5 Virtual Event Ideas for Employee Engagement

Online events are not a nowadays novelty for any of us. However, new circumstances, such as the pandemic, have an additional impact on virtual events' popularity, so many companies are just beginning to implement this format. And they come to the conclusion that virtual events are not just a necessity. They also bring new perspectives and have special advantages! In this article, we will talk about everything related to virtual events. 

What is a virtual event?

A specialty of such events is that they take place online. As you correctly understand, its participants join it, virtually using video programs instead of physically attending an event. Some events are entirely virtual, and some are a combination of virtual and physical components, hence the name "hybrid events". Online events can be different - webinars, conferences, courses, concerts, summits, question sessions, tours of museums, galleries, etc.

We’ve covered many topics surrounding virtual events. Check out our virtual event overview page to learn more. 

Which idea will you choose?

So without further ado, here is our list of 5 activities for a virtual company party. Whatever you choose, do not forget to divide your sessions and allow guests to relax.

Idea No. 1 - Award ceremony

You do not need to avoid any opportunities and circumstances when it comes to holding a virtual party of the company. But the online award ceremony should be as festive as it is offline.

Start with a list of categories and the creation of an online survey. Then prepare awards and ask all company members (or relevant departments) to vote for each category’s winner. As soon as the results are revealed, congratulate the winner using one of the online platforms for video meetings.

After the winners all got their awards in online mode, don't forget to promise and send them your prize. This is a great chance to break away from tradition and involve all your staff in the decision-making process about the winner. The final prizewinner will feel appreciated by both their colleagues and supervisors,” – shares the CEO of Adsy platform, where you can get backlinks for your website.

Here are some categories for your award ceremony (don’t forget that they can be also fun) 

• Employee of the Year
• The most advanced
• The best growth accelerator
• The best server for clients
• Higher and further
• Soothing presence

Idea No. 2 - Talent Show

Nowadays, we realize that real talents don’t need a stage to express themselves and demonstrate their skills to the world. What is good about the company's virtual party is that there shouldn’t be any stage at all. Instead, your team gets a chance to show any homegrown talents they have accumulated since the start of the lockdown, for example.

Whether it's something hilarious, everyone on your team has a chance to share their talent if they want to. Organization of a talent show through the camera in a confined space may seem like a failure, but it can lead to some fun and truly creative performances.

It's easy:

• Just ask who is ready to show off their talent and list all the names.
• Continue the list; everyone demonstrates what they have.
• At the end of each presentation, you can record its evaluation results by the audience (team), for example, from 1 to 10. You can also ask employees to evaluate various aspects of the presentation and then choose the best in this category.

Tip for Pro: Of course, the call to present "talent" to a group of colleagues will not be an easy task for everyone. Don't force anyone to participate if they don't want to. It's also a good idea to wait and just give yourself a chat at the beginning of this type of virtual party until everyone has the right amount of courage after their 4th martini.

Idea No. 3 - Collective Sculpting & Modeling 

No, this is not a new bohemian name for team building. Collective modeling is literal modeling, the use of clay, tools for modeling, brushes, etc.

This is a virtual event for fun and the development of higher employee engagement. Before the video meeting, each team should receive a set of ceramics from their post departments. So be prepared to collect all necessary information for that and send it all in time. Then, during your virtual party, a professional sculptor may join your video call and guide your team through the steps of creating beautiful clay trinkets, for example.

The lesson can last from about 1 to 1.5 hours, and there should be enough remnants of clay and paint to inspire all your team to create. You can also inspire a little friendly competition, rich in garbage, forcing your team to vote for your favorite clay creations.

Idea No. 4 - Escape Room

If, after the year 2020 experience, you still have enough patience and curiosity about what will happen when you need to be locked indoors, then you can choose a deeper level and lock yourself and your team in the virtual room!

As a quiz, the escape room is exciting and contributes to some stellar teamwork, all in the name of genuine competition. In terms of virtual team building, it would be the best choice.

As many escape rooms become digital thanks to COVID, there is no shortage of options for the company's virtual party.

Here are a few we found:

• Hogwarts Digital Escape Room (Free!) - This free escape room is hosted entirely on Google Forms. It testifies to your exploits as a new first-year student at Harry Potter school and your attempts to move forward through the "new Muggle trend" of a room that is not magical.
• Minecraft Escape Room (Free!) - Another free escape room based on the classic part of children's culture - this time, the Minecraft sandbox is open. Participants are working together to solve Minecraft tips that are surprisingly suitable for both children and adults.
• Sailing games ($15 per person) - 6 games with some unique concepts and hidden Easter eggs. It is possible to arrange parties for 1 to 12 people.

Tip for Pro - Divide the employees into small teams, make the same escape room, and offer prizes to the fastest team to come out.

Idea No. 5 - Family Feud & other Trivia Games

Classic game shows will always find a place in our hearts. They were friends who stayed with us during the lockdown and now they are there for us during the virtual party when we need to make our employee engagement even higher.

The Family Feud is one of the easiest and interesting, so naturally, you should take the chance to play by yourself and your team. If you are ready for virtual adventures, then there are many places on the Internet with Family Feud questions and answers that you can use for free:

Endless Games Official Family Hostility Game  (360 questions)

Hobbylark (100 questions)

Live transcription from the show (too many questions to count!)

To take part in this, divide your group members into two teams while you act as the host. You can follow the official rules of the game at the moment, or you can just call one player from each team to try to guess the most popular answer to a question.

Use all benefits of virtual events

Without a doubt, online events organization has many advantages. Including security for all your colleges and yourself, easy access from anywhere in the world, and many more. Online events develop creativity, help employees get closer, and grow all the qualities of a good team. It is important to share interesting ideas for their implementation. If you have a great idea for the virtual event and also promote your company at the same time, you can use services, where the best copywriters will describe your idea and bring it to the world. All you have to answer how to make your employee engagement higher is to use all the privileges of virtual events for your advantage!