Virtual office parties - actually not as bad as they sound!

As we enter party season, this year comes with the caveat that while everyone is still keen to celebrate the festivities, we will mostly be doing so in a "socially responsible" way. For many this will mean a virtual affair, with bars replaced with the home office and the embarrassing moments replaced with your partner or kids photobombing your Zoom call.

So what can be done to make the most of the isolated celebrations and to see off the working year in style? Here are a few considerations that may help avoid those long awkward silences and keep things going even when Dave's punchline falls flat for the sixth time.

Scheduling 

Now it might seem like the antithesis of fun, but when it comes to coordinating a dozen-plus individual video feeds it's a necessity. Organised fun is going to make sure the core of the group are following the script and remove the trap of endless chit-chatting where it's easy for the same people to dominate the session.

Activities 

Whether it's team-bonding, introducing a bit of competition or making sure the quieter members of the office feel like part of the fun, an activity can help to loosen everyone up - especially as small talk might be even more difficult with colleagues you've not seen for 9 months! There are plenty of options, here are some I found better than expected;

• Stand-up comedy

  • Nowhere near as horrendous as I had thought and while the punchlines don't land as well for "normal" jokes, the audience interaction really made up for it. Just make sure you've not got anything in your video that's an easy target - everyone is sat in the front row when it's virtual!

  • Try https://nicenspiky.com/ for a bespoke comedy night tailored for your company

• Escape rooms

  • Like playing a first-person video game, but with a pen and paper to remember the clues! This was a really great effort and something that is perfect for collaboration and competition, as long as you don't get stuck on the wrong team..

  • Try https://www.agentnovember.co.uk for a range of mysteries

• Quizzes

  • I know there is a real chance people may have reached the saturation point for online quizzes this year, but there's always a company-related round or two that can be put together to remind everyone why you're here.

  • Try https://kahoot.com and make your own that will avoid those slide show fails and sharing your private emails instead of the next question. We can all do without the scandal!

Drinks 

While there's no card behind the bar this year, it is still possible to get the first round [or two] in for the whole team. A number of companies have popped up offering pre-mixed and packaged cocktail boxes delivered straight to your home and all at prices to keep the finance team happy! Try https://niococktails.co.uk for a tasty range of drinks that all pack a punch and will ensure everyone is ready for a chat! They also carry non-alcoholic alternatives that make a fine alternative to another can of diet coke.

Ambience 

Ok, so it's going to be hard to replicate the hubbub of a city bar around Christmas, but that doesn't mean we can't try. After the scheduled activities, it's that socialising and chit-chat time and while having the resident office-DJ play a live set, this might not be conducive to conversation. A background track though can fill the quieter moments while not getting in the way of you putting the world to rights at midnight! Try "share system audio" on Teams for a soundtrack that doesn't get invasive or distort anyone's microphone, just make sure the person in charge has a stable internet connection and is capable of finding a Spotify playlist that is suitable for the whole group... Your Icelandic death-metal is not appreciated by the rest of the office, John.

We've made it through so much already, and with a little planning the virtual office party can be something people are looking forward to, rather than avoiding.