What's Hot This Super Bowl Season?

Evite, the leader in digital invitations and social planning since 1998, today revealed its monthly Party Trend Report which features insight on holiday party trends and tips. This report highlights décor trends and unique food ideas for the biggest game day of the year, happening on February 2nd. Though not technically a holiday, The Big Game is the country's most popular sports-related celebration, and is one of Evite's most popular festivities with over 1M invitations sent out in the U.S.—over 70K of which have been distributed in New York and New Jersey, the game's host committee.

"Football is one of America's biggest sporting events and every year, fans and spectators across the country gear up for The Big Game in February," said Marilyn Oliveira, editorial director at Evite. "This year, while some traditional football décor and food remain popular, there are a variety of fresh, new ideas that hosts can expand upon to ensure their football party is fabulous and memorable for years to come."

FOOTBALL PARTIES

What's trending: Keep it simple, while elevating the basics.

Top décor: Sports-viewing parties are primarily about the food so people shouldn't feel as if they need to invest enormously in décor and certainly shouldn't let it hinder them from throwing a party. A quick way to easily infuse color – and create some healthy competition – is to ask your guests to wear their team colors. Hosts can also set up a photo booth with sports-related props to serve as both festive décor and a fun social activity.  

Food ideas: Self-serve is an underlying trend this year. Not only does this style tend to appease guests, but it leaves less clean-up for hosts, too. Individual grab and go foods are a good rule of thumb – for example, food stations with Evite Gatherings' spicy mango habanero wings let guests to serve themselves and fix everything to their liking. Instead of big communal bowls of snacks that can be unsanitary and messy, a station of individual dippers like striped bagged pretzels and popcorn, and one-hand desserts like gluten-free chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies are good alternatives.

Cocktail suggestions: Since this year's game will be played at New York and New Jersey's stadium, try serving up a couple of craft beers that represent the area, like Brooklyn Brewery beers and HopFish IPA. Hosts can also serve cocktails and beer that share the competing teams' names or hometowns.

To help hosts visualize what's in and what's out this football season, the party experts at Evite have put together a checklist of the latest trends (and their outdated counterparts) so hosts can throw unique, and memorable celebrations.

WHAT'S IN                                                                         WHAT'S OUT

• Individual snack portions                                              Communal chip and dip bowls
• Food stations                                                                "Stadiums" made out of food
• Grab-and-go desserts                                                  Items decorated like a football
• Macho decorations                                                       Frilly flags or favors                        
• Cooking with booze                                                      Traditional seasonings and flavors
• Digital 'football' invitations                                      Word of mouth invites