Simple Ideas for Corporate Online Events to Achieve High Engagement

Due to the circumstances, many people work remotely which is causing them to miss the key elements that tie a company or organization together. However, thanks to the advances in technology, many firms rely on virtual events to get together with their colleagues and continue to collaborate for the good of the firm.

Generally speaking, a virtual event is simply an event that is hosted online. It can be anything from a conference you may have with your team members to a fun festive gathering with your colleagues to celebrate your company’s anniversary.

The best thing about these occasions is that they can save your company a lot of money and time for setting up as opposed to the actual in-person events.

So, to make the most out of working remotely, here are some amusing corporate online events you can implement within your company to achieve high engagement between your colleagues.

1. Virtual festive gathering

If you want to indulge in a happy hour with your colleagues, then hosting a virtual wine tasting event is the perfect way to go about it. As the team over at SnackNation once said, “Location matters not when it comes to the immersive sensory experience that is drinking wine.” 

Therefore, to get in full wine-tasting mode, you can ask all of your colleagues to get dressed up for the occasion and get ready to have a good time.

If you want to go all out, you can choose a few wines along with some treats such as cheese and have them delivered to everyone at home in the form of a celebration package to keep things classy as much as possible. 

2. Team building event

If you want to offer fun, but also provide your team members with the opportunity to improve their collaboration and communication skills, then organizing a virtual team building event is an excellent option.

For example, online office games are a very popular choice. You can go for anything from hosting an office trivia event where you will come up with specific questions related to your work or your colleagues to playing virtual Pictionary.

Depending on what kind of game you choose, try not to go over an hour and a half because there is a slight possibility that your colleagues may lose interest.

3. Online workout session

If you are working remotely, you are probably sitting down and staring at the computer most of the time. This simply means that you and your team members are lacking much-needed physical exercise to stay healthy.

Therefore, if you are looking for an effective way to achieve high engagement and keep your colleagues moving as much as possible, then organizing an online workout session is an excellent choice.

For example, you can arrange this event at least once a week where you can ask each colleague to be the trainer and come up with several exercises to keep everyone active. 

4. Online debate

If you are looking for a more engaging virtual event activity, then online debates are among the most favorites.

Whether you want to discuss something with your colleagues that is work-related or debate something completely different, you can choose whatever you believe will be most interesting and appealing for your colleagues.

For example, once you pick your topic of discussion, you can divide everyone into two teams and let members of each team express their ideas. Appoint one lucky member to serve as judge and keep score. 

5. Fun get-together

If you want to avoid all kinds of formal online events, then you can always opt for a fun get-together with your colleagues to have a good time laughing and talking with each other.

Whether it is going to be a virtual dinner or a casino night, it would be nice if you meet up with your team members at least once a month to just relax and forget about work for a moment.

For example, if you choose virtual dinner night, then you can come up with a theme and even dress up for it and have lots of fun.

Important things to remember when throwing a virtual event

1. Pick an engaging topic or activity

The most important step when setting up your virtual event is to pick an engaging topic or an activity that will be appealing to your colleagues. Not only do you want them to be fully interested in the event, but you should also strive for something that will broaden their current knowledge.

For example, if you are throwing a virtual wine tasting party, then you should make it more fun by delivering a winery to your colleagues at home that suits your preferences and budget and indulge in a classy and relaxing wine tasting experience.  

2. Pick a date and time

Before you actually host your event, you will need to pick the time and date when it will take place. In most cases, this depends on the type of virtual event you are planning to set up.

If it is a team-building event, then you should schedule it during working hours when everyone is going to be present. Just make sure you avoid arranging it first thing Monday morning since your colleagues are probably going to need some time to settle in.

If you are hosting a more relaxing virtual event, then make sure you double-check with everyone first to decide on it together.

3. Choose your platform wisely

The most widely used conferencing tool is Zoom. It can be used for small, medium, and large-sized teams who want to continue their daily workflow with minimal disruption. It is free and it gives you the opportunity to use breakout rooms with different teams where everyone is given a chance to participate.

Plus, Zoom lets you record your event so you can go back to it at any time. This can really come in handy especially if you need material to create a video for a colleague who is celebrating their milestone in the company. 

Final thoughts

Even if you and your team members are still working remotely, that doesn’t mean you can’t get together virtually and connect with each other.

Whether it is a simple gathering with your colleagues or an actual online event, the advances in technology give you the opportunity to stay in touch with everyone and continue to exchange ideas and information from far away.

To host a successful virtual event of any kind, it is important that you follow the steps and ensure everything is well set up so everyone will have the best online experience.