So, many houses have adopted other tactics. Some, like The Dragonfly House, have their PV on the morning of the first day, providing Bloody Marys and Bucks Fizz to those still recovering from the previous evening's PV(s). If they're really organised, like Des Buckley 's in Portslade a full week before the start of the Festival, they can ensure a full house. Others hold their PVs mid-week, after the Festival has started, or even at the very end, as a sort of thank you party to the contributors and customers. Fiveways has a tradition of staggering their PVs so that all the other houses in the group, usually tied up with running their own shows, can get an opportunity to visit their friends and fellow artists 'at home'.
PVs invariably have free wine and soft drinks, often supplied by sponsors, and sometimes canapes or even cake! The idea is to lull you into a buying mood, and the till area is often the busiest part of the party! Don't outstay your welcome, however – the artists will need to get up early next day to prepare the house for the public. During the hours of the exhibition, the people sitting in each room looking official are called 'invigilators' – they are there as 'security guards', but also as an information point. They will introduce you to a particular artist if he/she is around, and tell you how to pay.