Ways to Enjoy a Virtual Christmas Party (Part 2)

Anyone hosting an office Christmas party would want the employees to fully enjoy themselves. Total enjoyment happens when a party is well-planned. It is no different if you intend to go virtual on your party this year. A plan or a program is still a must-have. Now, what makes a party a PARTY(!)?

THE MESSAGES

Everybody still needs to hear it from the big bosses. This will not be too difficult. At the virtual party, all they need to do is speak into their cameras and microphones. If they have photos or files to share during their messages, content sharing solutions can be resorted to. A pre-recorded audio clip of their messages can also be uploaded and played for everyone to cheer to.

If the video conferencing app allows messaging, employees can simply send out greetings or messages of their own to their bosses after the latter’s messages are delivered. The big bosses will certainly get more than the usual heartwarming applause this time as employees can actually express how they feel with words and images.

THE GAMES

Now, this has got to be the loudest and most riotous part of any party because adults are out to play. So, how do you play your traditional or non-traditional Christmas party games when you are all alone in front of a device?

You can try the Child Photo Guessing Game. Prior to the party, everyone can submit a photo of herself as a child to the party organizer. The organizer can determine a specific age bracket so that no photo becomes too easy or too hard to wager a guess on. If the party is a large group, the organizer can select the really interesting ones so that the whole party will not be spent on just one guessing game. All the organizer needs to do is flash the photo during game time, and everyone can give it their best shot.

Another Christmas staple is Secret Santa or the good, old Monito, Monita. You can try online gift exchange generators or organizers for this one. These generators usually come with a wish list which the Secret Santa can access. You can use virtual gifts which will get sent to your email or even real ones

which will get sent to your doorsteps as some generators let you buy directly from multiple stores. You get to open these gifts during the party and dish out guesses as to who your Secret Santa is.

You can also hold your Best Christmas Costumes Contest or Decorate Your Workspace contest. Contestants get a few moments each to parade their get-ups in front of their cameras or to showcase their most festive and creative decorations for celebrating remotely. You can have a board of judges, or you can have all the employees present gear up for a majority vote. Either way, the organizer can use Google Form to collect votes. Another fun way of casting votes and getting everyone involved is through live polls via mentimeter.com. Mentimeter offers ways to have engaging live surveys and polls so people can monitor how votes are being cast, real-time.

Even that all-time favorite Bring-Me game can be enjoyed in a virtual Christmas party. The organizer or host can prepare a list of quests or think of one on the spot. The player who gets back to the camera with the item requested wins the round.

Other traditional games can still be played online: Never Have I Ever, Pictionary, Two Truths and a Lie, Scattergories, Charades, and a good old karaoke challenge…The organizer or host can tweak the mechanics of any of these games to suit their preferences, technological capabilities, and time constraints.

You can also team up people, allow them to explore virtual breakout rooms (as ZOOM, Google Meet, are popularly known to have these rooms) and have multiple hosts across sub-rooms lead these “game stations.” It allows people to join if they’re interested in a particular game and the others who do not feel like playing just yet can opt to stay in the common room or hall to chit-chat if they so wish. The breakout rooms are advantageous if your office headcount is above 20 persons.

Imagination can go a long way when hosting a virtual party….All in the name of having a fun-filled virtual party. Prizes can be in cash so that they can be easily sent electronically or a happy care package delivered at your team member’s doorstep the following day.

THE PERFORMANCES

The song and dance numbers will be different this time. One way is to have the music uploaded and shared with everyone. Everyone will perform in unison in front of the trusty camera. Remote group rehearsals may be a challenge, but it is nothing that a video conference cannot fix.

Another option is to have the groups do pre-recorded presentations rendering a particular song or dance choreo ala these global music videos where you see so many artists singing one song from the comfort of their own homes. Of course, a great video editor is key to a successful team presentation.

This also relieves the pressure of performing at the Christmas party (works for all the introverted out there!) but still ensuring some fun. Keep the videos to 3 minutes max. Anything beyond causes things to drag out.

THE FEAST

Everybody looks forward to seeing what food will be served at the party. But, how do you go about feasting together in a virtual Christmas party?

You can have fun with more apps and play with virtual food. Each department or team can use Google Slide to prepare a virtual table complete with food and drinks. There are free online services like Cybercones where you can get virtual ice cream. Or you can use free stock photos of food online. The sky is the limit to what you want to serve on your table.

Being at home, folks can simply grab whatever is in the kitchen if virtual food makes them too hungry. But, where’s the Christmas spirit there if real food cannot be shared?

Depending on the office’s resources, food packages can be ordered from restaurants or shops which every employee can partake of in their homes, delivered on the day of the party. You can even add a bottle of wine so that each can toast a Christmas greeting to the other to highlight the meal.

THE PERKS

Everyone loves and truly awaits the inevitable Christmas raffle. The organizer can assign “seat numbers” to the employees from which will be drawn the lucky winners. So, folks can still win that awesome home entertainment set even in the comfort of their homes.

You can liven up the Christmas spirit even more by sending care packages to the employees apart from the food packages. You can send plants to brighten up their work areas and clean the indoor air. Tea packs can also show that you care for their health. Even a small bottle of essential oils will give them the idea that you want them to cool down too. Even if gift packs can speak for themselves, a motivational note along with a warm Christmas greeting will surely complete the gesture.

While working from home has become a good alternative work arrangement, it can also give feelings of disengagement. The pandemic has brought in enough feelings of despair. But, knowing that no virus can stop the office Christmas party is enough to make everyone feel jubilant during times like these. Let technologies at your fingertips point the way.

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