5 tips to throw an *actually fun* Virtual Holiday Party (1 of 2)
Ahh... Holiday Party Season. It’s a time employees look forward to. A time where the year’s hard work is rewarded. A time to celebrate wins (and forget losses) with your colleagues. 2020 hasn’t made the work year easy - and despite our inability to be together in person this Holiday Season, we can’t write off this year’s end of year celebration.
But where do you start? Who’s planning it? What should you keep in mind? How do you make this event one that people actually look forward to, as opposed to one that they have to attend? Let’s discuss!
I’m Chris, Head of Business Development at Marco (and also our CPO — Chief Party Officer). I’ve compiled a few tips, some *learnings*, that can help:
Tip #1: Start Hot
Set the tone within the first few minutes (like any good meeting). The tone we’re aiming for this December is ‘fun!’ of course, but more importantly, ‘not slapped together at the last minute.’. Here are a couple of ideas that’ll demonstrate to your team that some proper thought went into this:
- Introduce the team — Have your content or design team make a custom illustration for the event (maybe toss some caricatures of the leadership team in there). Have this illustration as the pinned screen while your employees file in for the event — like a curtain on stage, inspiring curiosity and excitement for what’s next
- Music — have some delightful tunes to accompany this pre-show chapter (please no more Mariah Carey, but if you must… then you must)
- It’s all about the Opener — Opening statements should be brief, not grim, not overly obvious. Have your CEO write a funny poem, a limerick, something different and unexpected. We’re all too familiar with each others’ faces and living room settings, so change that up to! String up some lights up! Extra points for ugly sweaters! Just have fun with it and make it your own — no one knows your culture better than you do, lean into that
Oh, and instruct everyone to enjoy a holiday refreshment, right away, ideally before or during opening statements. Which leads us into the next pro tip…
Tip #2: Physically Mail Something
The US Post Service hasn’t been dismantled, for now, which allows us to push the envelope (pun very much intended) and up-level our virtual experiences. Who said digital and analog couldn’t live together in harmony..?
Consider everyone could enjoying the same holiday refreshment, provided by you! This is key — when teams are distributed, the act of physically opening a box at the same time goes a long way in bringing people together.
What an opportunity to surprise and delight your employees. Perhaps there are hand-written notes, maybe there is a custom apron, coordinated by team + color (why an apron you ask? we’ll get to that)… I can’t underscore enough how the shipping component of the event is the difference between a good holiday party and a great one (all things considered).
Tip #3: Keep it Fresh, and Maybe Even Competitive
This is a “2 in 1” tip.
If the holiday event is intended to last longer than 60 minutes (which it should, c’mon) you’ll want to have something new at the ready, every hour.
For example: a run of show could start with the holiday beverage mixology (did someone say Harry Potter Butterbeer?), then move to a shared cooking experience (ah ha — the aprons now come in handy!), then switch over to something entertaining to enjoy over the meal just prepared (live jazz music fits quite well here with the holiday theme).
A great way to keep it fresh is to introduce a little friendly competition that keeps attendees on their toes. During the interactive cooking portion, Reenact “Chopped” to uncover who are the chefs and who are the DoorDashers on your team. Extra points for plating!
Tip #4: Ensure it’s Family Friendly
Last year, you got a sitter, hit the holiday party with force, took an Uber home, and all was well with the world.
This year, not so much. In keeping with a commitment for inclusion, help your team members with little ones not have to sign off early. Consider having a crafts portion of the evening, a paint n’ sip, or a gingerbread house-making session where the whole family can contribute. Prizes for best family collaboration!
Tip #5: Do a Dry Run (logistics matter)
Very important! Don’t have the event itself be the first time you hop on the screens with everyone participating. Have the “run of show” listed, links created and posted where they need to be, and most importantly — have an emcee.
As we’ve covered, a well done virtual holiday party will have multiple segments. An emcee will play a crucial role in facilitating the transitions between segments smoothly. This person will have studied the agenda, will host the zoom, pin the right screens at the right times, fill the empty space with commentary, questions, etc.
Seem like a lot? It can be — Marco is diving headfirst into helping companies book their virtual holiday parties. Stay tuned for a follow up, and sign up here to receive updates from our end!
Happy Holidays,
Chris Knochel
Head of Business Development, Marco
