![\"virtual](\"https:\/\/learn.brightbreaks.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/zoom-party-300x206.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Many remote parties fizzle because organizers don\u2019t take into account the true needs of their remote teams.<\/p>\n
It could be that HR is trying to turn an in-person styled event into a remote event, that some employees feel excluded from the festivities, or that the event doesn\u2019t prioritize interactivity and real connection between team members.<\/p>\n
These are some of the common virtual party fails that we see:<\/p>\n
They\u2019re boring!<\/strong><\/h3>\nA done-to-death party idea is a recipe for no-shows.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all reluctantly received invites to end of year work dos that we know are going to be a snore fest. And despite our secret hopes of somehow managing to get out of things, we\u2019ve had to reluctantly attend these parties as a show of solidarity to our teammates.<\/p>\n
But when a remote party sounds like it\u2019s going to be really boring, it\u2019s all too easy for team members to simply say \u201cOops, I totally forgot!\u201d or \u201cSorry, I tried to connect to the event, but the dog ate my wifi router\u201d.<\/p>\n
Not to worry, now you’re in the hot seat to plan a virtual holiday event that people will not only want to attend, but will be raving about afterwards. Read on to get to the good stuff!<\/p>\n
Long speeches from C-Suite<\/strong><\/h3>\nIt\u2019s tradition for management and execs to give what they feel are poignant, inspiring end-of-year speeches to their teams.<\/p>\n
But in reality, this is often not the case. And these speeches can be even more difficult to sit through when employees are sitting at home with more exciting things to do.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll cover how to manage over-enthusiastic CEO presentations in a moment.<\/p>\n
No connectivity or bonding between employees<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn a recent Statista survey,\u00a015% of remote workers<\/a>\u00a0reported loneliness as their biggest struggle with working remotely. People often don\u2019t have the time or opportunity to form real connections with their team members during their work day.<\/p>\nThere might not be any proactive efforts within their organization to\u00a0establish greater engagement and connectivity<\/a>, so prioritizing them at remote holiday parties may not be taken into consideration either.<\/p>\nIf there is no intentional effort to connect employees on the call and get them interacting, it will feel like more of a festive meeting than a virtual party.<\/p>\n
Feels like a chore to attend<\/strong><\/h3>\nComplicated virtual festivities can make what should be a fun event feel like more work if it\u2019s not promoted properly.<\/p>\n
Keep the communication around the party simple and inviting, while still giving enough detail that attendees know what to expect. However you approach this, it should get your teams excited to attend, because work is the last thing on your employees\u2019 minds when the year is coming to a close!<\/p>\n
Things to Keep in Mind When You\u2019re Planning Your Party<\/strong><\/h2>\nDefine your goal<\/strong><\/h3>\nAs with any other HR initiatives, it\u2019s important to start with the overarching goal of your party.<\/p>\n
For example, will it need to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Recognize and celebrate team and individual achievements over the year?<\/li>\n
- Help employees get to know each other better?<\/li>\n
- Include team-building exercises?<\/li>\n
- Encourage reflection and gratitude?<\/li>\n
- Reinforce your company values and culture?<\/li>\n
- All of the above?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Starting with the \u201cwhy\u201d of your party can help you map out a virtual event that achieves your ultimate goal.<\/p>\n
Keep it inclusive<\/strong><\/h3>\nAs we mentioned above, one of the most important factors that will contribute to a high-engagement, enjoyable virtual party is inclusivity and accessibility.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to keep the diversity of your employees in mind, as this can influence the overall goals, activities, and themes of your virtual event.<\/p>\n
This means paying particular attention to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Where employees are located<\/li>\n
- Religious themes (e.g. not everyone celebrates Christmas)<\/li>\n
- Cultural differences<\/li>\n
- What people may\/may not have in their home (e.g. people might not have an oven for baking cookies)<\/li>\n
- Personal values<\/li>\n
- Whether employees have partners or family they\u2019d like to invite to the event<\/li>\n
- Dietary requirements if you\u2019re sending out meal kits<\/li>\n
- If they partake in drinking alcohol or not<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Set the time and date<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor distributed global teams, it can be tricky to find a party time that works for everyone. To include as many people as possible, you\u2019ll also need to factor in your employees\u2019 personal schedules and plans, and try to work around these. End of year can be a pretty hectic time for everyone.<\/p>\n
If your employees are unable to attend the event live due to their time zone, make sure they are compensated in some way for this. You could also set up an asynchronous holiday party chat room in Slack or Google Hangouts to help these team members feel connected and respected.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, you could host separate regional virtual parties to ensure everyone can show up live and connect with their nearest team members at a time that works for them.<\/p>\n
Budget\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nGetting buy-in from executives and stakeholders for a great virtual party is key to its success. It\u2019s essential to approach this from a strategic angle, and tie the event to your organization’s overall goals.<\/p>\n
Proving that a rich, interactive event will help employees to feel less isolated, get to know their peers, increase their overall job satisfaction, and reduce the risk of quitting can all help your cause (and the size of your party budget).<\/p>\n
Guest list\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nA \u201cvirtual holiday party\u201d suggests that everyone in your organization will be invited. But sometimes this isn\u2019t feasible, or desirable.<\/p>\n
For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Do you have enterprise-sized teams that will make the event difficult to manage, and hard for employees to connect with each other properly? If so, you might need to plan multiple parties. You could organize these by department, or randomize them to encourage new connections across teams.<\/li>\n
- If you are planning to run a company-wide party, will you need to hire or assign moderators and co-hosts to help organize and direct the event, and manage breakout rooms for smaller groups?<\/li>\n
- Will it be impossible to arrange one party that works for everyone\u2019s time zones?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sorting out your guest list well in advance can help you plan a party (or parties) that will make your event a lot more manageable and enjoyable for everyone involved.<\/p>\n
CEO involvement<\/strong><\/h3>\nYour virtual holiday party is the perfect opportunity for executives to connect with employees, and vice versa. But as we discussed above, CEOs can sometimes get a little carried away with end of year speeches.<\/p>\n
So If your CEO insists on addressing employees during your holiday event, give them a time budget of 3-5 minutes, and discreetly remind them when this time is up. For example, have some wrap-up music ready as a cue.<\/p>\n
If the CEO is receptive to this, make suggestions for their address to be interactive, and ask the attendees for input.<\/p>\n
One idea is to get your CEO to ask everyone on the call to put in the chat what they thought were the greatest achievements of the team during the past year, and then crafting their responses into a toast on the spot and moving on after the cheers.<\/p>\n
This involves the team, keeps everyone engaged, and the CEO still gets the spotlight for a few moments.<\/p>\n
Choose your party hosting platform<\/strong><\/h3>\nIt\u2019s important to get your tech stack ironed out in advance, so you can keep the party momentum going, and troubleshoot on the spot if you need to.<\/p>\n
Platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams typically have everything you need for a virtual event, but if you\u2019re going to require extra apps to host your party, make sure you\u2019ve tried and tested them, and that your employees have downloaded anything they need from their side before the day of the party.<\/p>\n
Ensure maximum attendance<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you\u2019ve laid the groundwork for your virtual party, getting the word out to employees and building excitement will be the key to ensuring people remember to show up on the day.<\/p>\n
Communicate early and often with employees in the lead up to your events, and share the events and activities you\u2019re planning so people know what to expect, and can plan for the party at home in advance if needed.<\/p>\n
We suggest giving people 3 to 4 week’s notice (at least) of the company\u2019s party date, and revealing the important details. Then send out a teaser every week of what to expect at the party as reminders. Keep it fun and engaging!<\/p>\n
Send final reminders to people about the party the day before the event, and the day of the event, to ensure maximum attendance.<\/p>\n
Keep it fun and interactive<\/strong><\/h3>\nBringing remote employees together should encourage participation, in a way that\u2019s fun and inclusive for people of every age and demographic \u2014 whether they\u2019re a quiet introvert or the life of the party.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re planning virtual activities, it\u2019s essential to ensure that nobody is left out. Keep a focus on activities that will enable everyone to participate, speak, and share their thoughts and ideas during the event. Don’t worry we have lots of ideas, keep reading!<\/p>\n
Consider possible gift taxes<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re giving gifts as part of your holiday party, do your homework first to see if there will be any tax implications for your remote employees. If your gifts will incur tax for local or global employees, be transparent about this so that they don\u2019t get any unwanted surprises at tax time.<\/p>\n
In the US, taxable gifts are considered to be:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Cash payments, or something that is redeemable for cash (e.g. a points system)<\/li>\n
- Gift cards<\/li>\n
- Any gift worth over $100<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
However, US holiday gifts might fall under the category of \u201cde minimis fringe benefits<\/a>\u201d, which means they could qualify for exemption.<\/p>\n10 Fun Virtual Holiday Party Ideas for Your Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"gratitude\"](\"https:\/\/learn.brightbreaks.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/gratitude-session-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Holiday themed gratitude session<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe start of any virtual party is a fantastic opportunity for employees to reflect on their year, and think about who and what they\u2019re thankful for in their lives.<\/p>\n
Here are a few prompts you can use to get people unmuting themselves and sharing what they’re grateful for in the chat:<\/p>\n
\n- What are your three more favorite smells during the holiday season?<\/li>\n
- What memory did you make this year that brings a smile to your face?<\/li>\n
- Who on your team helped you the most this year that you are grateful for?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you want to leave this to the experts, you can book a private gratitude session with\u00a0Bright Breaks<\/a>\u00a0that will be led by a professional instructor who can take everything off your plate and kick off your party in a meaningful and inspirational way.<\/p>\nIcebreakers<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf your team members don\u2019t know each other that well, icebreaker games such as \u201cTwo Truths and a Lie<\/a>\u201d or \u201cWould You Rather<\/a>\u201d can be a great way to get your virtual event headed in the right direction, and ensure there aren\u2019t any awkward silences as people ease into party mode.<\/p>\nIcebreakers can also be simple questions that employees take turns to answer. If you\u2019re doing this, and if your team size allows for it, you can ask several questions and go around the group a few times so that people can share more about themselves.<\/p>\n
You can find some great ideas for\u00a0holiday-themed icebreaker questions here<\/a>. Remember to keep your questions light-hearted and inclusive to ensure a relaxed, open atmosphere.<\/p>\nEmployee awards ceremony<\/strong><\/h3>\nEmployees appreciate being recognized for all their hard work, and\u00a082% of employees<\/a>\u00a0say that recognition increases their happiness<\/a> and job satisfaction. But they also want to have fun at your virtual party. Awards ceremonies can be a great way to get the best of both worlds.<\/p>\nYour awards can be as creative, humorous, or inspiring as you want to make them. The key thing to ensure is that they\u2019re relevant to your company culture, accessible to everyone, and have a positive focus.<\/p>\n
The best way to do this is to let your employees have their say in creating award ideas, and voting for the winners. Your teams will always have the best knowledge of in-jokes and work-related bloopers, so they can develop awards that are both relevant, and help with deeper connectivity and engagement during your virtual party.<\/p>\n
Give employees 2 to 3 weeks lead time to participate in conceptualizing the awards and voting. This is a great way to keep the upcoming party top-of-mind and build excitement as the date nears. Get managers and team leads involved in coming up with awards and ensuring their teams take the time to vote.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s simple to create a Google form with the list of finalized awards, and then send this out to employees who can secretly nominate who they think should win each category.<\/p>\n
Some ideas to get creative juices flowing include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Best gif responses in Slack<\/li>\n
- Person whose pet showed up most on Zoom calls<\/li>\n
- Zoom call blooper award (e.g. person who always forgets they\u2019re not muted)<\/li>\n
- Coffeeholic award<\/li>\n
- \u201cReporting live\u201d award – for the person who\u2019s most likely to be \u201con location\u201d during meetings<\/li>\n
- Award for the person who constantly delivers the best puns<\/li>\n
- Ray of sunshine award for the person who constantly brings positive vibes to the team<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Design a fun, creative slideshow to reveal the winners during the party. See if there is an especially enthusiastic leader who would like to host this portion of the party to keep the vibe fresh.<\/p>\n
To avoid the risk of this being \u201cjust a slide show\u201d, ensure it\u2019s interactive by asking attendees to guess who won each award in the chat before revealing the winner. This keeps engagement high and makes it fun for everyone!<\/p>\n
Should you give a prize to the winners?<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s up to you whether your awards ceremonies include prizes for the winners, or whether it\u2019s simply a shoutout situation where the recognition itself is the reward.<\/p>\n
If you do want to give prizes, you can either send gift cards, or choose prizes that are relevant for each award. For example, you might send the winner of your Coffeeholic Award a pack of their favourite coffee and a fancy mug to enjoy it in.<\/p>\n
Virtual cooking class<\/strong><\/h3>\nA celebratory meal can be just what your employees need to finish their work year in style. And for remote teams, it\u2019s as simple as attending a Zoom call.<\/p>\n
Depending on where your employees live, the size of your party, and your budget, there are a few approaches you can take with this.<\/p>\n
\n- Send virtual gift cards to your employees so they can buy the ingredients they need to make their favorite dish at home, and then share what they\u2019re cooking with everyone on the call.\u00a0Hoppier<\/a>\u00a0is a great platform to help you organize this.<\/li>\n
- Arrange a\u00a0virtual cooking masterclass<\/a>\u00a0where recipes and ingredients are delivered to your team members so they can all cook together.<\/li>\n
- Hire a virtual chef from somewhere like\u00a0CocuSocial<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Kitchen On Fire<\/a>\u00a0to walk your employees through creating an outstanding holiday meal, and send them the ingredients (or a gift card to buy them) so they can cook along in real time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you like the idea of everyone sharing a meal but aren\u2019t keen on the logistics of arranging a cooking class, you could simply treat everyone to their favourite local takeout, Uber Eats, or similar so they don\u2019t need to think about cooking at all!<\/p>\n
Trivia & Quizzes<\/strong><\/h3>\nEveryone loves a good trivia challenge, and these are simple activities to run as part of your online event. You can set them up as \u201cteam vs team\u201d challenges to encourage some friendly rivalry, or run individual quizzes that test people\u2019s wit, knowledge, or even karaoke abilities. A service like\u00a0TeamBuilding<\/a>\u00a0can help you organize your trivia events from start to finish.<\/p>\nThere are also apps like\u00a0Kahoot<\/a>,\u00a0TriviaMaker<\/a>, and\u00a0Crowdpurr<\/a>\u00a0which can help you create and choose a huge variety of games and challenges to keep your employees engaged, and get to know each other at the same time.<\/p>\nInteractive online games<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re planning an online games session, make sure that any games you choose fit with your team culture, and are simple to understand and play. If they\u2019re not accessible for everyone, or there’s a learning curve before people can jump in and play, this can start feeling like work for your teams, and lower your engagement levels.<\/p>\n
Get some game idea inspiration at:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Netflix Exploding Kittens<\/a><\/li>\n
- Board Game Arena<\/a><\/li>\n
- Tabletopia<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you\u2019d rather have a professional handle the planning and implementation of your remote party games, companies like\u00a0Teamazing<\/a>, and\u00a0TeamBuilding<\/a>\u00a0can help you create game experiences that all your employees can enjoy during the party.<\/p>\nScavenger hunt<\/strong><\/h3>\nScavenger hunts might seem a little outdated, but they\u2019re a really popular event for remote parties, and everyone can easily get into the competitive spirit with this.<\/p>\n
All you need to do is give employees a list of items to find in their home and bring back to their desk (or take photos of them for a live stream) as fast as possible.<\/p>\n
Just make sure your scavenged items are things that all your employees will have (even if they\u2019re tricky to find) \u2014 and make sure that they\u2019re not things that might be heavy or dangerous.<\/p>\n
For example, everyone probably owns a pair of scissors, but you don\u2019t want to encourage people to grab scissors and then run back to their desk with them!<\/p>\n
Some ideas and themes for your scavenger hunt list might include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Kitchen items<\/li>\n
- Clothing items<\/li>\n
- \u201cThings that are\u2026\u201d (e.g. blue, warm, or items that make a noise)<\/li>\n
- Mobile phone photos of specific things<\/li>\n
- Things you can\u2019t live without<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If your teams need something a little more challenging, you can also present each scavenger hunt item as a riddle that they need to solve before going to find the item. There are some great\u00a0riddle examples here<\/a>\u00a0to get you started.<\/p>\nOnline escape room<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnline escape rooms are a great idea to encourage your employees to work together in a Zoom call environment to solve practical problems.<\/p>\n
You can form random teams of people if you\u2019d like employees to get to know other people in your organization, or create a team vs team challenge \u2014 it\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of companies that run excellent virtual escape room challenges for teams (e.g.\u00a0The Escape Game<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Escapely<\/a>), so you can leave all the setup and complexities to the professionals. This is obviously a huge bonus when you have a ton of other things to organize to ensure your party runs smoothly on the day!<\/p>\nMurder mystery<\/strong><\/h3>\nSimilar to the escape room challenge, you can hire companies like\u00a0Escapely<\/a>\u00a0to run a virtual murder mystery that helps connect your teams and test their sleuthing abilities.<\/p>\nActors play out scenes on a Zoom call, and your employees will need to question their suspects and come to a conclusion about who the murderer is. It\u2019s like a virtual version of the classic\u00a0Cluedo game<\/a>.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019ve only got a limited budget (and your employees want to try out their acting skills), you can create a DIY version of this virtual game where a few people from your team play the characters, and the other employees try to figure out who the culprit is.<\/p>\n
Wrapping up<\/strong><\/h2>\nEnd of year parties are the perfect chance for your employees to reflect on their year, wind down, and celebrate all the great work they\u2019ve done alongside their team members. A seven minute Bright Breaks\u00a0team gratitude session<\/a>\u00a0is the perfect opportunity for them to do this, and it\u2019s a meaningful way to get your holiday celebrations underway.<\/p>\nOnce your event has finished, don\u2019t forget to review what worked and what didn\u2019t, and what you can optimize for next year. Get your employees involved in the review process too, so you can encourage greater participation and real human connection for your future virtual events.<\/p>\n
We also recommend you share a recap of your holiday party in your general channel on Slack, or similar. This could include:<\/p>\n
\n- Screenshots<\/li>\n
- The employee awards slide deck<\/li>\n
- People who won prizes<\/li>\n
- Notable highlights of the event<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Recaps let people who couldn’t attend see what they missed, and it\u2019s a great way to preserve memories for people who were involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A virtual party can strengthen the togetherness of your remote teams and create a positive work atmosphere for the coming year. The pressure is on to deliver a festive experience that employees will be talking about (in a good way!) <\/p>\n
It\u2019s tradition for management and execs to give what they feel are poignant, inspiring end-of-year speeches to their teams.<\/p>\n
But in reality, this is often not the case. And these speeches can be even more difficult to sit through when employees are sitting at home with more exciting things to do.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll cover how to manage over-enthusiastic CEO presentations in a moment.<\/p>\n
No connectivity or bonding between employees<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn a recent Statista survey,\u00a015% of remote workers<\/a>\u00a0reported loneliness as their biggest struggle with working remotely. People often don\u2019t have the time or opportunity to form real connections with their team members during their work day.<\/p>\nThere might not be any proactive efforts within their organization to\u00a0establish greater engagement and connectivity<\/a>, so prioritizing them at remote holiday parties may not be taken into consideration either.<\/p>\nIf there is no intentional effort to connect employees on the call and get them interacting, it will feel like more of a festive meeting than a virtual party.<\/p>\n
Feels like a chore to attend<\/strong><\/h3>\nComplicated virtual festivities can make what should be a fun event feel like more work if it\u2019s not promoted properly.<\/p>\n
Keep the communication around the party simple and inviting, while still giving enough detail that attendees know what to expect. However you approach this, it should get your teams excited to attend, because work is the last thing on your employees\u2019 minds when the year is coming to a close!<\/p>\n
Things to Keep in Mind When You\u2019re Planning Your Party<\/strong><\/h2>\nDefine your goal<\/strong><\/h3>\nAs with any other HR initiatives, it\u2019s important to start with the overarching goal of your party.<\/p>\n
For example, will it need to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Recognize and celebrate team and individual achievements over the year?<\/li>\n
- Help employees get to know each other better?<\/li>\n
- Include team-building exercises?<\/li>\n
- Encourage reflection and gratitude?<\/li>\n
- Reinforce your company values and culture?<\/li>\n
- All of the above?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Starting with the \u201cwhy\u201d of your party can help you map out a virtual event that achieves your ultimate goal.<\/p>\n
Keep it inclusive<\/strong><\/h3>\nAs we mentioned above, one of the most important factors that will contribute to a high-engagement, enjoyable virtual party is inclusivity and accessibility.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to keep the diversity of your employees in mind, as this can influence the overall goals, activities, and themes of your virtual event.<\/p>\n
This means paying particular attention to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Where employees are located<\/li>\n
- Religious themes (e.g. not everyone celebrates Christmas)<\/li>\n
- Cultural differences<\/li>\n
- What people may\/may not have in their home (e.g. people might not have an oven for baking cookies)<\/li>\n
- Personal values<\/li>\n
- Whether employees have partners or family they\u2019d like to invite to the event<\/li>\n
- Dietary requirements if you\u2019re sending out meal kits<\/li>\n
- If they partake in drinking alcohol or not<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Set the time and date<\/strong><\/h3>\nFor distributed global teams, it can be tricky to find a party time that works for everyone. To include as many people as possible, you\u2019ll also need to factor in your employees\u2019 personal schedules and plans, and try to work around these. End of year can be a pretty hectic time for everyone.<\/p>\n
If your employees are unable to attend the event live due to their time zone, make sure they are compensated in some way for this. You could also set up an asynchronous holiday party chat room in Slack or Google Hangouts to help these team members feel connected and respected.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, you could host separate regional virtual parties to ensure everyone can show up live and connect with their nearest team members at a time that works for them.<\/p>\n
Budget\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nGetting buy-in from executives and stakeholders for a great virtual party is key to its success. It\u2019s essential to approach this from a strategic angle, and tie the event to your organization’s overall goals.<\/p>\n
Proving that a rich, interactive event will help employees to feel less isolated, get to know their peers, increase their overall job satisfaction, and reduce the risk of quitting can all help your cause (and the size of your party budget).<\/p>\n
Guest list\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nA \u201cvirtual holiday party\u201d suggests that everyone in your organization will be invited. But sometimes this isn\u2019t feasible, or desirable.<\/p>\n
For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Do you have enterprise-sized teams that will make the event difficult to manage, and hard for employees to connect with each other properly? If so, you might need to plan multiple parties. You could organize these by department, or randomize them to encourage new connections across teams.<\/li>\n
- If you are planning to run a company-wide party, will you need to hire or assign moderators and co-hosts to help organize and direct the event, and manage breakout rooms for smaller groups?<\/li>\n
- Will it be impossible to arrange one party that works for everyone\u2019s time zones?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sorting out your guest list well in advance can help you plan a party (or parties) that will make your event a lot more manageable and enjoyable for everyone involved.<\/p>\n
CEO involvement<\/strong><\/h3>\nYour virtual holiday party is the perfect opportunity for executives to connect with employees, and vice versa. But as we discussed above, CEOs can sometimes get a little carried away with end of year speeches.<\/p>\n
So If your CEO insists on addressing employees during your holiday event, give them a time budget of 3-5 minutes, and discreetly remind them when this time is up. For example, have some wrap-up music ready as a cue.<\/p>\n
If the CEO is receptive to this, make suggestions for their address to be interactive, and ask the attendees for input.<\/p>\n
One idea is to get your CEO to ask everyone on the call to put in the chat what they thought were the greatest achievements of the team during the past year, and then crafting their responses into a toast on the spot and moving on after the cheers.<\/p>\n
This involves the team, keeps everyone engaged, and the CEO still gets the spotlight for a few moments.<\/p>\n
Choose your party hosting platform<\/strong><\/h3>\nIt\u2019s important to get your tech stack ironed out in advance, so you can keep the party momentum going, and troubleshoot on the spot if you need to.<\/p>\n
Platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams typically have everything you need for a virtual event, but if you\u2019re going to require extra apps to host your party, make sure you\u2019ve tried and tested them, and that your employees have downloaded anything they need from their side before the day of the party.<\/p>\n
Ensure maximum attendance<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you\u2019ve laid the groundwork for your virtual party, getting the word out to employees and building excitement will be the key to ensuring people remember to show up on the day.<\/p>\n
Communicate early and often with employees in the lead up to your events, and share the events and activities you\u2019re planning so people know what to expect, and can plan for the party at home in advance if needed.<\/p>\n
We suggest giving people 3 to 4 week’s notice (at least) of the company\u2019s party date, and revealing the important details. Then send out a teaser every week of what to expect at the party as reminders. Keep it fun and engaging!<\/p>\n
Send final reminders to people about the party the day before the event, and the day of the event, to ensure maximum attendance.<\/p>\n
Keep it fun and interactive<\/strong><\/h3>\nBringing remote employees together should encourage participation, in a way that\u2019s fun and inclusive for people of every age and demographic \u2014 whether they\u2019re a quiet introvert or the life of the party.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re planning virtual activities, it\u2019s essential to ensure that nobody is left out. Keep a focus on activities that will enable everyone to participate, speak, and share their thoughts and ideas during the event. Don’t worry we have lots of ideas, keep reading!<\/p>\n
Consider possible gift taxes<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re giving gifts as part of your holiday party, do your homework first to see if there will be any tax implications for your remote employees. If your gifts will incur tax for local or global employees, be transparent about this so that they don\u2019t get any unwanted surprises at tax time.<\/p>\n
In the US, taxable gifts are considered to be:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Cash payments, or something that is redeemable for cash (e.g. a points system)<\/li>\n
- Gift cards<\/li>\n
- Any gift worth over $100<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
However, US holiday gifts might fall under the category of \u201cde minimis fringe benefits<\/a>\u201d, which means they could qualify for exemption.<\/p>\n10 Fun Virtual Holiday Party Ideas for Your Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Holiday themed gratitude session<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe start of any virtual party is a fantastic opportunity for employees to reflect on their year, and think about who and what they\u2019re thankful for in their lives.<\/p>\n
Here are a few prompts you can use to get people unmuting themselves and sharing what they’re grateful for in the chat:<\/p>\n
\n- What are your three more favorite smells during the holiday season?<\/li>\n
- What memory did you make this year that brings a smile to your face?<\/li>\n
- Who on your team helped you the most this year that you are grateful for?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you want to leave this to the experts, you can book a private gratitude session with\u00a0Bright Breaks<\/a>\u00a0that will be led by a professional instructor who can take everything off your plate and kick off your party in a meaningful and inspirational way.<\/p>\nIcebreakers<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf your team members don\u2019t know each other that well, icebreaker games such as \u201cTwo Truths and a Lie<\/a>\u201d or \u201cWould You Rather<\/a>\u201d can be a great way to get your virtual event headed in the right direction, and ensure there aren\u2019t any awkward silences as people ease into party mode.<\/p>\nIcebreakers can also be simple questions that employees take turns to answer. If you\u2019re doing this, and if your team size allows for it, you can ask several questions and go around the group a few times so that people can share more about themselves.<\/p>\n
You can find some great ideas for\u00a0holiday-themed icebreaker questions here<\/a>. Remember to keep your questions light-hearted and inclusive to ensure a relaxed, open atmosphere.<\/p>\nEmployee awards ceremony<\/strong><\/h3>\nEmployees appreciate being recognized for all their hard work, and\u00a082% of employees<\/a>\u00a0say that recognition increases their happiness<\/a> and job satisfaction. But they also want to have fun at your virtual party. Awards ceremonies can be a great way to get the best of both worlds.<\/p>\nYour awards can be as creative, humorous, or inspiring as you want to make them. The key thing to ensure is that they\u2019re relevant to your company culture, accessible to everyone, and have a positive focus.<\/p>\n
The best way to do this is to let your employees have their say in creating award ideas, and voting for the winners. Your teams will always have the best knowledge of in-jokes and work-related bloopers, so they can develop awards that are both relevant, and help with deeper connectivity and engagement during your virtual party.<\/p>\n
Give employees 2 to 3 weeks lead time to participate in conceptualizing the awards and voting. This is a great way to keep the upcoming party top-of-mind and build excitement as the date nears. Get managers and team leads involved in coming up with awards and ensuring their teams take the time to vote.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s simple to create a Google form with the list of finalized awards, and then send this out to employees who can secretly nominate who they think should win each category.<\/p>\n
Some ideas to get creative juices flowing include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Best gif responses in Slack<\/li>\n
- Person whose pet showed up most on Zoom calls<\/li>\n
- Zoom call blooper award (e.g. person who always forgets they\u2019re not muted)<\/li>\n
- Coffeeholic award<\/li>\n
- \u201cReporting live\u201d award – for the person who\u2019s most likely to be \u201con location\u201d during meetings<\/li>\n
- Award for the person who constantly delivers the best puns<\/li>\n
- Ray of sunshine award for the person who constantly brings positive vibes to the team<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Design a fun, creative slideshow to reveal the winners during the party. See if there is an especially enthusiastic leader who would like to host this portion of the party to keep the vibe fresh.<\/p>\n
To avoid the risk of this being \u201cjust a slide show\u201d, ensure it\u2019s interactive by asking attendees to guess who won each award in the chat before revealing the winner. This keeps engagement high and makes it fun for everyone!<\/p>\n
Should you give a prize to the winners?<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s up to you whether your awards ceremonies include prizes for the winners, or whether it\u2019s simply a shoutout situation where the recognition itself is the reward.<\/p>\n
If you do want to give prizes, you can either send gift cards, or choose prizes that are relevant for each award. For example, you might send the winner of your Coffeeholic Award a pack of their favourite coffee and a fancy mug to enjoy it in.<\/p>\n
Virtual cooking class<\/strong><\/h3>\nA celebratory meal can be just what your employees need to finish their work year in style. And for remote teams, it\u2019s as simple as attending a Zoom call.<\/p>\n
Depending on where your employees live, the size of your party, and your budget, there are a few approaches you can take with this.<\/p>\n
\n- Send virtual gift cards to your employees so they can buy the ingredients they need to make their favorite dish at home, and then share what they\u2019re cooking with everyone on the call.\u00a0Hoppier<\/a>\u00a0is a great platform to help you organize this.<\/li>\n
- Arrange a\u00a0virtual cooking masterclass<\/a>\u00a0where recipes and ingredients are delivered to your team members so they can all cook together.<\/li>\n
- Hire a virtual chef from somewhere like\u00a0CocuSocial<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Kitchen On Fire<\/a>\u00a0to walk your employees through creating an outstanding holiday meal, and send them the ingredients (or a gift card to buy them) so they can cook along in real time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you like the idea of everyone sharing a meal but aren\u2019t keen on the logistics of arranging a cooking class, you could simply treat everyone to their favourite local takeout, Uber Eats, or similar so they don\u2019t need to think about cooking at all!<\/p>\n
Trivia & Quizzes<\/strong><\/h3>\nEveryone loves a good trivia challenge, and these are simple activities to run as part of your online event. You can set them up as \u201cteam vs team\u201d challenges to encourage some friendly rivalry, or run individual quizzes that test people\u2019s wit, knowledge, or even karaoke abilities. A service like\u00a0TeamBuilding<\/a>\u00a0can help you organize your trivia events from start to finish.<\/p>\nThere are also apps like\u00a0Kahoot<\/a>,\u00a0TriviaMaker<\/a>, and\u00a0Crowdpurr<\/a>\u00a0which can help you create and choose a huge variety of games and challenges to keep your employees engaged, and get to know each other at the same time.<\/p>\nInteractive online games<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re planning an online games session, make sure that any games you choose fit with your team culture, and are simple to understand and play. If they\u2019re not accessible for everyone, or there’s a learning curve before people can jump in and play, this can start feeling like work for your teams, and lower your engagement levels.<\/p>\n
Get some game idea inspiration at:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Netflix Exploding Kittens<\/a><\/li>\n
- Board Game Arena<\/a><\/li>\n
- Tabletopia<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you\u2019d rather have a professional handle the planning and implementation of your remote party games, companies like\u00a0Teamazing<\/a>, and\u00a0TeamBuilding<\/a>\u00a0can help you create game experiences that all your employees can enjoy during the party.<\/p>\nScavenger hunt<\/strong><\/h3>\nScavenger hunts might seem a little outdated, but they\u2019re a really popular event for remote parties, and everyone can easily get into the competitive spirit with this.<\/p>\n
All you need to do is give employees a list of items to find in their home and bring back to their desk (or take photos of them for a live stream) as fast as possible.<\/p>\n
Just make sure your scavenged items are things that all your employees will have (even if they\u2019re tricky to find) \u2014 and make sure that they\u2019re not things that might be heavy or dangerous.<\/p>\n
For example, everyone probably owns a pair of scissors, but you don\u2019t want to encourage people to grab scissors and then run back to their desk with them!<\/p>\n
Some ideas and themes for your scavenger hunt list might include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Kitchen items<\/li>\n
- Clothing items<\/li>\n
- \u201cThings that are\u2026\u201d (e.g. blue, warm, or items that make a noise)<\/li>\n
- Mobile phone photos of specific things<\/li>\n
- Things you can\u2019t live without<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If your teams need something a little more challenging, you can also present each scavenger hunt item as a riddle that they need to solve before going to find the item. There are some great\u00a0riddle examples here<\/a>\u00a0to get you started.<\/p>\nOnline escape room<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnline escape rooms are a great idea to encourage your employees to work together in a Zoom call environment to solve practical problems.<\/p>\n
You can form random teams of people if you\u2019d like employees to get to know other people in your organization, or create a team vs team challenge \u2014 it\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n
There are plenty of companies that run excellent virtual escape room challenges for teams (e.g.\u00a0The Escape Game<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Escapely<\/a>), so you can leave all the setup and complexities to the professionals. This is obviously a huge bonus when you have a ton of other things to organize to ensure your party runs smoothly on the day!<\/p>\nMurder mystery<\/strong><\/h3>\nSimilar to the escape room challenge, you can hire companies like\u00a0Escapely<\/a>\u00a0to run a virtual murder mystery that helps connect your teams and test their sleuthing abilities.<\/p>\nActors play out scenes on a Zoom call, and your employees will need to question their suspects and come to a conclusion about who the murderer is. It\u2019s like a virtual version of the classic\u00a0Cluedo game<\/a>.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019ve only got a limited budget (and your employees want to try out their acting skills), you can create a DIY version of this virtual game where a few people from your team play the characters, and the other employees try to figure out who the culprit is.<\/p>\n
Wrapping up<\/strong><\/h2>\nEnd of year parties are the perfect chance for your employees to reflect on their year, wind down, and celebrate all the great work they\u2019ve done alongside their team members. A seven minute Bright Breaks\u00a0team gratitude session<\/a>\u00a0is the perfect opportunity for them to do this, and it\u2019s a meaningful way to get your holiday celebrations underway.<\/p>\nOnce your event has finished, don\u2019t forget to review what worked and what didn\u2019t, and what you can optimize for next year. Get your employees involved in the review process too, so you can encourage greater participation and real human connection for your future virtual events.<\/p>\n
We also recommend you share a recap of your holiday party in your general channel on Slack, or similar. This could include:<\/p>\n
\n- Screenshots<\/li>\n
- The employee awards slide deck<\/li>\n
- People who won prizes<\/li>\n
- Notable highlights of the event<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Recaps let people who couldn’t attend see what they missed, and it\u2019s a great way to preserve memories for people who were involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A virtual party can strengthen the togetherness of your remote teams and create a positive work atmosphere for the coming year. The pressure is on to deliver a festive experience that employees will be talking about (in a good way!) <\/p>\n
There might not be any proactive efforts within their organization to\u00a0establish greater engagement and connectivity<\/a>, so prioritizing them at remote holiday parties may not be taken into consideration either.<\/p>\n If there is no intentional effort to connect employees on the call and get them interacting, it will feel like more of a festive meeting than a virtual party.<\/p>\n Complicated virtual festivities can make what should be a fun event feel like more work if it\u2019s not promoted properly.<\/p>\n Keep the communication around the party simple and inviting, while still giving enough detail that attendees know what to expect. However you approach this, it should get your teams excited to attend, because work is the last thing on your employees\u2019 minds when the year is coming to a close!<\/p>\n As with any other HR initiatives, it\u2019s important to start with the overarching goal of your party.<\/p>\n For example, will it need to:<\/strong><\/p>\n Starting with the \u201cwhy\u201d of your party can help you map out a virtual event that achieves your ultimate goal.<\/p>\n As we mentioned above, one of the most important factors that will contribute to a high-engagement, enjoyable virtual party is inclusivity and accessibility.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to keep the diversity of your employees in mind, as this can influence the overall goals, activities, and themes of your virtual event.<\/p>\n This means paying particular attention to:<\/strong><\/p>\n For distributed global teams, it can be tricky to find a party time that works for everyone. To include as many people as possible, you\u2019ll also need to factor in your employees\u2019 personal schedules and plans, and try to work around these. End of year can be a pretty hectic time for everyone.<\/p>\n If your employees are unable to attend the event live due to their time zone, make sure they are compensated in some way for this. You could also set up an asynchronous holiday party chat room in Slack or Google Hangouts to help these team members feel connected and respected.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you could host separate regional virtual parties to ensure everyone can show up live and connect with their nearest team members at a time that works for them.<\/p>\n Getting buy-in from executives and stakeholders for a great virtual party is key to its success. It\u2019s essential to approach this from a strategic angle, and tie the event to your organization’s overall goals.<\/p>\n Proving that a rich, interactive event will help employees to feel less isolated, get to know their peers, increase their overall job satisfaction, and reduce the risk of quitting can all help your cause (and the size of your party budget).<\/p>\n A \u201cvirtual holiday party\u201d suggests that everyone in your organization will be invited. But sometimes this isn\u2019t feasible, or desirable.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n Sorting out your guest list well in advance can help you plan a party (or parties) that will make your event a lot more manageable and enjoyable for everyone involved.<\/p>\n Your virtual holiday party is the perfect opportunity for executives to connect with employees, and vice versa. But as we discussed above, CEOs can sometimes get a little carried away with end of year speeches.<\/p>\n So If your CEO insists on addressing employees during your holiday event, give them a time budget of 3-5 minutes, and discreetly remind them when this time is up. For example, have some wrap-up music ready as a cue.<\/p>\n If the CEO is receptive to this, make suggestions for their address to be interactive, and ask the attendees for input.<\/p>\n One idea is to get your CEO to ask everyone on the call to put in the chat what they thought were the greatest achievements of the team during the past year, and then crafting their responses into a toast on the spot and moving on after the cheers.<\/p>\n This involves the team, keeps everyone engaged, and the CEO still gets the spotlight for a few moments.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to get your tech stack ironed out in advance, so you can keep the party momentum going, and troubleshoot on the spot if you need to.<\/p>\n Platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams typically have everything you need for a virtual event, but if you\u2019re going to require extra apps to host your party, make sure you\u2019ve tried and tested them, and that your employees have downloaded anything they need from their side before the day of the party.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve laid the groundwork for your virtual party, getting the word out to employees and building excitement will be the key to ensuring people remember to show up on the day.<\/p>\n Communicate early and often with employees in the lead up to your events, and share the events and activities you\u2019re planning so people know what to expect, and can plan for the party at home in advance if needed.<\/p>\n We suggest giving people 3 to 4 week’s notice (at least) of the company\u2019s party date, and revealing the important details. Then send out a teaser every week of what to expect at the party as reminders. Keep it fun and engaging!<\/p>\n Send final reminders to people about the party the day before the event, and the day of the event, to ensure maximum attendance.<\/p>\n Bringing remote employees together should encourage participation, in a way that\u2019s fun and inclusive for people of every age and demographic \u2014 whether they\u2019re a quiet introvert or the life of the party.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re planning virtual activities, it\u2019s essential to ensure that nobody is left out. Keep a focus on activities that will enable everyone to participate, speak, and share their thoughts and ideas during the event. Don’t worry we have lots of ideas, keep reading!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re giving gifts as part of your holiday party, do your homework first to see if there will be any tax implications for your remote employees. If your gifts will incur tax for local or global employees, be transparent about this so that they don\u2019t get any unwanted surprises at tax time.<\/p>\n In the US, taxable gifts are considered to be:<\/strong><\/p>\n However, US holiday gifts might fall under the category of \u201cde minimis fringe benefits<\/a>\u201d, which means they could qualify for exemption.<\/p>\n The start of any virtual party is a fantastic opportunity for employees to reflect on their year, and think about who and what they\u2019re thankful for in their lives.<\/p>\n Here are a few prompts you can use to get people unmuting themselves and sharing what they’re grateful for in the chat:<\/p>\n If you want to leave this to the experts, you can book a private gratitude session with\u00a0Bright Breaks<\/a>\u00a0that will be led by a professional instructor who can take everything off your plate and kick off your party in a meaningful and inspirational way.<\/p>\n If your team members don\u2019t know each other that well, icebreaker games such as \u201cTwo Truths and a Lie<\/a>\u201d or \u201cWould You Rather<\/a>\u201d can be a great way to get your virtual event headed in the right direction, and ensure there aren\u2019t any awkward silences as people ease into party mode.<\/p>\n Icebreakers can also be simple questions that employees take turns to answer. If you\u2019re doing this, and if your team size allows for it, you can ask several questions and go around the group a few times so that people can share more about themselves.<\/p>\n You can find some great ideas for\u00a0holiday-themed icebreaker questions here<\/a>. Remember to keep your questions light-hearted and inclusive to ensure a relaxed, open atmosphere.<\/p>\n Employees appreciate being recognized for all their hard work, and\u00a082% of employees<\/a>\u00a0say that recognition increases their happiness<\/a> and job satisfaction. But they also want to have fun at your virtual party. Awards ceremonies can be a great way to get the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n Your awards can be as creative, humorous, or inspiring as you want to make them. The key thing to ensure is that they\u2019re relevant to your company culture, accessible to everyone, and have a positive focus.<\/p>\n The best way to do this is to let your employees have their say in creating award ideas, and voting for the winners. Your teams will always have the best knowledge of in-jokes and work-related bloopers, so they can develop awards that are both relevant, and help with deeper connectivity and engagement during your virtual party.<\/p>\n Give employees 2 to 3 weeks lead time to participate in conceptualizing the awards and voting. This is a great way to keep the upcoming party top-of-mind and build excitement as the date nears. Get managers and team leads involved in coming up with awards and ensuring their teams take the time to vote.<\/p>\n It\u2019s simple to create a Google form with the list of finalized awards, and then send this out to employees who can secretly nominate who they think should win each category.<\/p>\n Some ideas to get creative juices flowing include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Design a fun, creative slideshow to reveal the winners during the party. See if there is an especially enthusiastic leader who would like to host this portion of the party to keep the vibe fresh.<\/p>\n To avoid the risk of this being \u201cjust a slide show\u201d, ensure it\u2019s interactive by asking attendees to guess who won each award in the chat before revealing the winner. This keeps engagement high and makes it fun for everyone!<\/p>\n Should you give a prize to the winners?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s up to you whether your awards ceremonies include prizes for the winners, or whether it\u2019s simply a shoutout situation where the recognition itself is the reward.<\/p>\n If you do want to give prizes, you can either send gift cards, or choose prizes that are relevant for each award. For example, you might send the winner of your Coffeeholic Award a pack of their favourite coffee and a fancy mug to enjoy it in.<\/p>\n A celebratory meal can be just what your employees need to finish their work year in style. And for remote teams, it\u2019s as simple as attending a Zoom call.<\/p>\n Depending on where your employees live, the size of your party, and your budget, there are a few approaches you can take with this.<\/p>\n If you like the idea of everyone sharing a meal but aren\u2019t keen on the logistics of arranging a cooking class, you could simply treat everyone to their favourite local takeout, Uber Eats, or similar so they don\u2019t need to think about cooking at all!<\/p>\n Everyone loves a good trivia challenge, and these are simple activities to run as part of your online event. You can set them up as \u201cteam vs team\u201d challenges to encourage some friendly rivalry, or run individual quizzes that test people\u2019s wit, knowledge, or even karaoke abilities. A service like\u00a0TeamBuilding<\/a>\u00a0can help you organize your trivia events from start to finish.<\/p>\n There are also apps like\u00a0Kahoot<\/a>,\u00a0TriviaMaker<\/a>, and\u00a0Crowdpurr<\/a>\u00a0which can help you create and choose a huge variety of games and challenges to keep your employees engaged, and get to know each other at the same time.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning an online games session, make sure that any games you choose fit with your team culture, and are simple to understand and play. If they\u2019re not accessible for everyone, or there’s a learning curve before people can jump in and play, this can start feeling like work for your teams, and lower your engagement levels.<\/p>\n Get some game idea inspiration at:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather have a professional handle the planning and implementation of your remote party games, companies like\u00a0Teamazing<\/a>, and\u00a0TeamBuilding<\/a>\u00a0can help you create game experiences that all your employees can enjoy during the party.<\/p>\n Scavenger hunts might seem a little outdated, but they\u2019re a really popular event for remote parties, and everyone can easily get into the competitive spirit with this.<\/p>\n All you need to do is give employees a list of items to find in their home and bring back to their desk (or take photos of them for a live stream) as fast as possible.<\/p>\n Just make sure your scavenged items are things that all your employees will have (even if they\u2019re tricky to find) \u2014 and make sure that they\u2019re not things that might be heavy or dangerous.<\/p>\n For example, everyone probably owns a pair of scissors, but you don\u2019t want to encourage people to grab scissors and then run back to their desk with them!<\/p>\n Some ideas and themes for your scavenger hunt list might include:<\/strong><\/p>\n If your teams need something a little more challenging, you can also present each scavenger hunt item as a riddle that they need to solve before going to find the item. There are some great\u00a0riddle examples here<\/a>\u00a0to get you started.<\/p>\n Online escape rooms are a great idea to encourage your employees to work together in a Zoom call environment to solve practical problems.<\/p>\n You can form random teams of people if you\u2019d like employees to get to know other people in your organization, or create a team vs team challenge \u2014 it\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n There are plenty of companies that run excellent virtual escape room challenges for teams (e.g.\u00a0The Escape Game<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Escapely<\/a>), so you can leave all the setup and complexities to the professionals. This is obviously a huge bonus when you have a ton of other things to organize to ensure your party runs smoothly on the day!<\/p>\n Similar to the escape room challenge, you can hire companies like\u00a0Escapely<\/a>\u00a0to run a virtual murder mystery that helps connect your teams and test their sleuthing abilities.<\/p>\n Actors play out scenes on a Zoom call, and your employees will need to question their suspects and come to a conclusion about who the murderer is. It\u2019s like a virtual version of the classic\u00a0Cluedo game<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve only got a limited budget (and your employees want to try out their acting skills), you can create a DIY version of this virtual game where a few people from your team play the characters, and the other employees try to figure out who the culprit is.<\/p>\n End of year parties are the perfect chance for your employees to reflect on their year, wind down, and celebrate all the great work they\u2019ve done alongside their team members. A seven minute Bright Breaks\u00a0team gratitude session<\/a>\u00a0is the perfect opportunity for them to do this, and it\u2019s a meaningful way to get your holiday celebrations underway.<\/p>\n Once your event has finished, don\u2019t forget to review what worked and what didn\u2019t, and what you can optimize for next year. Get your employees involved in the review process too, so you can encourage greater participation and real human connection for your future virtual events.<\/p>\n We also recommend you share a recap of your holiday party in your general channel on Slack, or similar. This could include:<\/p>\n Recaps let people who couldn’t attend see what they missed, and it\u2019s a great way to preserve memories for people who were involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A virtual party can strengthen the togetherness of your remote teams and create a positive work atmosphere for the coming year. The pressure is on to deliver a festive experience that employees will be talking about (in a good way!) <\/p>\nFeels like a chore to attend<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Things to Keep in Mind When You\u2019re Planning Your Party<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Define your goal<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Keep it inclusive<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Set the time and date<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Budget\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Guest list\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
CEO involvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Choose your party hosting platform<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ensure maximum attendance<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Keep it fun and interactive<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Consider possible gift taxes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
10 Fun Virtual Holiday Party Ideas for Your Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nHoliday themed gratitude session<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Icebreakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Employee awards ceremony<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Virtual cooking class<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Trivia & Quizzes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Interactive online games<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Scavenger hunt<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Online escape room<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Murder mystery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Wrapping up<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n