The most festive time of the year is here! Online events have become part of the new working world and planning an epic holiday virtual party is much easier than it seems.
Over the past year we’ve organized 3,000+ virtual and hybrid experiences to date for businesses and offer 50+ holiday themed experiences. So here are our top seven tips for planning that perfect virtual holiday party:
1. MATCH YOUR GOALS AND AUDIENCE WITH THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE
What works best for one group, might be less effective for another. The first two questions we ask a client when booking virtual holiday experiences are “so what are your event objectives?” and “who is attending?”
Some experiences, like an ‘A Festive Wreath Making Workshop” (Click for US or UK) are better suited to an intimate 10-person client event, whilst others such as “Christmas at Drownton Abby Murder Mystery Experience” (Click for US or UK) are ideal for a 500+ person global holiday office party. A good understanding of your group’s preferences and what they are looking to get out of the experience will always lead to a successful virtual event.
2. MULTI EXPERIENCE EVENTS = HIGHER ATTENDANCE RATES
If you’re arranging an event for a larger group (50+), know that you can maximize attendance by booking multiple experiences (running at the same time) and letting your guests choose the one that’s right for them.
Our clients who book one of our Holiday Party Packages (Click for US or UK) improve attendance by 23% on average.
3. LEAD TIMES ARE STILL IMPORTANT
Many people think that because these experiences are hosted online, they take less time to plan than a physical event. This is a myth!
It’s true in some cases (the simplest events can take as little as 2 weeks to execute), but complex or customized experiences (think of gift deliveries to hundreds of attendees across 5 countries) can take multiple weeks to arrange.
Booking your holiday party sooner than later is ideal (and less stressful!)
4. BE MINDFUL WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING
During the holiday season, it’s important to be mindful of shipping times as it is the busiest time of the year.
We highly recommend picking an event company with international delivery expertise to ensure items are delivered seamlessly to all attendees. Through us, our experience suppliers have delivered event packs to well over 100 countries!
5. HAVE TECH SUPPORT ON-HAND
You want to avoid those awkward technical difficulties! Making sure someone is on-hand to help resolve any technical issues is key. We assign an Event Specialist or Technician to each of our virtual events to ensure all event tech runs smoothly.
This is crucial because it means our clients can relax knowing someone is on-hand to help resolve any issues. Our Event Specialists also take care of technical requirements like breakout rooms, ensuring that our event hosts can solely focus on providing exceptional experiences without any interruptions.
6. CUSTOMIZE THE FORMAT OF YOUR EVENT (IF YOU NEED TO)
Want to do a 10-minute presentation at the start of your “Murder Mystery Experience” (click for US or UK) with clients? Or perhaps you’re looking to do an awards ceremony alongside your “Cocktail Making Masterclass” (click for US or UK)?
One of the many benefits of virtual experiences is that they are so easily adaptable. Experiences shouldn’t just be replicated – each is unique and special to the people that were part of it. That’s why we offer flexible formats for 90% of our experiences, adapting them to each client’s needs.
7. USE ZOOM TO RUN YOUR EVENT
While many of our experiences can run on any* video conferencing software (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Webex, Hangouts), wherever possible we advise clients to run their event on Zoom.
Currently, no other readily available and affordable software offers the same visual or audio quality as Zoom or has the same breadth of features.
Other applications are catching up but until then Zoom should be your first choice if you want your guests to have the best experience possible.
*Experiences that require specific tech features can only run on Zoom.
So, has this helped you? There’s still time to book that virtual holiday party! Find out how Avva Experience can help plan incredible virtual holiday experiences that are guaranteed to spread that festive cheer!
