It has become a corporate tradition for organizations to host holiday parties for their community. However, in 2020, things get a little more complicated.
Event organizers are faced with the prospect of postponing or canceling their celebrations altogether. Despite this, not all is lost, as a virtual holiday party can be just the solution you’re looking for.
If you’ve been considering the idea for a while, then it’s time to put it into practice. In this article, we’ll give you a short overview of what your checklist should contain for hosting a fun virtual Christmas party.
Choose the Date and Time
Holiday parties are usually organized in the same month as the holiday itself. Most organizations schedule their parties during the second or third week of their respective month.
Pick a day that is convenient for both you and your organization. It’s not uncommon for the party to be scheduled even after the holiday.
For example, during the holidays, people will generally be off work and spend time with their families. That’s why some organizations schedule their Christmas party before or after December 25th, when everyone is back.
The Theme
A virtual holiday party doesn’t seem to give you much room to work with. However, in an online environment, you’d be surprised at how many things you can do.
Since participants in the lobby will have direct contact with one another, you can use this to your advantage. You can opt for a mellower type of party for the theme, which encourages discussion and storytelling.
On the flip side, you can go all-in on a party focused on group activities, where your guests get to play virtual games like trivia or bingo.
Alcohol Policy at A Virtual Holiday Party
Most holiday parties have alcohol on the list, but organizers are split on the limit. For a virtual party, things get a bit more complicated.
Since all the participants will be at home, they’ll have to bring their alcohol, but this begs the question – how much alcohol is permitted on camera?
Alcohol can be a great way to break the ice and help people get over the initial awkwardness of a video conference. However, if it happens to go over a limit, people will not focus on the event and possibly be disruptive for the others.
An elegant way to approach this situation is to invite a virtual mixologist to kick off the party with a holiday beverage and then suggest only lighter drinks for the rest of the night.
The Entertainment
The entertainment aspect is the bread and butter of your virtual holiday party. If you’re concerned that the party might go cold because of the virtual environment, we recommend hiring a professional’s services.
You can keep the event’s initial activities as a warm-up and then transition to the main activity, which will be hosted by the professional entertainer.
In terms of what virtual holiday entertainment will consist of, it all depends on your guests’ tastes and disposition. You can go ahead and hire a musician to hold a virtual concert or perhaps a magician to mesmerize your guests. Some like The Evasons Mentalist Duo have special holiday-themed shows.
How to Kick A Virtual Holiday Party into Overdrive
We hope that this year’s holiday season catches you prepared. If you take care of the organizational aspects, then all you’re left with is to get creative with the entertainment.
If you need help with that, then we would gladly assist you. At The Grable Group, we specialize in providing entertainment solutions for in-person, hybrid, or virtual events. Give us a call at (615) 283-0039 if you have any questions. We’d love to help.
