting?
The one to ask the host when you’re a guest. Say it warmly.
Cocktails only.
It’s a cocktail party, not a dinner party. Keep it to drinks so people stand up, move around, and meet each other.
You don’t need a big apartment or a big budget. The formula is built around small, low-cost gatherings, even in a tiny apartment.
Kick everyone out at a set time.
Keep it to two hours. I suggest 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Take a group photo, then end the party on time.
People leave wanting more, and they ask, “When’s your next party?”
Want to see a whole party in two hours?
A 2-hour party, minute by minute. Keep scrolling.
Doors open.
Everyone gets a name tag at the door. First names only.
Icebreaker number one.
Turn down the music and form a circle. “Let’s all say our name, what we do for work, and one of our favorite things to eat for breakfast. I’ll go first.”
Same question, bigger circle.
The second icebreaker repeats the breakfast question, now with everyone in the room. Don’t overthink it.
Group photo, then one more.
Take the group photo, then ask something that makes the room smarter: “What’s the best piece of media you’ve consumed recently?”
End the party on time.
Follow those guidelines, and you’ll have a gathering better than most.
Click the book to flip it over
The 2-Hour Cocktail Party
How to build big relationships with small gatherings.
It’s a step-by-step formula for hosting small parties that help you meet new people, strengthen your relationships, and become the person everyone wants to know. It’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
I used to hate museums.
That’s why I started Museum Hack: to make museums more fun. It was a company of renegade museum tour guides, featured in a popular TEDx talk and written about in The New York Times.
I grew it into a multi-million-dollar business, and in 2019 I sold it in an interesting way.
Some of my most popular articles
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Well, this is the end! Thanks for scrolling.
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Email me at hello@nickgray.net or text me at +1-917-635-9967. Yes, that’s my real number.