There are many instances in life when you'll be called on to entertain a large crowd of people. The idea of entertaining a crowd may send some people into a high panic and be very intimidating.   Entertaining a crowd does not have to be difficult if you are able to plan ahead.

 

 

As far as food is concerned…

• One idea is to do a buffet line for food. Buffet entertaining is among the easiest parties to do for a crowd since most of the work comes in the form of setting up and taking down as opposed to finding extra hands to serve the meal.
• Be wise when choosing your menu; don’t pick foods that can dry out too easily.
• Concentrate on a few dishes that can be assembled or made a few days in advance and heated before serving. Try dishes that will re-heat well.
• Buffet entertaining requires some crowd control. Serving everything on one big platter will cause a table jam. It's more effective to spread things out on smaller plates over a larger area.
• If possible, serving from both side of the buffet will make the line go quicker. Place napkins and silverware after the last serving station so guests don't have to balance plates and flatware throughout the serving line. Each separate platter of food should have its own serving utensil and plate to lay it on in between use.
• Take an inventory of your dishes, flatware, glasses and napkins to ensure you have all the equipment you need for both cooking and serving.
• If you expect a crowd that exceeds your own resources, you can always rent what you need.
• There should be plenty of seats for everyone, whether at a table, around the house or outside.
• Make sure there are plenty of coasters on wood furniture where people might be tempted to set a drink down.
• Decorations for a crowded party are a wonderful way to set the mood, but stay away from lit candles. With large crowds these knock over more easily. These fire hazards are never a good idea when entertaining a crowd as they pose a safety hazard in all the hustle and bustle.
• Music will also set the mood for a party, but with a lot of people, there will be plenty of talking going on, so keep the tunes low. You'll want to avoid having a crowd of people raise their voices to try to be heard above the music.
• Have someone monitor the restrooms. You don’t want an overflowing trash can or a restroom with no toilet paper.
• It is a good idea to check on the restrooms throughout the party to make sure everything is in order.
• The same thing goes for trash. Have someone in charge of emptying the trash throughout the party. Keep spare bags at the bottom of the trash can so it is easy to replace a bag once the full bag is removed.
• Set an end time. Large parties can sometimes get out of hand. Set an end time on the invitation so your guest will know when they are supposed to leave.
• Expect some guests to linger for around 30 minutes from whenever you set the end time.
• Also, strategically place garbage cans in the rooms where the party crowd will gather so there's no question about where to throw garbage away.

Create the atmosphere you want, in the least hazardous way possible…

 

• Decorations for a crowded party are a wonderful way to set the mood, but stay away from lit candles. With large crowds these knock over more easily. These fire hazards are never a good idea when entertaining a crowd as they pose a safety hazard in all the hustle and bustle.
• Music will also set the mood for a party, but with a lot of people, there will be plenty of talking going on, so keep the tunes low. You'll want to avoid having a crowd of people raise their voices to try to be heard above the music.

 

Avoid restroom catastrophes…

 

• Have someone monitor the restrooms. You don’t want an overflowing trash can or a restroom with no toilet paper.
• It is a good idea to check on the restrooms throughout the party to make sure everything is in order.
• The same thing goes for trash. Have someone in charge of emptying the trash throughout the party. Keep spare bags at the bottom of the trash can so it is easy to replace a bag once the full bag is removed.

 

Prepping for the end…

 

• Set an end time. Large parties can sometimes get out of hand. Set an end time on the invitation so your guest will know when they are supposed to leave.
• Expect some guests to linger for around 30 minutes from whenever you set the end time.
• Also, strategically place garbage cans in the rooms where the party crowd will gather so there's no question about where to throw garbage away.

 

From http://www.life123.com/holidays/party-planning/party-planning-tips/entertaining-a-crowd.shtml