Wanna throw a party at home and get free snacks to munch on, or perhaps an advance copy of a new TV show or movie? Submit an application to Irvington-based House Party, and you and a dozen of your closest friends could soon be trying Hershey’s latest candy or previewing the newest CSI spinoff.
Founded in 2005 by Irvington natives Gene DeRose and Parker Reilly, House Party tries to help businesses generate buzz for their newest products by facilitating house parties at which those products are sampled. The parties are hosted by individuals who must apply to throw a party. “We get anywhere between fifteen- to twenty-five-thousand applications,” CEO Kitty Kolding says. “We try to find people who are really excited about the brand.’”
Once selected, Kolding says, “we give the hosts a ‘party pack,’ which includes the free product, host and guest gifts, coupons, etc.”
House Party’s clients include NBC, Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, Gerber, Nestle, and Microsoft (free software, perhaps?). To apply to be a party host, visit houseparty.com.
