6 Tips for Increasing Engagement at Virtual Parties
While 2020 hasn’t exactly gone the way any of us expected, it has certainly been a great reminder of the resilience and creativity that vendors in this industry possess. It would’ve been easy to panic when the shift to primarily virtual events took place, but we instead focused on collaboration with everyone in the industry to stay connected with each other and keep the celebration going. We’ve come up with some innovative ideas to help all of us celebrate, to bring joy into our lives, and to stay in business while live gatherings are a risk, and we’re coming up with more ideas all the time!
Chef Demos
Chef Shelbie Wasser, Shallots Personal Chef Service
Virtual gatherings have presented countless new party opportunities. For example, you can now cook with your guests with guidance from a professional chef! Send your guests a shopping list, a few of the harder to find ingredients, and recipe cards so that you and your guests can have a great time sharing laughs and tips as you cook in unison.
Cocktail Demos
Photo courtesy of Calsin Hoyle, Molecular Food & Cocktails.
This idea is similar to the chef demos, and will surely have your guests ready to keep the party going! Bonus points to hosts who send out cocktail kits to guests in advance to make the activity easy and seamless.
Gaming
Nothing gets a party going like a heated game of trivia, and a virtual party is the perfect time to participate in a classic game show like Jeopardy or Family Feud as well. Personalized bingo cards make for a lot of fun, too. Be sure to include facts about the guest of honor along with squares featuring online bloopers such as ‘you’re muted’ or ‘per seen on screen’. Another great activity is a game of Scavenger Hunt. Ask your guests to locate things that can be found in their home and to then report back with them to share. This will not only get folks up and moving around, but it offers an engaging diversion to simply staring at the screen the entire party. If you want to increase the stakes, hire a professional game host or turn it up a notch further as a few of our vendors are now even offering events a virtual casino experience.
Party Kits
Sending each of your guests a party kit is a great way to bring people together at virtual parties by providing physical items that guests can enjoy together. You could fill each party kit with snacks or goodies, games like bingo that are personalized for the party, or any items that guests can appreciate together and keep as a souvenir to remind them of the fun they had at your event. You can also fill the box with interactive games and activities. It could be a challenge to create something out of a given set of materials and make it into an accessory to be worn at the virtual gathering. Be sure to label the outer shipping carton “Do not open until event date” for an added element of excitement.
Virtual Escape Room
A modern spin on a classic party idea. Imagine someone is locked in a room and the online attendees are there to work together with clues that are either online or provided in advance. Enjoy banter and camaraderie as you work together to solve the puzzle and get the person out of the room.
Enjoy a Lovely Meal or Beverage
If you decide against using a chef demo, there are still many ways to make sure your guests are well fed at your virtual event! Here are a few ideas we’ve had success with:
Virtual wine tastings – Send your guests bottles in advance and have a sommelier demonstrate.
Coffee/tea dates – It may have been a while since you’ve had an in-person coffee date, but they work very well virtually too! Send your guests a thoughtful mug, beverage and/or snack in advance to enjoy throughout the gathering.
Send guests meals – Many hosts are deciding to provide meals to their virtual guests. If your event is local, engage the services of a local caterer to arrange for meals to be picked up by your attendees or distributed by your team. If your event is national or even international, we recommend opting for chains so that none of your guests will be left out, regardless of their location. If you are on a tight budget, you can always send your guests coupons instead!
We Can Help Plan Your Virtual Parties!
Innovative Party Planners is your resource for event design and planning in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Virginia. To learn more about our event planning services and how we can help make your event one of a kind, contact us by calling (410) 998-9999.