Ask A Peninsula Expert: Tips For Throwing The Perfect Super Bowl Party

Carolina Panthers Fans Tailgate Party (credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Create A True Game Day Atmosphere

Herns believes that you can be just as creative if you invite thirty good friends over to your home, as you can create a large corporate Super Bowl party. This might include sending out invitations that resemble game tickets and having people enter through mock turnstiles when they arrive. There can be creativity in the background music, too. "Play football fight songs instead of Adele at the start of the party," says Herns.

Cornhole (credit: Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

Provide An Interactive Experience

As a TV spectacle, the Super Bowl has pretty much become an all-day affair, with a mammoth pregame program, numerous commercial breaks during the game, and an especially long halftime. Both planners feel that this makes it important to provide other activities for guests to enjoy during the day. This might include setting up a mock ESPN desk where guests are interviewed by a professional actor posing as a sports anchor or taking pictures that are then posted in a Sports Illustrated cover frame (as Herns has done for one party). For a Super Bowl event this week, Scotti is providing "footbrawlers," heavily padded football uniform suits that guests can wear while they bash harmlessly into each other in a soft ring.

Denver Broncos Fan Tailgate Party (credit: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Stick With Food For A Tailgate

Herns and Scotti advise not getting too fancy when it comes to food and staying with grilled items that might be traditionally found cooking in the parking lot outside before the game or inside the stadium itself. "Your mother's favorite potato salad recipe should be there," says Herns. Ribs, chicken, hot dogs, burgers, tri-tip, nachos and grilled vegetables for the non-meat eaters are recommended. Because this is a social occasion as well, there should be many choices for light snacking while talking, such as chips and dip, veggie sticks, popcorn and nuts. "There should always be lots of finger food," says Scotti.

Big Screen Television (credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Have A Big Screen TV With Good Sound

This is still a TV-driven event, so on the day of the game it's essential that guests can see and hear it play out. Preferably, this means having at least two locations (party goers move around as they socialize) where the game can be watched on the biggest screens possible. "A good party uses all of the senses," says Herns. And two of those senses are dependent on getting this important aspect of the party right.

San Francisco 49ers fans 'The Helmet Heads' Paul Maldonado (L) and Marcus Sperry (R) (credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Make Sure There Is Plenty To Drink

It's a long game and people get thirsty. "Super Bowl parties have copious amounts of alcohol," says Scotti, who has found that beer is usually the most popular item, although he points out that wine and spirits are also well-received in the Bay Area. Non-alcoholic beer, sparkling water and soft drinks are also good options to have available. And there should always be coffee or tea as the game winds down, for those who may have enjoyed themselves more than they realized. "The perfect party is like a good story," says Herns. "It has a clearly defined beginning, middle and end."