{"id":14380,"date":"2020-11-10T19:06:19","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T00:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postable.com\/blog\/?p=14380"},"modified":"2020-11-17T11:55:38","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T16:55:38","slug":"virtual-company-holiday-party-guide-for-a-festive-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.postable.com\/blog\/virtual-company-holiday-party-guide-for-a-festive-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Company Holiday Party Guide for a Festive 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Running a company in the midst of 2020 turbulence cannot be easy. Celebrating the 2020 holiday season, however, can be quite doable (albeit an exit from the norm) with a virtual company holiday party! So, maybe the idea of planning a virtual company holiday party is making you a little nervous. We get it — it\u2019s totally new terrain for many company owners and managers. Luckily, planning and executing a successful virtual company holiday party is a lot like any other holiday event. It just requires a bit of brainstorming, organization and planning — the guide to which is right at your fingertips. We\u2019re here to help make sure your employees and team members are talking about the insanely fun virtual holiday event their management pulled off during an unprecedented holiday season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yes, we\u2019re all exhausted from online calls and meetings. But there\u2019s still a way to make use of the digital platforms we\u2019ve become quite familiar with these last few months due to the COVID social distancing measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table of contents for planning an epic virtual company holiday party in 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nSTEPS<\/a>
\nTIPS<\/a>
\nTHEME IDEAS<\/a>
\nGAME & ACTIVITY IDEAS<\/a>
\nFAQS<\/a>
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Steps to organizing your virtual company holiday party.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  1. Prepare the guest list with mailing addresses.<\/li>
  2. Decide on a theme.<\/li>
  3. Send real invitations to your guests.<\/li>
  4. Prepare the itinerary with the virtual games and activities.<\/li>
  5. Choose your video conference application & test them out. <\/li>
  6. Mail out party goodie bags with party essentials.<\/li>
  7. Send a reminder to guests the day before.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Really nice Business Holiday cards, mailed for you. Show your employee appreciation without leaving home.<\/p>\n

    Check out the Holiday cards!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Step 1: Prepare the guest list with mailing addresses.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Unlike years\u2019 past where company holiday parties took place in person, your entire itinerary is going to revolve around the items you include in your goodie bag. This means making sure the addresses you have for your employees and team members are accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Given that most companies have updated addresses for their employees already this shouldn\u2019t be an issue, however, we\u2019re living in some odd times so make sure that your team members aren\u2019t currently residing elsewhere. The last thing you want is for your invitations and goodie bags to arrive at the wrong address. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This step will also help with planning once you know exactly how many people will be attending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    See the Business Holiday Cards!<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Step 2: Decide on a theme.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Deciding on a theme for a virtual company holiday party is really important as this will set the tone for everything on the itinerary as well as the tone of the party. Whereas before you could just rent a private room at a restaurant, order some snacks and booze and call it a night — you\u2019re going to have to get a lot more creative to make a virtual party as exciting as if everyone were in the same room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, what will you choose? We have a number of suggestions with itinerary options as well as goodie bag contents below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Step 3: Send real invitations to your guests.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    You want your company holiday party to feel like it\u2019s more than just another Zoom meeting, right? Then level up by mailing out real holiday party invitations<\/a> to get your employees and team members excited about actually joining in on the virtual fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take whatever theme you\u2019ve chosen and keep it in mind when selecting the design of your party invitations. Obviously, these shouldn\u2019t have a physical address and instead a simple note guiding your guests to their email where a link will be sent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pro tip:<\/strong> Postable will print, address and mail your company holiday party invites for you. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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    More Holiday Invites!<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Step 4: Prepare the itinerary with the virtual games and activities.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Keeping your chosen theme in mind, map out the itinerary for the party. Though this wouldn\u2019t be quite as necessary for an in-person holiday party unless you plan ahead with fun activities your virtual company holiday party will turn into an aimless Zoom meeting. Nobody wants that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keep reading for lots of fun options to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Step 5. Choose your video conference application & test them out.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    By now your company and team is probably very well versed in online group meeting applications. Theoretically this step should already be whatever you normally choose, however if your normal platform of choice is not ideal for hosting whatever activities you\u2019re planning on having consider testing out other options. Zoom tends to be a great choice for most as it\u2019s flexible and functions well with most online activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve made your choice, give it a test run. If you\u2019re planning on hosting a holiday movie trivia game make sure the application will run smoothly during the game. If you\u2019ve got a bigger team and would like to give them options on fun activities to choose from you\u2019ll need a platform that allows for breakout rooms. Whatever you choose, just make sure the application will work properly with your plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Step 6: Mail out your holiday party goodie bags.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ve already mentioned that this year\u2019s holiday goodie bags will be an important part of the event. Whatever you choose as your theme and activities will inevitably be dependent on the contents of the goodie bag you will need to mail out. For example, if you\u2019re planning on a cookie decorating extravaganza, you\u2019ll need to include the cookies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Regardless of what you choose as your theme and activities, you\u2019ll want to include some form of booze (it is a party, right?), appropriate decorations for your theme and perhaps a little something they can use during the party and hold onto for after (like a champagne flute for example). This doesn\u2019t have to be a huge effort, but should definitely have a few little items to get your team members in the holiday spirit and ready to enjoy the virtual party. Read on for various suggestions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    *Check your state\u2019s laws for shipping alcohol. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Step 7: Send a reminder to guests the day before.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Even though you\u2019ve mailed out real holiday party invitations — which will definitely help set the tone for your online event — you\u2019ll still want to send out a brief reminder the day before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alternative step: hire a planner.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Alternatively, you can skip all the aforementioned steps and just hire a professional event planning company to take the reins on planning your online company holiday party. This can be especially helpful if your guest list is over 50 people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Customize this card now!<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Tips for throwing a virtual company holiday party.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Ok, so we\u2019ve outlined the steps necessary to plan your online company holiday party, but here are a few tips to keep in mind before we dive into some fun examples you can actually use. This is the ultimate guide after all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n