It’s that time of year where we’re all getting excited to wind down and enjoy the holiday season. Most businesses are offering their employees time off for the season, with at least a few days over Christmas at home for everyone. Before you get through the most exciting days of the year, however, you need to think about the end of the year holiday party!
It’s the chance that your employees have to really let go and be a little social, knowing that their deadlines are met and they’re ready to get together as a team. The only problem? Well, the pandemic has put paid to many wanting to get together in a restaurant or a bar area, but don’t panic. You could choose to host an online event instead of a physical one and make your virtual holiday party the talk of the year. An online event can be just as fun as an event in person, and you don’t have to worry about everyone going home safely, either; they’re already there. So, what can you do to make a virtual holiday party fun? Here’s some of the best options to make your holiday party memorable.
- Host Kris Kringle. With the help of Amazon and other online shopping options, you can use websites like this to host your very own Secret Santa or Kris Kringle. You can all put your names into a website and have the random allocation sent to you individually. Put up a deadline for it so that your employees will all get a gift from someone, and you can all open your received gifts during the online event. You can all reveal who bought for who afterwards!
- A themed background. There are plenty of options in Zoom to change the backgrounds of your employees (and yours!) virtual chat. This way, you can bring in the holiday spirit really quickly. Make sure that you let everyone know how to do it in an email because you can bet that there will be someone out there who forgets!
- Get those desks decorated. Is there really any fun in the holidays without a little cheer? Tinsel it up and get your employees a miniature holiday tree for their desks, and you can make sure that everyone feels as if they’re in the holiday spirit. No one needs to be left out of this feeling, so it doesn’t matter what they celebrate and to whom; they can feel involved.
- Theme the outfits. Whether you get everyone to dress up as if they were going to be going out, or you make this year’s holiday theme the ‘ugly holiday sweater’ you can really bring the spirit to the virtual holiday party! It’s even better if they have some Father Christmas hats or reindeer antler headbands to wear!
A holiday party done virtually can be just as fun as everyone going to a venue and working the room. Don’t be afraid to reach out early and get everything planned in advance!