To Holiday Party or Not to Holiday Party? That is NEVER a Question!!

A reported 91% of event planners say that “keeping members connected” is one of their top priorities when planning virtual events (Wild Apricot), but how can you do this properly?  How can you avoid scheduling a holiday happy hour with 40 people on the Zoom with no real way to guide the conversation? As a self-appointed Director of Fun at Go Team Events, here are a few pro tips to help guide you on your search to craft the perfect year-end event.

1. Leave It To The Professionals!  You may have a "Bob from accounting" who loves to play the saxophone at the holiday party every year, but virtual events are a different beast. Make sure you select a company with a team of professional MCs who can hold an audience’s attention. Also make sure they have support staff on the call so technical issues don’t derail or slow down your event.

2. Staff It Well!  Have you ever been to a bar and wanted a drink, but there are only two bartenders and 40 people wanting drinks at the same time? It's the same concept for virtual events. If you want all 40 of those people to pay attention at the same time, you need to have the appropriate amount of staff to do so, ESPECIALLY if you are sending people to breakout rooms! No one should ever be left alone without “adult supervision.”

3. Keep It Moving! Our attention spans before this pandemic were already hanging on by a thread.  Nowadays they’re like a straw hat trying to stay on a passenger’s head in a convertible going 100 miles an hour. The key to a successful holiday party is not letting people get distracted. Switch it up so people HAVE to pay attention.

4 .Make It A Competition! One way to ensure people commit to a fun event is to make it competitive, but make sure there is something for everyone. People have different strengths and weaknesses, so randomize your teams and select a wide variety of games where everyone feels like their participation matters. Games should be designed for the team to interact with each other. Oh, and the winning team will never say no to an awesome prize!

5. Get a Demo! There are a lot of companies out there that may say they have a great platform and experience, but have them walk you through the process from beginning to end so you know what you’re getting. Don’t rely on hypotheticals; see it for yourself.

Yes, holiday parties are going to be virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a blast!  Why not book a Holiday Game Show Mash Up, a Santa’s Toy Shop Zoom Escape or a Murder in the Alps murder mystery? Oh, and who doesn’t love a good ole fashioned Ugly Sweater contest? Tack one of those on because let’s face it, holiday accoutrement must continue their annual destiny and not be ignored this year due to the pandemic!  Remember to have fun out there, stay safe and don’t forget to email me to book a truly wonderful virtual holiday bash.