Due to the ongoing pandemic, many companies will once again be switching to digital communication channels and video conferencing tools in the weeks leading up to Christmas – and that applies not just to day-to-day work but also to the long-awaited holiday parties.

If you’re wondering how to host a fun and engaging Christmas party for your colleagues while everyone’s still working from home, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll show you how to organize a fabulous virtual celebration – even under challenging circumstances – with the help of our Virtual Events platform.

How do you plan a virtual Christmas party?

Over the past months, many companies have already discovered the many benefits of virtual events. For others, the 2021 holiday party might be their first time going digital.

But don’t worry – with our 5-step plan, even a last-minute celebration is bound to be a success!

1. Define the goals of your Christmas party

Before diving into all the details, take a moment to think about the bigger picture. Are you celebrating a successful business year? Do you want to get your employees excited for the year ahead? Or is your main goal to boost morale and strengthen team spirit? Maybe it’s a mix of all three?

Your goal will shape the agenda of your virtual event. We recommend combining elements of all the above – here’s a sample agenda to get you started:

• Welcome and introduction
• Business update and outlook for 2022
• Games and entertainment
• Open networking

For many of us, the end of the year is a time for reflection and gratitude. Especially during the pandemic, the holidays are also a much-needed break from the everyday routine.

That’s why your virtual Christmas party should be more than just another three-hour video call – it’s a chance to show appreciation for your team and give them a fun, interactive evening.

Of course, this only works if you have the right digital event solution in place.

2. Choose your virtual venue

Zoom, Webex and MS Teams are the go-to video conferencing tools for many companies' day-to-day communication.

The upside? Everyone knows them and how to use them.
The downside? Everyone knows them and how to use them.

Your Christmas party is a chance to connect with colleagues in a different context – one that’s not linked to the 8:30 a.m. status meeting. That’s why we strongly recommend choosing a different tool for the occasion.

Our Virtual Events platform offers a fresh setting and a variety of features to help you host an engaging and entertaining holiday party online.

Unlike standard video conferencing tools, Virtual Events focuses on interaction – not just between speakers and viewers, but among employees as well.

Use the main stage for company-wide speeches and presentations, while breakout rooms encourage games, engagement and conversation in smaller groups.

Even better: third-party tools (including entire websites) can be easily integrated into the platform.

Want to see what’s possible and how it can look in practice? We’ll show you in just a bit.

3. Set up your virtual venue

Make sure to set aside enough time to get familiar with your chosen event platform and to create a festive atmosphere for your virtual Christmas party.

With Virtual Events, it’s incredibly easy to get started – you can set up your event in under five minutes:

1. Create your own event in Virtual Events.
2. Upload your company logo, adjust the visual style to match your brand, and customize the setup to fit your needs.

4. Send out invitations and finalize the details

Write an invitation that gets your colleagues excited about joining the virtual Christmas party. If you’re using Virtual Events, you can simply use the built-in email invitation template and enable the registration form to keep track of who’s planning to attend.

Once everything’s ready, send out the invites to all employees and block the internal calendar during the event to make sure everyone can join the digital celebration.

Depending on the activities you’ve planned, you’ll also want to ensure that all participants have what they need on the day of the event. We’ll share our tips for that later in the article.

5. Have fun

Most importantly, create a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere. Enjoy some drinks or mulled wine, chat with your colleagues, and have a great time – all while staying safe.

A skilled host or moderator can help keep the energy high and guide participants through your virtual Christmas event.

That way, “Can you hear me?” quickly turns into “Great to see you!”.

Ideas for an interactive virtual Christmas party

Like many other events, a Christmas party doesn’t translate 1:1 into the digital world. While traditional office parties thrive on being together in person, virtual events require new kinds of experiences to keep participants engaged and entertained.

But those who embrace the virtual format will quickly discover that it has its own unique advantages.

We’ve gathered our top recommendations for virtual activities that are easy to integrate into your Christmas party using the Virtual Events platform.

Escape rooms

Escape rooms were already booming before the pandemic – and in recent months, the hype has been reignited with virtual versions.

Work together with your colleagues to solve tricky puzzles, uncover hidden clues and discover new sides of each other along the way.

Cook or mix cocktails together

Whether you're cooking a meal, baking cookies or shaking up apple-cinnamon mojitos – a shared kitchen activity can make your virtual Christmas party feel surprisingly real. And there's plenty of time to chat while you prep, stir and sip.

Bonus: at the end, everyone gets something tasty to eat, snack on or drink.

Just make sure to send out the recipes and ingredient lists to participants ahead of time.

Quiz night

With online tools like Kahoot! or Outgrow, you can easily create your own quizzes and play them in teams during the Christmas party – pub quiz style.

There are no limits when it comes to themes. Whether it’s a festive holiday quiz or fun facts about your company and everyday work life – the more personal it is, the more entertaining it gets!

Sing karaoke

You might want to save this activity for the end of the party – or make sure your colleagues have enough mulled wine at home. Either way, your virtual karaoke session could turn into the highlight of the evening – and the talk of the office for months to come.

Whether on YouTube or with a karaoke app, every office party gets better when the ’90s playlist comes on.

Play games

From Taboo to Mario Kart, there are plenty of board games, party games and video games you can play online for free.

Use the breakout rooms in the Virtual Events platform to set up different “game rooms,” so participants can choose the kind of fun they’re in the mood for.

Conclusion: virtual Christmas parties in 2021

In times of social distancing, a virtual Christmas party is the perfect alternative. With the right event platform, you can offer your colleagues a festive experience – even from afar – and wrap up the year together in style.

Get in touch with us for a personalized offer – we’re happy to support you in planning your company’s Christmas party.