A huge array of events go on all weekend, every weekend in the Hamptons: benefits, movie premieres, fundraisers, plays, showhouses, bashes, polo matches and cocktail parties. This is the perfect place to meet, socialize, and let the good times roll.

Eight years ago when David Waksman took over a few languishing roadside motels, he never imagined that he’d be the man to make the scene tick. His company, Hamptons Resorts and Hospitality, is now booked solid all season and holds some of the swankiest parties on the East End.

“What I saw was the need to provide hospitality services to this market; nobody was really doing it,” Waksman says. He saw the massive potential, and eight years later, his operation takes care of everything from hotel rooms to movie premiere after-parties to private catering. “I wanted to have a full-service entity that could do it all,” he says.

Waksman originally partnered with Jeff Salloway, of Nick & Toni’s (who tragically passed away a few years ago. “It was a terrible loss for all of the Hamptons,” he says). Waksman continued the business, acquiring and revamping three motels—the Atlantic, the Bentley, and The Capri, all in Southampton; Hampton Hall, a large event venue also in Southampton, soon followed. Cain at Cabana, housed next to The Capri, is the current darling of the nightclub scene. Known as the place to party, lines peel away from its velvet ropes every Friday and Saturday night.

Reigning over it all are Chefs Frank Tramontano and Mary Spellman. The operation has served as many as 5,000 people in a few days’ time. “I’ve been in the business for 40 years,” Tramontano says. “It’s a lot of organization and everything has to be in concert. But when it all comes together, it feels great.” As native Hamptonites, they know everyone in the area. And the fans are exuberant. Author Steven Gaines says of Spellman’s cooking, “If Monet cooked, he’d cook like Mary Spellman.”

“People come up to me and say, ‘I had the best food at that event the other night. We’ve gotta have it at our party!’” says Tramantano of the cuisine that is now making the rounds of some of the finest households from Southampton to East Hampton. He says hostesses are asking for more variety and not just serving the same thing as everyone else. To solve the crudite crisis, the chefs put slivers of celery, carrot, and asparagus spears in square shot glasses, with the dressing on the bottom. It was a hit. “People can double dip all they want!” quips Tramantano. He and his team bend over backwards to make every occasion memorable. “Last Saturday we had five events going on at once,” says Tramantano. “Three of them were at private homes. We did a Kentucky-style barbecue, a Montauk-style clambake with all the fixings, and a cocktail party with passed hors d’oeuvres.” Last summer, Waksman and Co. held a private dinner at one of the finest residences on First Neck Lane; this year sees them doing a private V.I.P. dinner with Anne Ligouri, and several other events at private homes, as well as private barbecues on the beach. It changes every day, but one thing is certain Waksman says: “If there’s any place in the world people appreciate good cuisine, it’s in the Hamptons.”

Give the people what they want: From birthday bashes to
poolside cocktails, the event experts offer a few tips to please any crowd:

Mix It Up: Varying the menu keeps things enticing. Brazilian barbecues for a small crowd, Indian-inspired buffets for 200, Korean grills, Hawaiian luaus or Caribbean-style feasts all make for fab food memories.

Bake Them a Cake: Douglas Hannant and Santiago Gonzalez recently held their joint birthday at Cabana, celebrating with an oversized cake. That same evening a cake was baked for another client, with 150 strawberries on top.

More is More: When in doubt, make more. Waksman tells of a recent sales meeting held for Ralph Lauren at the Atlantic. “They had three days in the courtyard. We fed them until they couldn’t move. They had a blast.”