For many businesses and associations, one of the key events of the year is the Staff End Of Year Celebration (sometimes know as the Christmas party). Staff engagement is super important in a time where teams are having less face to face time and are working remotely. To bring teams together, Workshop Events has recently created “WE GATHER”, an online internal event product.
Key features are that the virtual event is fun, engaging and rewarding… affordable and scalable are practicalities that will appeal to management and the ability to tailor the events with a Christmas theme make it a fantastic option for those unable to hold an end of year event in the usual format.
The pandemic has seen an explosion of user generated content. Most people are now comfortable speaking and communicating on video (eg zoom) and equally, we’re now familiar with a level of production that is less polished and more authentic. We all know what slick, highly edited, studio shot videos can cost and that’s not realistic or necessary for internal staff engagement so we’re taking a more casual, fun approach to create a tailored video product that will involve your team, boost morale and provide some welcome entertainment.
Themes for the online “WE GATHER” event are
“AWARDS & REWARDS” - Gather the team and acknowledge those that have made an outstanding contribution in a work context and/or invent a series of creatively titled ‘fun’ awards to entertain.
“2020 HOME GAMES” - Set a series of Olympic inspired tasks for staff to challenge themselves (in the office or at home). Who can set the best pace for peeling 10 carrots for Santa’s reindeer? Christmas bauble shot put… how far can you throw?
“HEY HEY WE’VE GOT TALENT” - Serious or not, many of your team will have unknown talents… this is an opportunity to reveal them and entertain their colleagues. Prizes would be an incentive for individuals or teams to sing their hearts out, create some new office choreography or to teach their pooch a new trick.
For more information on the WE GATHER product which starts at $4995 + gst, CLICK HERE.
SO WHAT ARE THE OTHER 9 WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE END OF 2020?
Workshop Events is your creative event partner. Always thinking outside the square when it comes to traditional, live events, Workshop Events can hone that same creativity to surprise your staff, show them they are appreciated and to bring the team together even when they might not be together physically.
Consider these ideas for your team:
1) COCKTAIL COLLABORATION - send staff or give them a take home cocktail kit with a recipe booklet. Host a live cocktail making zoom session for staff with a celebrity guest/restauranteur offering tips on how to get the perfect mix. Then open up to the audience and invite staff to incorporate one key surprise ingredient into the mix… a dash of Vegemite, a sprinkle of cinnamon then watch their faces onscreen as they sample their concoctions. Mocktails could also be considered as an alternative to alcoholic beverages. Add a DJ and a dress up theme for some post mixing fun.
2) COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS COOKIE KIT - a gift for staff and their community. Gift each employee a baking kit with ready to go dough for cookies. The kit also comes with small boxes and gift tags so the staff can share the love with family, friends and neighbours. Encourage staff to share their creations online and award prizes for the tastiest looking treats.
3) ONLINE SONG WRITING SESSION - fun costumes are sent/given to attendees prior to the online event, like a themed party. Professional musicians engage the audience and involve them in the creation of a tailored theme song with custom lyrics. The song is then performed by the musicians before a DJ continues the online party. The song could also be performed live by a band at the 2021 end of year party!
4) PUZZLE GIFT - Our talented caricaturist can design and illustration featuring staff members and features of any business (logo, office building, products etc). The illustration would be made into a puzzle to be gifted to all staff. An online puzzling event, complete with background music and MC, could be held with team members at home working on the puzzle against the clock with a prize awarded to the first to complete the puzzle.
5) CHRISTMAS FEAST - gift each staff member a credit with a caterer to order from a special Christmas feast list eg. ham, pork leg, pudding, etc. Work with the caterer to create some interesting special items. Delivered to office or direct to homes. Could include some party items to decorate too... custom bunting, paper crowns etc.
6) BON BONS - a take home gift for valued employees, lucky bon bons would be produced with high end gifts inside. They could be tiered in value according to length of service/seniority etc.
7) CELEBRITY SINGER ZOOM PARTY - a surprise guest would appear on a team zoom. The guest would be high profile to impress the audience. They’d perform a couple of studio songs, perhaps one with custom lyrics and then a duet with a business manager or talented employee or two. For those keen on dancing a series of choreographic moves could be distributed prior for employees to learn so they can pump up the home dancefloor. A DJ would keep the party pumping.
8) GREEN SCREEN PHOTO SHOOT - Staff have their photo taken in front of a green screen in the office over a week leading up to Christmas. A series of fun Christmas/new year theme sets are added to the images digitally and the photos are distributed to staff to use on their socials to wish family and friends all the best for the festive season.
9) ONLINE CAR RACE COMPETITION - or other gaming type event (old school Pacman, chess etc) with heats and a final. Live footage of people playing could be streamed with ‘supporters’ cheering them on. Held over a series of dates the finale and award presentation would be live for everyone to view.
By Alexandra Cowie, Senior Event Producer, Workshop Events (Corporate Event Management Sydney)
Workshop Events can assist with your event design, management and production, whether it’s LIVE OR ONLINE - www.workshopevents.com.au