For Ms Zoe Burgess, author of upcoming book The Cocktail Cabinet: The Art, Science and Pleasure of Mixing the Perfect Drink, preparation and simplicity are key. “As a host, it’s about not being taken away from the alfresco moment with friends, which is where pre-mixing cocktails really shines,” she says. “Fruity flavours are approachable and margaritas bring a fun-factor.”

Contrast with another cocktail that is less acid focused to balance out your offering, Burgess says, perhaps a Japanese whisky highball or a gimlet with a twist. “This is a great drink for mixing the day before, but change out the lime cordial for something less acidic – perhaps cherry or rosehip,” she says.

Be sure to set up your cocktail station the night before and keep pre-mixed cocktails in bottles in the fridge or on ice. With dilution often overlooked, especially in pre-mixed cocktails, she advises following recipes to achieve the correct serve, remembering that cocktails such as margaritas can take a little more dilution, so consider pouring over ice.

For a low- and no-alcohol alternative, she recommends cold-brewed iced tea. “This method of infusion creates a low-tannin liquid that is smooth and easy to enjoy on its own or in a mixed drinks,” she says. “I’m a fan of sencha, a one-hour cold infusion that can be mixed with sliced citrus and a small measure of sake for something that's low ABV and delicious.”

While beer pong, Solo cups and a bathtub of tinnies works for some, aim to host a more sophisticated summer gathering. “Tablescaping always gets the conversation going at the start of the evening,” says Mr Ronny de Koning, creative director and global buyer at London’s Petersham Nurseries, referring to the art of creating memorable mealtime settings. “Using a tablecloth, napkins and dinner candles in a variety of colours will get you off to a good start. I love mustard and burnt orange, you can even throw in some purple. Try to use more elevated tableware and glasses to contrast with a casual tablescape. Vintage silver-plated cutlery always works.”

De Koning also nods to lighting as a key factor. “Make sure the light is ambient enough that people feel relaxed and the space feels intimate,” he says. “Think occasional lighting like table lamps, dimmed spotlights and always use as many candles as possible for the warmest glow.”

Flowers make a charismatic finishing touch and – according to Ms Jessica Blume and Ms Olivia Wilson, co-founders of London-based SSAW Collective – it doesn’t take much to lift a room or turn a simple table setting into something a bit more special.

“Late summer gives way to some of the flower world’s show-stoppers – think dahlias, sunflowers, rudbeckias and cosmos,” Blume and Wilson say, noting a current trend for bold and clashing colours, which work especially well in a minimalist set-up. “We love the simplicity of a classic white tablecloth with a few striking single stems or a single-variety arrangement. Thinking about unusual or unexpected vessels is also a good way of achieving an enviable, just thrown together look – we’re big fans of Perello olive cans as vases this summer.”

Whether in the background or a full-throttle reason to cut loose, very few occasions aren’t improved by the addition of music. But what to drop? “If you just play the hits, with little variation, it can actually flatten the atmosphere,” says Mr Layo Paskin, restaurateur and former DJ. “The skill is to move between various genres and open up new tracks to people, undiscovered gems by well-known artists and then the odd very famous track doubles the impact. But even then, there are so many great universally popular tracks that are not played often and they are the ones to find again.”

Mr Dom Chung, head of music at Soho House, advises separating playlists by time of day – whether morning, noon or night – to allow the music to reflect the flow of the day. He recommends saving the bigger tracks for later when everyone has settled in and is in the party spirit.

“It’s a fine line between educating and pleasing people, but on the whole people want playlists that sit nicely in the background as they settle in for the day ahead,” Chung says. “Obvious tracks are often just a distraction and divisive.”

As for this summer, he says Pusha T’s “Dreamin Of The Past” is a crowd-pleaser you can count on.

Unsurprisingly, supper-club host and founder of the Come For Supper podcast Ms Alexandra Dudley knows how to host a memorable bash. It’s something that begins with the guest list. “I always think it’s good to mix the crowd,” she says. “I love meeting new people, so I try to ensure that at least some of my guests don’t know the others. It keeps things interesting and makes sure the conversation is fresh. Think about a seating plan if you’re doing a sit-down or at least make the effort to connect newcomers to guests you feel they’d click with. Rather than just introduce them, make the effort to actually enter into conversation. There must be some reason or anecdote why you felt they’d get on with your guests so start that conversation.”

Another win-win approach is to let guests help out. “Chances are that at least half of your guests will ask ‘if there’s anything they can do to help?’,” she says. “For years, I declined, insisting that they go along and enjoy their rosé with the others while I hastily prepared canapés. Now I just say yes and often have two or three friends join in and help with the last few elements. Either the whole party moves to the kitchen or you can move some of it to wherever everyone else is. People want to help – it puts them at ease and it’s actually a lot of fun.”