Being event planners during a pandemic that requires people to work from home, the Compass Legal Marketing team has become experts on virtual events. Many of our clients are exploring the idea of hosting a virtual holiday party for their lawyers and staff this year so we wanted to provide some tips and tricks we’ve learned over the past several months.
Use Zoom features to optimize your event
Use the “registration required” feature to track attendees. You can also download registration reports in Zoom and contact all of your attendees at once through this feature. We also use the waiting room feature in order to set up a few minutes early and so that all guests “arrive” at the same time. Customizing the waiting room with your company’s logo is always a nice touch.
Make it interactive
You want your guests to leave your virtual event having had a social connection. Whether you do a Secret Santa exchange or use the polling function for office trivia, make sure you do something that will engage each person. HubSpot recently shared a list of virtual experiences that can add some excitement to your event including:
- Airbnb Experiences
- Patchwork Adventures
- Travel to Paris and tour the Musée d’Orsay or pop over to London and tour The British Museum
- Goat 2 Meeting: Virtual Farm Tours & Animal Cameos in Zoom Meetings
Create opportunity for personal interaction
Use the breakout room function to have small groups of 8 people for a more personal networking feel. Set aside at least 10 minutes for people to talk and catch up among a smaller group.
Encourage people to dress nicely
While we’ve heard all the jokes about Zoom outfits, for your holiday party, encourage participants to dress up. It will give your attendees a reason to feel excited about the event versus just clicking the Zoom link the moment it starts. Getting ready for the party will help switch modes from working to socializing.
Send a physical gift.
In our opinion, this is our best tip. Receiving something physical that can then be a shared experience during the virtual event instantly connects your attendees. We’ve sent everything from a liquor tasting set to gourmet cookies. Gifts are always a big hit among our guests. And as a bonus, it encourages people to register when they know they’ll be receiving a little something!
If you need help planning your virtual event, contact Compass Legal Marketing today!
