From shy boy to party planner

Party planner and MC Kim Hong-jin

Not all people are born to do their jobs. Kim Hong-jin surely wasn’t born to be a “party animal” or a planner who takes charge of arranging large-sized gatherings.

“I didn’t have a single female friend due to my lack of fashion sense, habit of saying the wrong thing, fat belly and so on,” said Kim, a famous 30-something party planner and MC widely known by his moniker Hongva.

“Although I only attended coed schools, it was difficult for me to talk to or even make eye contact with girls.”

Things became even worse in front of a girl he liked when he was a sophomore at college. In his memory, she was an outgoing and likeable person with a charming personality. And she was the only girl who liked him in return. Unfortunately, he was too shy even to return her bright smile, so finally, he let her go.

After the painful experience, he was determined to change himself and made considerable efforts to be reborn as an outgoing guy.

“I set some tasks for myself. I set a goal such as participating in a dance competition, an English speech contest, and an intramural talent show. At a talent show, I won first prize,” Kim said.

Kim slowly, but noticeably became active. “One day I realized that it took a while for me to go up from the gate of the university to the classroom as I continuously introduced my friends to others on the way. I think I acquired a quality suitable for a party planner from that point,” he recalled.

Once Kim changed his personality thanks to his first love, he truly enjoyed entertaining the crowd and building networks with them. That’s how he first set foot in the party industry. He started his career as an intern at a company that organizes Halloween parties at hotels.

Every party planner has his or her own specialties, and Kim found his talent in emceeing.

“We can see that Yang Hyeon-seok at YG, BoA at SM and Park Jin-young at JYP are so different from each other. Each of them has a different talent and elements that have made them popular. Party planners are the same. Some are good at preparing beautiful food and wine, some have a talent for styling, and some can draw up programs well. No one can be regarded as definitely better than another,” Kim said.

“In my case, I plan parties and play the role of an MC. At the same time, that means I have a talent for multitasking.”

Living as a party planner is not always as glamorous as it appears to be, according to Kim. “The most important qualities are perseverance and preparation. Behind a splendid party with formal dress, bow ties, sweet wine and music, there are always the painstaking efforts of party planners to make it go smooth. We move tables, wash the wine glasses, carve pumpkins and carry heavy loads,” he said.

Of course, Kim experiences his biggest sense of accomplishment through the parties. He said: “I find it rewarding when people who are shy at first get to enjoy the atmosphere and find their playful instinct at the party.”

He added that a partygoers’ attitude toward having fun is the most essential factor to making parties successful. A party planner’s ability to prepare a wonderful night comes next. Once participants are ready to burn themselves into a party, then planners or MCs should show their competence of leading that event.

The third factor of a memorable gathering is the music selected by the planner, Kim said. People are prone to feel excited by music they are familiar with while it should be fancy enough to go well with the party. The final essential factor is the venue and the food.

For him, the most unforgettable evening was the launch party of Playboy’s Korean-language edition.

“Don’t picture it as gaudy or tawdry just because of the title of Playboy. The party was dynamic and chic. I still remember the niceness of Divini Rae and Audra Lynn’s pleasant attitude,” Kim said.

The end of the year is a busy time for Kim. In recent years, not so many bars and pubs bustle with people celebrating the festive season only with soju. Instead, more people nowadays tend to hold parties with a DJ and an MC at clubs or wine bars.

“Single parties” for those without partners to spend the year-end with has gained popularity among the young, Kim added. He also has plans for single parties to help other singles find their loves. “I always welcome whoever loves a party, no matter who they are or how shy they are,” Kim said. <The Korea Times/Chung Hyun-chae>