With so many of our clients either being based in the U.S or international companies who host events that include U.S based attendees, we’ve pulled together our most popular virtual & online experiences for U.S companies.
One of the best things about virtual & online experiences is their ability to bring together people from all over the world!
We offer full nationwide & international delivery on all of these experiences.
In the simplest terms, a hybrid experience is an experience that both in-person and virtual attendees can take part in. This innovative format is now essential in corporate entertainment, particularly among companies looking to engage with employees and clients remotely, or even internationally.
We know what you’re wondering – how does this hybrid stuff actually work?
A hybrid experience combines the benefits of in-person & virtual experiences, allowing you to keep your social occasions inclusive for all. We offer hand-picked experiences which are tried and tested specifically in this format, ensuring a seamless hybrid execution every time.
These experiences are ideal for hybrid workplaces, as they prevent an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ divide between office-based employees and those that work remotely. Maintaining corporate culture and team morale will be a challenge in this post-pandemic environment, but the interactive hybrid model can bridge that gap.
Planning a client event? A hybrid experience will impress your clients no matter where they’re based. You can now deliver an incredible in-person event, whilst maximising your attendance by including the virtual crowd. You’ll be able to connect with existing clients and key prospects like never before.
INTERESTED IN BOOKING A HYBRID EXPERIENCE?
Our team will assist you with every aspect of your hybrid event, so don’t hesitate to contact us with questions on any of the steps below:
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CHOOSE A LOCATION
Host in-person attendees in your office, or at an external venue (we can even help you find a hybrid-friendly venue if you wish).
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DECIDE HOW MANY ATTENDEES
Our hybrid experiences work for groups sizes 10 to 1,000+. You won’t need to know the split between in-person & virtual until 3-weeks before the event (things change, we get it!)
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SELECT A DATE
Give yourself at least 1-month in advance to arrange all the details with us. Our minimum lead time is 2-weeks, but it’s always best to have more time, particularly if this is the first time you’ve done a hybrid experience.
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CHOOSE FROM OUR EXTENSIVE RANGE OF HYBRID EXPERIENCES
We now have over 50+ hybrid experiences available, including hybrid summer party packages which are all customisable! Can’t choose? Our team of experts will help you with the best option for your unique audience.
For all our hybrid experiences, we recommend a virtual host, as this format increases inclusivity for virtual guests and enhances the experience for all.
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NEED EXPERIENCE ADD-ONS?
From a drinks reception & canapés, to an event MC & glass hire, we can assist with all your event requirements. And with our hamper delivery programme, your virtual guests won’t be left out of the fun!
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CHOOSE YOUR TECH PACKAGE
This is where working with a hybrid specialist really comes in handy! We offer 4 different packages; DIY, Standard, Premium and Networking. We’ll advise on the best tech package based on your numbers, budget & requirements.
What to know how you can host a cocktail hybrid summer party, a summer spritz hybrid masterclass and so much more? Get in touch with our team!
Giving summer interns an incredible start to their internship is crucial and can be difficult to achieve, particularly if they are based remotely. So, we’ve hand-selected a number of our online experiences perfect for onboarding your summer interns over the summer months.
From a hilarious evening with a comedian of your choice or Charlie Hides’ famous bingo to cocktail or pizza making, we have a wide range of the best experiences that are sure to make all your summer interns feel welcome and part of the team.
We’ve organised 2,000+ virtual experiences for businesses, connecting over 120,000 colleagues in 93 countries across the world! With this in mind, we’ve got a fantastic understanding of what experiences work best for international attendees.
The following experiences we’ve picked as our best virtual experiences for international attendees.
The summer months are fast approaching and with that so is planning for office summer party experiences.
With large corporate events still not on the radar for most companies. Virtual summer party experiences are a fantastic way to make your event is safe & inclusive for all employees. You can read more about the benefits of virtual experiences HERE.
Whether you’re wanting free flowing daiquiris or to flaunt your team’s competitive side, we’ve created a series ‘Summer Party Packages’ for the ultimate virtual summer party experience.
When the events industry was first impacted by Covid-19, corporate businesses around the world were quick to pivot to virtual solutions. There was really no other option to continue engaging with employees and clients. What surprised many is that this consequently created a new way to socialise remotely: virtual experiences.
As we head into a summer of eased restrictions, people are naturally wondering; are virtual experiences here to stay? We’ve listed 6 reasons why they are:
1. Continue to connect with remote colleagues & clients
Consider how many people now work from home either part-time or indefinitely. We’ll need a way to socialise and create connections with them.
Furthermore, virtual experiences have allowed us to connect with colleagues and clients from other offices or countries like never before. Pre-pandemic, maybe you got in touch with your European or US counterparts for work-related calls, but it was rare you had the opportunity to socialise with them and build real relationships.
2. Access to experiences you’ve never tried before
Admit it! When you were office-based, entertainment was usually just ‘after-work drinks’. Your client and team events may have ventured into escape rooms or mini putt, but they were all fairly standard activities.
You now have access to experiences like drag queen bingo, casino nights and indoor garden making (just to name a few…shameless cue to explore 100+ unique experiences here). And these ‘for-the-gram’ moments are no longer limited to London, or specific regions.
Don’t get us wrong, we still love a happy hour! But there are now loads of other options to keep people entertained.
3. Generate higher attendance
We’ve found that online experiences increase attendance rates by an average of 40% vs in-person events. The reasons for this really depend on the event, but here are the leading factors:
- Without having to travel, you can effortlessly dial in to an event in seconds. And there’s no need to worry about having a ‘late one’ if you’re already at home!
- Posting event packs in advance means your guests really have to commit to attending. It’s difficult to ‘duck out’ of an event if you have all the supplies for virtual cocktail making waiting in your fridge, isn’t it? Say goodbye to your drop-off rate.
- It makes sense that some introverts are more comfortable engaging online than in person. It could be that they feel safer in their own space and more confident socialising from home. Whatever the reason, we love that virtual makes for a more inclusive experience!
With higher online attendance, 71% of event planners say they will continue to employ a digital strategy to maintain their virtual audience once they return to physical events.*
4. It’s easier to arrange
No matter how much planning goes into a physical event, it can still go very wrong. Logistics with venues, travel and accommodation make things complicated, but tech has done wonders for making events easier to arrange.
The steps to arranging a virtual Avva Experience couldn’t get much easier. Choose an experience and provide a list addresses (if posting event packs). It’s as simple as that!
5. Reduce your carbon footprint
It’s becoming increasingly important for companies to monitor their carbon footprint and the switch to virtual can help them achieve ambitious carbon targets.
From venue lighting, heating and cooling, to food waste and travel, delivering large-scale events can have a HUGE climate cost that needs to be considered. Streaming experiences can reduce total climate pollution from events by 60-98%.*
6. It’s more cost effective
27% of event planners consider ‘lower overhead costs’ as the most positive outcome of pivoting to virtual.* Without the cost of things like hiring a venue, fancy catering and over-priced entertainment, you’re bound to maximise your budget. Virtual experiences can help ensure you keep your audience engaged, while achieving ROI way more efficiently.
Get in touch with our team to learn more.
*EventMB, 2020
*Eventcellany, 2020
*EventMB, 2020
Team Socials haven’t changed, even in the virtual world. Whilst some of us are preparing to go back into the office, so will many others remain working from home for the foreseeable future. And with the of the lack of social engagement for remote teams a key workplace challenge, it’s essential to stay connected.
Virtual team socials bring your team together and prevent the ‘Us vs Them’ mentality because everyone is able to socialise and have fun together!
Keeping in contact with everyone in your team boosts morale, motivation and productivity, ensuring that your team feel close to one another even if they are miles apart.
We have put together a list of the best team social ideas for remote teams!
With Mental Health Awareness Week coming up on May 10th -16th. We wanted to highlight the key reasons why virtual experiences are great for driving wellness and awareness at your company. This is particularly important for hybrid and remote teams that often aren’t able to meet up as much in-person.
We’ve got a huge range of virtual activities, masterclasses and workshops that are ideal for improving the well-being of your staff. From fitness classes to creative workshops, that help relieve stress and improve mood.
There are so many benefits for staff well-being so we’ve listed the top 5 reasons.
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EXPERIENCES MAKE PEOPLE HAPPIER & CREATE LASTING, POSITIVE MEMORIES
The happiness spike for material items is short-lived, whereas experiences produce joy during the anticipation of the experience, the experience itself, and then from the memories created. These memories drive conversation and storytelling for years to come.
People who share positive experiences with others feel happier, claim their life is more meaningful, and report greater life satisfaction.
By booking one of our virtual experiences, such as a team social, your employees will feel happier, create memories with their colleagues and it will also help in building high team morale.
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EXPERIENCES HELP BUILD POSITIVE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Social interaction is so important for human happiness and virtual events help us build these positive social relationships.
Experiences bring us together with other people as they often lead to stories and conversations, helping us to relive the memories and bond with others.
We have many team building and team celebration experiences, that are guaranteed to help bring your team together.
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EXPERIENCES KEEP MINDS IN THE MOMENT
People are less happy when their minds are wandering.
Psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert of Harvard University, described in the journal Science:
“A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.”*
Being in the moment is far easier when you are focused on an engaging activity.
By taking part in a virtual experience such as an escape room or an online painting class, your mind is less likely to wander as you are focusing on the present which in turn will reduce anxiety and stress.
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EXPERIENCES BUILD HAPPINESS THROUGH ANTICIPATION
The anticipation of an experience is much more exciting than waiting for a product to arrive – it’s perceived to have value in itself. Looking forward to a big football match or a meal at a fancy restaurant builds people’s sense of excitement.
If your company has planned a virtual event, it will give your team something to get excited about and increase their overall wellbeing.
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SHARING EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS INTENSIFIES THEM
Shared experiences are more intense than unshared. In a study where people were provided with chocolate, participants liked the chocolate significantly more when they believed they were sharing the chocolate experience with another person.
Sharing a virtual experience with your colleagues brings you closer together as a team, helping you perform better at work.
Bibliography
* A wandering mind is an unhappy mind, Killingsworth & Gilbert
The Telegraph, The psychological benefits of shared experiences (2018)
The Atlantic, Buy experiences not things (2014)
Psychological Science, The power of two: why sharing is better (2014)
Why You Should Buy Experiences and Time, Not Things, Andrew Merle (Medium)
BigThink, Want happiness buy experiences not things?
Huffington Post, Millennials Only Want Experiences That Can Be Shared on Social Media
A wonderful life: experiential consumption and the pursuit of happiness Thomas Gilovich, Amit Kumar, Lily Jampol
We’ll Always Have Paris: The Hedonic Payoff from Experiential and Material Investments (2014)
Waiting for Merlot: Anticipatory Consumption of Experiential and Material Purchases
Planning online events has become part of our new virtual world. When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit, the events industry accordingly adapted at an accelerated pace leading to the meteoric rise of virtual experiences. For any forward-thinking business, they’re now a key part of any events strategy to engage and entertain employees and clients.
The pandemic will (hopefully) be over soon, but online events are here to stay.
Over the past 10 months we’ve organised nearly 1,500 virtual experiences for businesses. So here are our top 7 learnings so far for planning online events:
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 experiences are “so what are your event objectives?” and “who is attending?”
Some experiences, like an ‘exclusive online English sparkling wine tasting’, are better suited to an intimate 10-person client event, whilst others such as a ‘brilliant online interactive magic show’ are ideal for a 500+ person global 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 online event.
We organise our experiences into event type categories (team social, client entertaining, staff wellbeing etc.) so we can point you in the right direction.
2. MULTI EXPERIENCE EVENTS = HIGHER ATTENDANCE RATES
If you’re arranging an event for a larger group (50+), know that you can maximise 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 Multi Experience Events improve attendance by 23% on average.
3. LEAD TIMES ARE STILL IMPORTANT
Many people think that because these experiences are hosted online, therefore they take less time to arrange 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 customised experiences (think of pack deliveries to hundreds of attendees across 5 countries) can take multiple weeks to arrange.
Just like in-person events, the more time you have to prepare and nail down the details the better.
4. DUE YOUR DUE DILIGENCE WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
Over 25% of our events include international attendees and it’s never been easier to share experiences with people globally.
But international shipping (particularly when it comes to alcohol and different governments) is complex. As you might expect, delivery to certain EU countries has also now become a challenge in a post-Brexit world.
Whilst even the most experienced suppliers can experience delivery delays, when it comes to these events, we highly recommend picking one with international delivery expertise. Through us, our experience suppliers have delivered event packs to well over 100 countries!
The key question to ask is “have you delivered to this country successfully before?”.
5. HAVE TECH SUPPORT ON-HAND
You want to avoid those awkward technical difficulties, especially when it comes to impressing your important clients. 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.
Learn more about our Event Management Services.
6. CUSTOMISE THE FORMAT OF YOUR EVENT (IF YOU NEED TO)
Want to do a 10-minute presentation at the start of your online chocolate tasting with clients? Or, perhaps you’re looking to do an awards ceremony alongside your virtual wine tasting?
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
Whilst most 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? Find out how Avva Experience can help your company plan incredible online events.
Are you and your company wanting to celebrate and launch a new product?
Promoting a new product and engaging with clientele has always been a fab excuse for a launch party and even if you can’t get the crowds you wanted during a time of social distancing and venues’ limited capacities, we’ve got some fun, engaging virtual experiences to show off your new product!
Virtual experiences in the corporate world are gaining popularity and momentum and with these great hosts and events you can make a virtual launch party tailored to your product and brand.
Together with an event host, you can deliver champagne gift boxes to your clienteles’ doors, create your very own cocktail to match your company or event have a virtual product painting
