NEW YORK—As we’ve seen over the past year, the pandemic and the resulting shutdown of in-person events has spurred many event pros to flex their creative muscles—rethinking the status quo and introducing new, innovative processes and experiences.
It’s also brought about interesting collaborations including the recent partnership between two industry powerhouses—Nicky Balestrieri and Luigi Tadini of creative agency The Gathery and Pinch Food Design catering duo Bob Spiegel and TJ Girard. The result: Party by Numbers (PxN).
This new concept aims to simplify everyday entertaining for home party planners with a one-stop shop.
“We’ve always wanted to create a direct-to-consumer product, but Luigi and I just never had the time. So when the dust settled after the lockdown last year, we knew it was time to think about what that would be,” Balestrieri explained about the inspiration for the service. “Everyone was stuck at home and trying to piece together a party with their pod. Without the help of a professional, a host has a ton of planning and at least five-plus stops to make (the booze store, menu planning/groceries/cooking, decor, rentals), and so much of it was wasteful, single-use plastics, etc. Rather quickly, we realized that what needed solving was self-planned events.”
In a nutshell: Hosts start by answering four questions (guest count, cuisine style, theme and date) on the PxN website. All of the necessary items (including food, drinks, tableware, glassware and decorations) arrive day-of in a bespoke, multitiered cart that's described as the “Swiss army knife of entertaining.” The host follows 13 steps to set up the party, each corresponding to the cart’s 13 compartments. The PxN team then picks up the cart the next day.
Of course, this isn’t the first time The Gathery and Pinch have worked together. Balestrieri explained that we at BizBash actually served as a sort of matchmaker for the two companies, recounting a call 12 years ago from Stella Rankin, a founding partner of the catering company, who at the time said: “We’re the best new caterer and you’re the designer to watch in BizBash. We need to work together!!”
Balestrieri said that they’ve “probably done hundreds of events together for brands over the years,” including his own 30th birthday party, which was a sit-down dinner for 125 guests, as well as designing the launch of Twist, Pinch’s cocktail arm.
So when it came to conceptualizing Party by Numbers, “we knew we couldn’t do it without Bob and TJ, who have been the other half of our greatest event achievements with their genius catering creations,” Balestrieri said. “It all started with a ‘what are we going to do now’ call last April, and a year later we’ve invented a totally new way to gather together.”
Right now, PxN offers four different party "looks," all of which are inspired by the founders’ travels, including the Mexico City neighborhood of Condesa, the artistic enclave of Marfa, Texas and Sorrento on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. The cuisine, cocktails, tableware and decor match the vibe of those destinations. For example, the Sorrento theme includes Italian fare like burrata with bruschetta and roasted tomatoes, along with olive branches and bright lemons as decor. All of the parties’ floral arrangements are designed by Brooklyn florist Ingrid Carozzi of Tin Can Studios.
The food is available in three service styles: Bite (for cocktail parties), Graze and Indulge (for dinner parties). Pictured: A vertical food-safe display with a wood basePhoto: Courtesy of Party by Numbers
Designed for gatherings in groups of eight to 96, the concept can be used for a range of intimate events, whether at home or in a venue. The experience starts at $110 per person and includes batched cocktails and wine. Plus, the three styles of catering that are available are engineered to stay fresh all day and require little to no reheating.
The service is currently available in New York City and is set to expand to the Hamptons and Westchester this summer, with plans to grow nationally in Q4 of this year. Balestrieri also said that the team is working on brand partnerships as well.
The experience includes a candle designed in collaboration with Arquiste Parfumeur, as well as a Spotify playlist and Bose speakers.Photo: Courtesy of Party by Numbers
The dessert box contains a Lazy Susan-style “cake” tier. A knob at the top holds a sparkler candle for special occasions.Photo: Courtesy of Party by Numbers
