How to Throw a Safe Holiday Party in 2020
There’s no safe way to hold a holiday party in person this year, but you can plan a virtual holiday party that your team (and other guests) will actually want to attend.
As with client appreciation, the most important things to consider are what the interests and priorities of your guests will be. If your goal is to host an event that will feel like a celebration to your guests, you should begin by putting yourself in their shoes.
For those of us who think the surprise delivery of a nice bottle of champagne is a great way to handle end of year toasts, an hours-long game night with coworkers over Zoom won’t likely feel like a chance to unwind, but other groups may crave the connection and interaction that a structured video event can provide.
Whatever the culture at your organization, here are a few more universal tips for hosting a virtual holiday party, along with some ideas we’re considering ourselves.
Make a Plan Share It to Set Guest Expectations
If you balk at the idea of planning out who will moderate your next Zoom cocktail hour, check your reservations and embrace structure.
To facilitate a positive experience for your guests, you’ll need to deliver a plan. Whether you want to make space to share opening remarks or a heartfelt toast from the CEO, or if you expect guests to bring their own thoughtful toast to share, you should give people a head’s up.
In the same way that professionals benefit from structuring time in the office around periods of deep work, your team will get more out of a virtual gathering that they are prepared to attend.
Include as many details as possible in the invitation, and give your guests a clear point of contact should they have any questions or contributions.
At Your Virtual Holiday Party, Share an Experience
There’s a reason we’re all seeing a proliferation of varieties of the video conference experience: they’re not all bad.
Whether you’ve tried to host a Passover Seder over Zoom or enjoyed a book club, you know that a well-moderated video gathering can provide a strong sense of connection and even a little fun. When it’s time to throw a holiday gathering, there a few different types of experiences you might schedule:
Cooking class. There are many types of classes available – painting, fitness, underwater basket weaving – but cooking classes provide your team with new skills and something delicious to snack on. King Arthur Flour’s Baking School offers a great variety of options.
At-home mixology. For the team that used to love happy hour at the local cocktail bar, at-home mixology classes are a fun way to program an activity that’s a step up from cracking open whatever beverage folks have on hand. Check with your favorite local watering hole to see if there’s an opportunity to do this and support a local business.
An Airbnb Experience. From swimming with sharks to touring the Andes, Airbnb has figured out how to help travelers tourist from the comfort of their homes (or home offices).
This type of virtual holiday party requires a higher level of time commitment and scheduling than some less formal options, but if you were to gather for an afternoon together, you’d doubtless be asking folks to commit a couple of hours to teambuilding and appreciation anyway.
Shower Your Team with Food and Beverages
If your team can’t go out for dinner as a group, you might still want to provide them with a dining experience.
Scheduling a surprise food delivery may mess with someone’s meal calendar for the week, but gift boxes are an easy way to send along delectable cheese, flawless fruit, or a meal kit that’s ready for assembly from your local restaurant of choice.
From Drizly to Tock to Harry & David, there are a full range of comestible delivery options at your fingertips.
Host a Friendly Competition to Get in the Holiday Spirit
Not all professional environments are competitive, but in those that foster a healthy esprit sportif, you can still play classic games and continue old traditions:
We’re hesitant to remind you that it’s easy to host an ugly holiday sweater party over Zoom.
Cookie decorating competitions are virtual holiday party-friendly. You don’t get to share, but you can compare your art skills.
Secret Snowflake has moved into the new decade in a big way. Drawnames.com provides an easy interface to help your team draw names, share addresses, and even a wish list. Perhaps in the Zoom era, the best gift wins?
This may not be your cup of tea, but it would be irresponsible not to include these options.
Skip the Virtual Holiday Party Altogether and Focus on Your People
If you don’t want to host a holiday party in the middle of this pandemic, you don’t have to. Instead, you can take this holiday season as an opportunity to revisit your recognition programs and look for ways to tell your staff just how much you appreciate their work during this challenging time when most of us are so far apart.
As part of this effort, consider your company’s social impact: this may be the year to reallocate your party budget for meaningful gifts or donations.
Whatever you do, keep your team and your appreciation for all that you’ve accomplished at the center of your celebrations this year, and you can’t go wrong.
Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash