Going to a work event alone: how to make the gala or the client dinner easier

The invitation says "you and a guest," the event is on a Thursday, and the people who'd normally come with you can't. Here's how to make a work event go well solo, and when it's worth bringing someone you've booked.

The first twenty minutes are the whole problem

Almost nobody dreads the dinner. They dread the drinks reception: standing with a glass, scanning for a familiar face, joining a circle mid-conversation. Two things help. Arrive on time rather than early, so the room already has people in it. And give yourself one job — find the host and say thank you for the invitation — which gets you moving instead of hovering.

Why a second person changes the room

Someone standing next to you makes you easier to approach, not harder; people join a pair more readily than they interrupt a person alone. A guest also gives you a graceful way to leave any conversation. If the person you'd bring is a partner or friend who's good at this, bring them.

When a booked plus-one makes sense

When there isn't such a person, or when the event is high enough stakes that you want someone whose whole job is the evening going well. On PlusOne Pro, Pros list corporate events as one of the event types they take, and you can read their profile and message them in the app before you decide. They arrive dressed for the room, hold their own with your clients, and step back when you need to talk business. It's a professional booking: not a date, not romantic, and the Pro is bound by the same guidelines as everyone on the platform.

Briefing a Pro for a work event

Tell them in the app who will be there, what you do, what they should say when asked how you know each other (most people say "a friend"), and whether there's anyone you specifically want to spend time with. Ten minutes of briefing is the difference between a guest and a good guest.

The practical side

Every Pro sets an hourly rate. There's a 15% platform fee, your card is only charged when the Pro accepts, and their payout is released 24 hours after the booking ends. Every Pro has had a government ID approved by our team before they can be booked.

Browse Pros who take corporate events, or read how a booking works.