If you think you can’t celebrate festivals while staying apart, you are wrong. Thanks to the advanced technology we have, staying connected while being physically distant is possible. Let go of the bossy vibes for a day and put on some happy-go-lucky attitude. If you’re looking for some virtual Christmas celebration ideas, you’re on the right page.
Here are some remote office Christmas and New Year party ideas that will help you host a memorable gathering for your employees.
Virtual Christmas and New Year Activities You Can Plan With Your Team
Below given are some virtual Christmas and New Year party activities you can host to make it a happy festive season for your employees:
Virtual R&R and Award Show-
Who said you can’t host Virtual award ceremonies? Online award ceremonies not only come with ease but also offer lucrative benefits to the organizations. The main objective behind hosting any award ceremony is to recognize the efforts of people. What better than recognizing your employees’ contribution on the occasion of a new year party? Now that we have come to terms with the world working remotely, employees long for that human connection and working within an office environment. There has been so much that everyone has gone through; why not appreciate them for this?
Organize a virtual R&R and Award Show this time during your annual virtual new year celebrations. It won’t only bring your remote employees together but will also boost team spirit. Along with it, this virtual Christmas party idea will also give a twist to your traditional new year celebrations, and your employees will find something to look forward to.
Virtual Townhall Meeting-
Another virtual Christmas celebration idea that you can include in your virtual office Christmas party is a town hall meeting. A virtual town hall meeting is another kind of virtual event that helps the employees and leadership stay on the same page. Virtual town halls help people belonging to the same organization stay informed and updated regarding company happenings. Organizations use them as a platform to maintain a dialogue between the leadership, the employees, and the stakeholders.
Though virtual town halls are generally considered a formal event, you can give the meaning a twist of modification. Conduct a virtual town hall meeting and bring in the new year with full enthusiasm with your employees.
There are many techniques to make a typical virtual town hall meeting engaging and get into a festive mood.
Some of them are-
- Play some good music- Ever heard of any party without music? No, right! Play some good party songs to get the celebration vibes flowing. It will help your employees get off work mode and feel more relaxed. Take it a notch up by curating an open playlist and asking your employees to add songs of their choice.
- Have a meal together- Even if you’re not meeting your peers in person, it doesn’t mean that you should hold yourself back from having a meal together. It would give your new year celebrations a more casual vibe and make the flow of the conversations smooth.
- Use pictures and videos- You can never go wrong with including pictures and videos in your celebrations. You can use photographs to make your virtual Christmas celebrations more memorable. Take a trip down memory lane with your colleagues and have a glance at what you did in the passing year.
- Present awards– Give an interesting end to your year by presenting funny awards to your employees. Keep the awards simple and a bit goofy. It will keep the employees excited till the very end.
Along with these tips and virtual Christmas celebration ideas, the fact that you need to select a suitable virtual event platform doesn’t need any special mentions.
Virtual Tambola Night-
Don’t let the screen get in between you and your Christmas and new year celebrations. Give your new year and Christmas celebration a joyous touch by including a virtual tambola session.
If your celebrations can take a virtual form, then why can’t the traditional party games? Add tambola to the list of virtual Christmas activities you would host during the virtual new year celebrations. So if you want to keep it easy breezy and enjoy the game of Tambola with your employees, Dreamcast is here to help you.
For those who don’t know what tambola is, it is one of the most widely preferred virtual Christmas games for work played during parties and celebrations and is also known as Tombola, Housie, or Indian Bingo.
Make it more interesting by announcing exciting prizes and rewards; it will keep the attendees excited and hooked to your virtual new year party.
Gala Night-
Incorporate a virtual gala night to add that extra excitement to your virtual Christmas and new year celebrations. Gala Nights are an excellent way to keep your audience engaged and entertained all night long. To take your gala nights to another level, use the live polls feature of your virtual Christmas platform. This feature will help you keep your employees hooked to their screens till the very end. Right from predicting award winners to voting for something spontaneous, a live polling feature will make it easier for you to know the opinion of your employees.
Gala nights are all about fun and interaction; hence give up your ‘boss role’ for a day. Inculcating this virtual new year party idea will make your employees feel relaxed and allow them to have more fun.
Use the social wall feature of your virtual event platform that will enable you to promote your gala night effectively. Your employees and other guests can take it to their social platform and post about the celebrations. It will help you build an event feed and spread the word about your brand among the masses.
Annual Meetup (Annual Sales Meet)
How about bringing in the new year while discussing the annual sales records! Sounds boring? Well, it isn’t.
It won’t be a regular annual sales meet, but more exciting in real life!
Well, incorporating work with celebrations doesn’t sound too appealing, but if you plan it properly, it can positively turn out to be an exciting event. Hosting a virtual annual meeting with your new year celebration will serve many purposes, like discussing your yearly sales, meeting your colleagues, and celebrating Christmas.
Along with these, several advantages come with hosting the annual meetup virtually. Some of them are-
- Your shareholders and employees can join from anywhere, regardless of their location.
- Saves money and time for the leadership, shareholders, and stakeholders.
- Maintains transparency and shows the results instantly to the participants.
To get into the festive mood and add cheerful vibes, you can pick a particular theme for the meeting. What better than going all Christmas-y with your annual meet! Decide on a color code (red and white are the best options). You can also design your presentations and slides keeping your theme in mind. Inculcate a carol session and groove to the music with your colleagues to end the year, keeping the festive vibes high!
Step by step guide to hosting a virtual Christmas and new year party-
Pick the Right Date and Time-
To host a memorable virtual new year party, pick a suitable date and time. Avoid hosting the event during the weekends or national holidays. Even if it would be an informal event, plan it on a regular working day, as your employees might have plans with their family and friends. Studies show that when it comes to office events, people are more likely to attend meetings and events at the beginning and end of the working week. In that case, plan your virtual new year celebration on a Monday or Friday.
Along with the date, pick up the right time for your virtual party. Try to keep it in between office hours. If your company is an MNC, consider different time zones and plan your event accordingly.
Select the Suitable Virtual Event Platform-
Moving onto the next step, pick up the most suitable virtual Christmas party platform. Saying that the entire success of your virtual celebration depends on the platform you choose wouldn’t be wrong. In other words, your virtual event platform can make or break your virtual new year party. Therefore, it becomes very crucial to pick an exceptional platform to carry out the event smoothly. There is a wide range of virtual event providers you can select from; that promise to provide their users with an unforgettable experience. One such expert platform is Dreamcast. Various features that make it stand apart from the crowd are B2B Meeting Scheduler, Networking Tools, Live Polls, Q&A Sessions, Gamification, Social Media Integration, and many more like them.
Find A Theme-
Another efficient virtual Christmas party idea that you can inculcate in your virtual new year celebration by deciding on a theme. Make your party stand apart by selecting an off-beat theme for your virtual office Christmas party. You can either go with the Bollywood theme or set up your celebration according to the superhero theme. The idea is to do something different than the traditional celebrations. Make it clear in your invitation that all the guests are required to dress accordingly. It would help them emerge from their PJ-bounded cocoon. To take it a step ahead, you can announce some rewards and goofy punishments for your attendees, compelling them to take the theme seriously.
Be Little Creative With Invitations-
When you’re doing everything off track, why ignore the invitation? Let your party invite also be a part of your celebration. Unleash your inner artist and make the invitation as creative as you can. However, it goes without saying that you should design your invite as per the theme of your virtual celebration. Though you can send a meeting link, adding a personal touch to your invitation will make your attendees feel connected to the event. Scale up the game by sending out a video invitation dressed up as Santa.
However, don’t forget to add all the necessary information like the date, time, theme, dress code, and other rules and regulations of the party in the invitation itself. It won’t only reduce the chances of things going wrong on the D-day but also help your attendees stay prepared beforehand.
Drop in Reminders-
To make sure it doesn’t slip off your attendee’s mind, keep dropping reminders. This virtual new year party idea will do wonders and keep your attendees excited about the upcoming event. Not only this, but the reminders will also help them organize their schedules accordingly. You can either send them reminders on google calendar or drop in an email. Infuse a bit of creativity in the reminders as well. You can post reminders on social media also. If you’re planning on including a surprise element, build up suspense by dropping hints with reminders. It won’t only keep the attendees on their toes but also build audience engagement.
Stick to the Agenda-
Yes, it is an office event, and No, it is not a formal event. Keep the vibes of the virtual Christmas celebrations intact by not bringing the work in between. Remember, it is just a matter of one day. Stick to the objective, and that is celebrating Christmas and bringing in the new year. Prepare an event flow and share it with attendees beforehand, so they get a hint about it. Also, to keep the party going as decided, you can prepare a slideshow and move accordingly. It is one of the most effective virtual Christmas party ideas for work that help the organizers host parties smoothly.
Stick to the Clock-
Another vital virtual new year party idea that people generally overlook is keeping an eye on the clock. It is always advised to set a time limit so that your attendees don’t get bored. Experts suggest keeping the virtual new year party length up to one and half hours. To avoid situations where your attendees are sticking by just for the sake of it, wrap up the party without delaying much.
Ask for Feedback-
One virtual new year celebration idea that you should incorporate in your planning is sending out feedback forms to your attendees. Various Christmas event platforms like Dreamcast provide their users with the feature of sending instant feedback forms as soon as the event gets over. Feedback forms will make your attendees feel involved and help you know their views. As an organizer, real feedback will help you improve your future events.
Now that the season of cakes and chocolates is here, it’s time for you to get in those party shoes. Give a perfect end to another hectic year with your employees. Make their Christmas merrier and new year happier by hosting a perfect virtual party with Dreamcast.
Let Jingle Bells Go Ringing!
