How to Throw a Virtual Christmas Party

8th December 2021

About 52% of UK workplaces have decided not to hold a Christmas office party, according to a survey of 2,000 office workers commissioned by COVID testing company Prenetics.

But the fun doesn’t need to stop just because COVID-19 is lingering on. Thanks to the power of technology, we can still celebrate the festive season together in the safety of our homes.

Continue reading to find out how you can throw your team a night to remember this Christmas — even if it’s through a screen.

Virtual Party Ideas

No one wants to spend their evening tied to their desk — especially if they’ve been working there all day. Instead of launching another aimless Zoom call, consider more unique options for the virtual party.

When the pandemic struck, countless businesses popped up to help people stay connected and have fun even in the gloomiest of times. Here are just some examples:

Gingerbread House Decorating Class: To get your team in the holiday spirit, this company will send out a gingerbread house kit and all the trimmings to each of your employees. After the instructor explains how to build the house on a video call, everyone can let their creativity run wild with the decorating.

Christmas Mini-Games: This virtual festive experience will have your team laughing, talking, and bonding through a series of Christmas-themed mini-games like Trivia, Fact Matching and Pictionary. All you need to do is book the session and log on to the platform wearing your best Christmas jumper.

Cocktail Making: Get your team involved in an interactive cocktail making masterclass. The company will deliver cocktail boxes to everyone’s front door, with a cocktail shaker, alcohol, extra ingredients and garnishes. (Remember to ask your employees ahead of time whether they want an alcoholic or non-alcoholic option!)

Murder Mystery: A murder mystery is the perfect way to keep the team happy and engaged throughout the party. The group will be split into smaller teams and have 60 minutes of gameplay to investigate, read profiles of suspects, tap on objects, find evidence and piece together the crime.

If you don’t want another company to host the virtual party, there are other (free) options, too:

Holiday Charades: A festive twist on a winter classic, holiday charades can be played over Zoom, with employees acting out their favourite Christmas songs, films and books. Add a bit of spice by giving out prizes, such as gift cards, to the winners.

A Holiday Scavenger Hunt: For a virtual scavenger hunt, the host creates a list of items and gives players 60 seconds to find each one. Those who return with the item and show it to the camera will receive points. Then, it’s on to round two! Think of festive items like a cookie-cutter, a Christmas tree, a winter coat.

A Quiz: You can’t go wrong with a quiz at Christmas time. Make it winter-themed and light-hearted, and award prizes to the winning team.

Send a Hamper of Goodies Before the Party

Everyone loves getting a gift at Christmas! So, why not send your guests a hamper of goodies to get them in the virtual party mood! Here are some things you can include in your parcel:

• A bottle of fizz (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
• Cheese and biscuits
• Gingerbread cookies
• Cosy socks
• A Christmas cracker
• Some company merchandise

Remember to send them early so they arrive on time for the big event.

Recognise a Job Well Done

Just because you’re not all in the same room doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate successes together. Set time aside at the virtual shindig for an informal awards ceremony to recognise your employees’ hard work throughout the year.

You can also include a few tongue-in-cheek awards to put a smile on everyone’s face. For example:

• Thinks in Emoji Award: The one person who sends more emojis than words on Slack.
• Walking Encyclopedia Award: They have an answer for everything!
• Office Parent Award: The person who organises everything, keeps meetings running smoothly and the fridge topped up.
• Muted Award: The employee who is most likely to talk with a muted microphone (we’ve all been there).
• Coolest Mug Award: There’s always someone showing off their fabulous mugs in the team Zoom calls.
• Gather other suggestions from the team using a platform like Trickle. Who knows what they might come up with.

If you have fun with it, your employees will too!

Whatever You Do, Don’t Make it Another Work Meeting!

Whatever you end up doing for your end-of-year party, keep away from the topic of work!
Your employees aren’t there to discuss projects and deadlines — they’re there to connect with colleagues and have fun!

With the familiarity of the videoconference setting, employees may start drifting into work discussions. In this case, take the lead and explain that you don’t want the event to be about the work but rather the people. This can go a long way to making the night a success.

Plan a Party to Remember with the help of Trickle

With Trickle, you can round up employee suggestions to ensure the staff party is a jolly good time for everyone. And, our app isn’t just for Christmas! Trickle makes it simple for employers to harness the power of employee feedback to initiate real change every day of the year.

Start discussions around different topics, share positive feedback, track the mood within the business, and much more in one easy-to-use platform.

Click below to get your free demo today.