
The alternative Christmas party
It’s that time of year again and I’m sure in a normal year, you would have started to give thought to plans for the office Christmas party. However, 2020 hasn’t exactly gone to plan and with more uncertainty ahead it’s difficult to know where to even begin. I think we can safely say that the traditional office Christmas party won’t be an option this year, something that I am sure many aren’t too upset over, so we’ll need to be creative to host something memorable and fun to wrap up a pretty tough year for most.
The obvious option, if you feel your team isn’t completely Zoomed out, is some kind of virtual event. If you’ve had regular Zoom catch-ups you’ll want to make it a little bit special and maybe include others in the home. The key will be to get people active and engaged, rather than just another static Zoom call. You could have a virtual cook along, with ingredients sent to the door https://www.pizzainthepost.co.uk/ Or how about a hosted cheese and wine tasting evening? https://www.lovecheese.co.uk/cheese-tasting-events/corporate-cheese-tasting-events/. If you’re looking for an activity that’s a little different from a quiz how about a scavenger hunt? There are a few apps out there that do the work for you, such as this one https://www.goosechase.com/. Or how about setting some kind of virtual challenge…make a gingerbread house or create the ugliest Christmas jumper with materials from the home…any idea that you think would break the ice and create a fun online environment for everyone to share a few drinks.
If your team is working in the office you could arrange an office celebration over lunch. Organised catered food, a few drinks and some fun games to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. As you are all together there is always the option of Secret Santa. I once heard of a version where people brought gifts without a recipient in mind, the gifts are all placed on a table and names are drawn as to who gets to choose a gift first. The ruthless part is that subsequent people can choose to select either a gift from the table or one that has already been chosen, making the original owner pick again!
If you feel your team wouldn’t embrace the virtual party idea, you could send them a hamper for their own private Christmas celebrations. If possible, choose gifts that are personal to the individual so that they know that they have been selected with them in mind. Borough Box has some great options to satisfy every taste…https://www.boroughbox.com/christmas
There is one last option…postpone your Christmas celebrations and plan the most amazing party for summer 2021…when fingers crossed life will be returning to some form of normality!
Excited now? Why not take a look at my website to see how I can help plan and organising your event.