Interducing the guy to the friends tonight... yikes

My friends have all heard the stories, good and bad, about this guy... I have one girlfriend that has never met him and hates him already for some of the "bad things" about him. (none are terribly bad)
My other two friends that I have known for years are meeting someone I am dating for the first time since my divorce. (4+ years I have been single)
We are all going out for my 40th birthday. I am nervous about this. Should I be? What if my friends don't like him? (cause I do) What if they do really like him and things don't work out? Is there a chance that my friend who doesn't like him can be swayed into liking him? Can they play nice together for one night?
I would hate for this birthday to turn into a memorable one because of a guy...