What am I not thinking of to have my New Year's party absolutely crush?

Don’t invite any second-handers.

What about music, dude?

Music

A disco ball and Twister.

Make sure nobody will start fights, and have plenty of alcohol.
@jmah beat me to the music.

Surround sound for when the ball drops.

Silver masks for everyone to wear. (old and exceptionally cool tradition- tends to “liberate” the conversation more with slight anonymity)

Also having a “2009” pinata to smash open the last minute of 2010….

Thank you dog. That’s more in line with what I’m looking for. Assume that I know about good booze, music, food, ice luge…etc. I’m looking for specific things that you have done at past parties that people were still talking about months later. The basics, I’m going all out on. But assuming you had a $1,700 budget and no second hander friends…?

Sweet budget!

You could rent a Casino- I went to a party like that and it was a blast! The party lasted till morning! (They gave everyone chips and at the end drew for prizes with tickets turned in for the chips.)

Some companies rent these for adults…

Make sure your guests have a designated driver or that you have a place for people to sleep over? Not necessarily related to the actual partying aspect, but I would consider it a success if your guests are still alive after the party.

Blacklights, glowsticks and highlighters.

Honestly…no gadgets. Clean house, food, liquor and music. Plenty of TP in the bathroom. The people will make their own party. Nobody wants to go to a party and hear, “Ok, now we’re going to do this….”

PS…the music can really make or break the mood. It can cause people to do anything from going to sleep, to dancing, to singing karaoke, to getting in fist fights. Watch the music.

@rangerr Did you KNOW that Visene (sp) glows neon green under black light? I went to a “bad” party once when I was 15. One room had strobe lights, another black lights, yet another disco lights. Well, there was this one dude there, I first saw him in the black light room and he had neon green streaks running down his face, like, from his eyes, man. And then I saw him in the strobe light room and the streaks were gone. And I was like, “Thank goodness! He was starting to creep me out!” and THEN I saw him in the black light room again…and he had green streaks again! And then they were gone in the disco room, then they were, like BACK in the black light room! So, I got out of Dodge (“Momma tole me not to come!”)....I thought about it for a long, long time, and finally figured it out….he had no clue!!

@Val123 I’m SO doing that.

Aren’t we just watering down your completed vision as prime mover, diluting your individual creativity, with our mediocre collectivist ideas?
;)
Welcome to the collective!

Not a party till I am invited! :-)

Rent-a-Midget!