Posted by Jessy on 12/23/2013 to
When someone throws a party --any party, one of the most common things you will hear them say is "I want this to be memorable." From a psychological perspective, this makes sense, as we human beings like to be recognized and remembered for the work we put into anything we do, and the longer that it's remembered, the more value it holds to our psyche. If you are a professional party planner, event organizer, or just someone who regularly entertains large groups of people, making sure that your guests remember the party long after the last hors d' oeuvre has been devoured is actually easier than you think.
The key to this memory lies in party favors; specifically, the sensory memory that those favors provide when a guest takes them home from the party. We all have five senses, sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, and you can use at least three of those to create memory anchors in your guests. The sense of taste and smell are so closely entwined that, for practical purposes, the sense of smell is what you remember, even when you think about how delicious something was. Your sense of smell is located in the limbic system of the brain, right next to where you store your memories. Visual memory, also known as iconic memory, is quickly diminished unless accompanied by a separate sensory memory. The memory inspired by the sense of touch is known as haptic memory, and while it isn't as powerful as the sense of smell, it still creates links within our memory.
So, the key to throwing a memorable party? Give away small but elegant party favors, the kind that are classy - and useful - enough to warrant keeping around, and use items that have a distinctive fragrance, or shape, or texture. Perfumes, aromatherapy items, anything that touches the senses. By doing this, every time that person looks at it, touches it or smells it, your party will jump right to the forefront of their memory.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
