The host mostly spends time in planning their guest list or food list for serving but they forget to plan for activities for the party. They usually plan on having a DJ or simply expect the guests to entertain themselves by meeting other guests and gossiping with them. But if you are interested in keeping the guests entertained you have many options for fun activities.
You can plan to have a karaoke for New Years Eve party. This will keep the guest entertained through out the evening. This is the cheapest way of entertainment and even though many guests are not participating they can be kept entertained by other guests. The music and singing will keep the guests entertained and it is very cost effective too. The karaoke compared to the DJ or live band falls much cheaper and the fun is doubled.
The second activity you can plan is Hosting a Murder Mystery event. Here all the guests are encouraged to participate in the drama and work together or alone and solve the mystery. The activity can planned with the guest list in mind or you can hire professional actors to perform for your guests and can also ask the guests to interact with the actors and try and solve the mystery. You can ask the guests to play the part of the victim or murderer and they should be asked to keep their identities secret for everyone guessing.
You can also keep the guests entertained by making them participate in preparing certain kind of food for the guests. Here you can have variations and hire a cook who can teach the guests certain dishes and they can make their own items for the others to taste.
The other idea will be watching a movie together for a New Years Eve party. The themed party can have different movies of the theme and it will be enjoyable for the guests to sit and watch the movies together. Or you can arrange for every one to go to the theater to watch the movie and enjoy.
If the children are involved you will need to include children in the planning activities. You may want to add some kids friendly activities which the child and the other adults will also enjoy. The adults should not be left behind but you should plan separately for them to ensure everyone is having a good time.