Party's theirs, guestlist's mine

Your pals attend this bash, only you're not paying for the do. Party or a promotion?
Your celebrity friend calls you to an exclusive sit down. Just 50 of the town's coolest people and you're one of them. But before you wrap that champagne bottle for your hostess, find out: is it a party she's throwing on her own, or is it a promotion for a clothing brand, a drink, a nightclub or even, sunglasses? You can't be sure anymore.Society A-listers are now being roped in by big brands or new nightspots to host a party as a promotion tactic. In exchange for their coveted guest list the celeb plays host, free of cost.
Last week, fashion professional Manoviraj Khosla threw a party at a nightclub to promote a festival. He says he'd only throw a party for a brand or place he was associated with. "If a tacky bar was opening and they asked me to throw a party in order to promote it, I wouldn't."
It all depends on the place and the type of event, says Manoviraj. "If it's a nightclub opening, I call only the party animals." He believes people roped in to throw parties are selected for a reason: "If a fuddy-duddy is inviting you, you won't go. But if a fun person says, come to my party, you'd go for sure and you would expect the place to be rocking too," he says.
Who would go to a party where you didn't know the host? "I wouldn't," says realtor Leena Singh who gets invitations to openings, coffee evenings and launches every day. "It's too impersonal. It's different if you know the person calling you." And that's why Leena's been asked to throw parties on behalf of consumer brands. "These companies know that if you have the right hostess, you get the right crowd," says Leena. She says while some people charge a fee to throw a party, she does it for the fun of it. "And only if I know the person whose product it is."
Style professional Gauri Kapur's thrown two parties for a brand of sunglasses. "I was approached because I'm a familiar face in Bangalore. Any brand which comes from out of town needs to get popular with the right crowd. This is their way of getting to know people." Does it work for the brand though? "Sure there's awareness about the brand. On my part, I'm just expected to have the right crowd there. I think it's a great idea and I love throwing parties," says Gauri.
Preeti Kumar, marketing exec for a hotel, says, "Everyone's consciously trying to build an image and a celebrity makes our job easier." Preeti says her hotel, as a brand, associates with people who embody a similar credo. "Those are people who are also our happy consumers and understand our product. While the celeb feels proud to associate with the brand, for us it's about leveraging their preference for our product."