September again? Christmas season is approaching – how to “Sleigh” your holiday party this year where in-person events are still not an option? The abrupt closure of many offices and workplaces these past years ushered in a new era of remote work for millions of employed. Company Holiday Parties have had to make some adjustments over the past few years due to COVID 19 pandemic –– and the evolution of virtual parties kicks off!
Virtual Party is a great option to spend time together without worrying about social distancing. Discover these virtual holiday party ideas that are sure to boost employee morale, builds culture and put the team together in the holiday spirit:
Event Planning Fundamentals
Same with other events, planning and creating strategies are necessary to achieve perfect virtual holiday party. While planning, make sure you consider the following: hosting event technology platform, date and time, event access and itinerary, giveaways/gifts (if applicable) and virtual invitations.
To ensure that everyone can celebrate while staying safe, plan the virtual holiday party of your dreams using the following steps: organize an online meeting for your team, reinforce company values, formalize the event, plan activities, and appoint a host-person.
Event’s date and time
Studies have shown that the best time to hold virtual parties is probably during the lunch hour as it reduces the obligations on employees’ personal time. But most of us hold parties in the evening. As a rule of thumb, the best time for evening events is around 7 PM. Make sure you take time zones into consideration when planning an event.
Send your virtual invites
Send your virtual invitations at least two weeks ahead of time. Create invitations and ask people to register for the event to make the virtual party feel more familiar – providing rsvp helps remote team members feel like the party is more than a mere afterthought.
Sending out virtual invitations too soon, people may forget about the event or feel unable to commit too far in advance. If you send them too late, you could cause a lot of stress for guests who also have commitment on that day. So, it’s important to send your virtual invitations two to three weeks before the event so that the team can plan accordingly.
Create a Virtual Event Theme
Customize your Virtual Holiday Party by adding a theme to level up your “virtual” get-together. Here are some fun ways – themes to celebrate and kicks off your Virtual Holiday Party:
- Cocktail hour
- Wine Tasting
- Virtual dance
- Movie Night
- Game Night
- Pajama Party
- Spooky Stories
- Costume Party
- Karaoke
- Online Secret Santa
- Holiday cards
- Ugly sweater contest
- Holiday mask competition
- A Gatsby Christmas
- Virtual Concert
Virtual Cocktail Hour
Add some spirit to your event with delicious food and drinks. Treat your employees by ordering food online ahead of time or giving them allowance online to buy it themselves.
Boring Virtual Cocktail Hour? – Why not rent Mixologist to add spice to your evening? Treat your team a Cocktail kit, allows at-home mixologists to quickly and easily experiment with the art of cocktail smoking. You could follow this up with some other holiday party games and ideas to make the party even more engaging. Do some research: Cocktail Kit + Virtual Mixology Class
Themed Dress Code
Challenge participants to find themed attire and reward the most impressive display with a prize. Thinking of wearing Christmas colors? Red and green are the classic colors of Christmas – but studies have shown wearing these colors are hard to pull off without looking like an elf, or a tree! Gold, silver, and white are more wearable and glamorous options for a Christmas outfit and can be adapted to suit your skin tone. Looking for something unique and stand out from the crowd? – why not try a twist –themed event – an Ugly Sweater Contest! Bring everyone together to laugh and enjoy each other’s best looks with an ugly sweater party.
Virtual Holiday Games
Who says Virtual Party is boring and not interactive? – Not with these lists of interactive virtual party games to play during online socials to make events more fun and more engaging: Holiday Bingo, Scavenger Hunt, Online Talent Show and of course, Virtual Karaoke Party!
Most companies now host virtual events because it provides far more scalable to host than real events, low barriers to entry, cost-effective way to connect, and provides networking possibilities in times where in-person events are not an option. So, it’s important to Invest in the Right Hosting Platform – that is designed to provide all in one Unified Communications solution – bringing the audience’ feeling of being present at a live stream, flexibility to communicate and collaborate wherever you want, however you need.
Looking for a Unified Communication solution?
With LG Talk Unified Communications (UC) solution, employees are more productive from any “touch-point” – any phone, any mobile, many applications, any location. LG Talk UC seamlessly integrates telephony, mobility, video and “office” applications – keep your team connected without losing project momentum and collaborate in real time wherever they are!
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