The holiday season is quickly approaching, and accompanying the snow and chilly weather are warm feelings of togetherness, giving, and holiday cheer. Although a global pandemic has jarred our world and our industry, Wizard Studios refuses to let that stop our desire to give back and celebrate our employees, staff, and community. If you’re hoping to do the same this winter, read on and see how and why a virtual or hybrid holiday celebration should be on your company’s calendar this year. 

• Give Thanks to Your Community

You likely don’t need to work very hard to think of all of the times the individuals in your organization stepped up in a big way this year. It took some serious strength and resilience from every tier of your business to move forward during such a chaotic stretch. Some of us were able to pivot and remain afloat, while others were hit harder than they ever imagined. If you’re lucky to be in business as you’re reading this blog, you have every single employee to be thankful for. Show your gratitude by throwing a holiday party on a budget of any size, virtually or safely in-person, and give your team a little hope and cheer at a time when we all need it more than ever.

• Celebrate Your Organization’s Diversity 

A wonderful element of the holiday season is that it's filled with a diverse list of holidays, and there’s no better way to empower and celebrate the people on your staff, especially as so many are working from home, than to ask them to share how they celebrate the holidays in their households.

Host a virtual holiday happy hour and, if they feel comfortable, ask your team members to share about a holiday that is unique to their culture and life, and be sure to invite their family members to join. It’s a simple and unobtrusive way to celebrate what joy looks like in every team member’s home, and serves as a great reminder to all that, however stressful this time may be, we have many things (and people) to be grateful for. 

Or, if you’re interested in celebrating your team in a more engaging way, consider allowing our team to add our event production expertise: We can provide technical assistance in hosting a live-streamed DJ to get the party going, utilizing your team’s suggestions on their favorite holiday classics, and mixing in some pre-recorded content from members from every tier of your organization. In addition, a virtual event can be turned hybrid by allowing our team to safely provide audio, video, and camera technicians to manage any parts of the event that you’d like to live-stream throughout the night! 

• Virtual & Hybrid Dinners, Classes, Gifts, and More

Our calendar is chock-full of ways to bring your team together in fun, silly, and thoughtful ways, and although in-person gatherings have their limitations, there is truly nothing you can’t do when stirring up fun in a virtual or hybrid world! 

November: Host a virtual thanksgiving feast! Collaborate with your team on a menu that everyone will love, offer employees the ability to share their favorite recipes or a homemade or family-tried cooking tutorial, and even send some special ingredients or treats to each team members’ door on the day of the dinner.

Or, if you’re hungry for a more hybrid approach, consider a live-streamed thanksgiving cooking tutorial from local chefs or, if you’re feeling bold, leaders of your organization. Throw in some edited pre-recorded video content from members of your team talking about their favorite recipes, allow them to chime in and comment throughout the virtual cooking tutorial, and end the night with some Thanksgiving trivia with an updated scoreboard that can be accessed and celebrated on your company’s social media channels. 

December: Our most delicious concoction is inviting your team to participate in a virtual Gingerbread House Making content or a virtual Cookie Decorating Event! In alignment with your company’s focus on celebrating diversity, this could allow your team to share their favorite family recipes for what treats are enjoyed during their favorite holidays.

In addition, the classic “Secret Santa” or “White Elephant” gift exchange can certainly still happen and easily be made into a virtual celebration. Set a price limit and then schedule an “un-boxing” event, allowing each team member to share what they received. Add some fun and see if they can guess who their “secret Santa” is. 

Take this idea to the next level and create a hybrid event, allowing our team to provide a Project Manager to aid in the technical support and give your event the feelings of a captivating night out! Allow us to utilize video switching and add custom graphic packages with lower thirds to create a virtual experience that makes your team feel like you’re treating them to a night on the town! We can mix in pre-recorded performances of your team’s favorite holiday songs, and also allow a virtual cocktail hour, dinner tutorial, and cooking decorating event all rolled into one! Linked with some fun customizable social media hashtags and contests, we can display the results in real-time and really make the night showcase the community and contributions of your entire team. 

Regardless of how your team celebrates the holidays this year, the important part is making sure everyone on your team feels like an important and celebrated member of your organization. Get in the holiday spirit and encourage it throughout your organization, from top to bottom. If you’d like to give your company a much-needed burst of holiday cheer, but aren’t sure how to turn your seasonal celebration into the virtual or hybrid event of a lifetime, contact the virtual and live-streaming event experts at Wizard Studios today!