Let’s be honest, 2020 has NOT been a banner year. We’ve had to adapt to working from home, learn how to homeschool our kids, and wear uncomfortable face masks every time we venture out of the house. But through it all, your company has persevered. For that, we think you owe it to yourself and your team to have a little fun this holiday season!

If in-person get-togethers are still prohibited in your area, we recommend hosting an exciting virtual holiday party for your employees. Keep reading to learn how.

4 Tips For Throwing a Virtual Holiday Party

Virtual holiday party? Yes, it’s definitely a thing! In fact, it’s an increasingly popular thing with the threat of coronavirus hanging around. Fortunately, hosting a holiday-themed online shindig isn’t all that hard — especially if you follow the four tips listed below:

Nail Your Technology

The first thing you need to consider when hosting a virtual holiday party is how you’ll actually pull it off. In other words, what technology will you use to connect your team?

There are plenty of options available to you, the most popular being Zoom. All you and your team have to do is fire up the Zoom app and begin engaging with each other. If you have a large group, you can even set up multiple breakout rooms to allow people to easily engage with each other during your online event.

There are plenty of other video conferencing apps you can use for your virtual holiday as well, including Highfive, Skype, and Google Meet.

Don’t Skip the Details

Just like when hosting an in-person gathering, you need to get a few important details squared away for your virtual holiday party:

Create a Great Invitation

Most people’s social calendars are wide open these days, but we still suggest sending invitations to each of your attendees. Not everyone will understand what a virtual holiday party is or how fun they can be. Which means you may need to “sell” your event to potential guests. Whether you opt for an e-vite or a snail mail invitation, take the time to make it beautiful and include information about the fun events/activities you have planned. More on this in a later tip.

Specify a Dress Code

We recommend including a dress code in your invitation. That way everyone knows what’s appropriate and what’s not. Planning a super fun pajama party to celebrate the holidays? Want to keep it more business-casual? Let your attendees know what you expect from them so they can prepare appropriately. Just remember that your dress code will set the tone for your entire virtual holiday party. Consider choosing a vibe for your event, then selecting attire restrictions that match.

Prepare Gift Boxes

Lastly, show your employees how much you appreciate them by giving them a gift, AKA a party favor. The gifts you give can range from tasty snacks to bottles of wine to gift cards to local entertainment — the choice is yours. If you opt for physical gifts, make sure you mail them out a few weeks prior to the event. Also, if your gift is something that you want attendees to open during your party, make sure to specify this in your invitation and on the box of the actual gift!

These seemingly small details will go a long way towards making your virtual holiday party feel special. Don’t skip them!

Host Fun Activities and Games

Is it really a party without a few fun activities and games? Bingo is always a crowd-pleaser. Your guests can print bingo cards at home or you can get fancy and include them in the gift box you send each attendee (see above.)

If you really want to up your virtual holiday party game, you can engage your team with a live-streamed, interactive Trivia Game Show. It’s easy to find professional hosts for these kinds of activities and you can even up the ante and allow your guests to win prizes!

Maybe you really want to raise the bar for your holiday party. Might we suggest a virtual escape room instead of Bingo or trivia? Escape rooms have become immensely popular in recent years and virtual additions can be enjoyed from the convenience of.. Well, anywhere! Gather your employees, lock yourselves in a virtual room, and try to solve the clues and escape before the clock reads double zeros!

There are plenty of options when it comes to fun activities and games for your virtual holiday party. You just have to choose the ones that suit your particular get-together best.

Bring in Virtual Entertainment

Since you’ll be hosting a virtual holiday party, you won’t have to worry about renting a venue, hiring caterers, or paying for decorations. Instead, you can take the money you would have spent on these things and put it towards premium entertainment.

Entertainers around the world are adapting to the new norm, just like your company is. Which means there are more virtual entertainment options than ever before, including:

One of the best ways to make your virtual holiday party unique and memorable is to hire a world-class entertainer to perform for your team.

Throw an Amazing Virtual Holiday Party

Don’t give up on this year’s holiday party because of social distancing! Host an amazing virtual holiday party that your team can enjoy from the safety of their own homes. All you have to do is follow the four tips listed in this article.

And if you’re serious about hiring incredible entertainers or hosting outrageously fun activities at your virtual holiday party, give us a call. At Funny Business, we have 20 years of industry experience and can help you throw an unforgettable get-together for your team — all without breaking your predetermined budget. Let’s talk about your event today!

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