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House & Garden Plans a House Party

Molly Hover, director of event marketing at House & Garden magazine, talks about the challenges of staging the annual Hamptons Designer Showhouse.

By Lambeth Hochwald

When it comes to planning supercharged events, Molly Hover, director of event marketing at House & Garden magazine, is an expert. But planning parties, especially outdoor ones with lots of details to synchronize, can be a challenge—even for Hover.

Such is the case with the annual Hamptons Designer Showhouse, a signature House & Garden event Hover will coordinate for the fourth year this July. She spends a full year planning the six-week event. Last year, she oversaw the transformation of an 18,000-square-foot Arts & Crafts-style home in Bridgehampton by nearly 30 top interior, landscape and decorative designers, including Barclay Butera and Amanda Nisbet, all of whom donated their time and talent in this benefit for the Southampton Hospital.

The crucial cocktail party

But it's the cocktail party and gala preview—held behind the house on the Saturday night before the showhouse opens to the public—that must go off without a hitch, and there are lots of eyes watching every detail. The guest list runs some 500 names long, including all the designers and their guests, the Hamptons social circuit, VIPs, press, and key House & Garden clients.

"There are multitudes of challenges," she says. "We're always working around mother nature because the entire event is held outdoors under a tent so rain is always a threat. We always have to think about the 'what ifs' of hosting an event outdoors. We're lucky that it hasn't rained yet."

Keeping guests—and neighbors—happy

Then there are other biggie details that must be perfect. For example, because the homes are usually located in residential areas, Hover and her team must always keep the neighbors' wishes in mind. "We always work hard to make sure they aren't infringed upon in terms of sound, traffic, etc," she says. Also, valet parking is not only necessary due to limited street parking, but finding a spot to put hundreds of cars has to be secured way ahead of time. "Luckily, in the Hamptons, there are plenty of open fields," she says. "But, occasionally, those fields are located a half-mile away."

Regardless of how far away the cars are parked, drop offs and departures have to be as seamless as possible. "Drop off is easy but, when the party ends, people don't want to wait for their cars so our drivers have to shuttle back and forth in a very timely manner," she says. To make sure no one is waiting too long for their vehicle to arrive, last year Hover hired an 'army' of 50 well-known, professional valets.

Making it picture perfect, inside and out

Since this is an outdoor event, Hover spends a lot of time focusing on the lawns. "That was more of a challenge last year when the showhouse was in a newly constructed home," she says. "We were setting up the party as a team of landscapers were planting hydrangeas. Every minute counts."

But it's important for the lawns to look picture-perfect. "We have designers who do outdoor rooms, patios and pool houses," she says. "That is all accessible and people can have their drink and enjoy that outdoor room so we want that element of the party to be just right."

Another crucial detail: Where to put the portable bathrooms. "We have to find a location that's convenient to the guests but isn't within the sightline of the party, the tent, the food and the bars," she says. "We're lucky that the homes in the Hamptons have landscaping around them. We always have a meeting that's all about where to put the portable bathrooms."

And these aren't your average port-a-potty. "We have attendants in the bathrooms which are quite large," she says. "We always place beautiful hand soaps and creams in the bathrooms and flowers on the marble countertops to make them as comfortable as possible."

Keeping it fresh and exciting each year

Like any event, however, nothing can remain static. "We're constantly challenged to make the party bigger and better each year," Hover says. "We've done old houses and new houses and, regardless, there's always a drive to make the event as unique as we can. This is a crowd that has seen it all and we have to work on ways to keep it as fresh and exciting as possible."

After each party, Hover and her team sit down to talk about this. "House & Garden is known for its exquisite taste and sense of style," she says. "A lot of the things we think about are décor, design and themes of the party. That's the fun part for me." For example, last year's party had a coral color scheme. The year before, the party was filled with lime, lemon and topiary accents. "We're always focused on the creative element and our goal is to create a party environment that is as equally beautiful as the showhouse itself."

Savoring the moment

In the end though, Hover—who works on as many as five events at one time—knows that things are clicking at the Hamptons party midway through. "I float around from front to back of the party and troubleshoot early on," she says. "Then I take a moment to relax. I love to stand back and watch all that we've worked on take shape."