Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still here, and it’s probably not going away for some time.
Because of this unpredictability, it may be difficult to plan traditonal events for a while. However, it doesn’t mean that events aren’t possible.
Why not embrace the situation and plan a virtual event. With a bit of creativity, these can be really fun and help foster a real team spirit.
To help you get started, we’ve made a list of online party ideas and activities you can do at your next (first?) virtual corporate event. Some are stand-alone ideas while others will work best in combination with other activities.
Let’s get started.
Corporate Zoom party ideas
The key to a successful virtual event is to not make it feel like another Zoom call. Everyone is getting bored of ‘just’ Zoom calls (Zoom fatigue is now a thing…).
Instead, plan activities and interactive things for people to do. Everyone needs to feel involved. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. This is new for everyone.
Pro-tip: Check out this article by Carlstrom Productions for some easy production tips.
1. Guess the song
The concept is simple. Simply play a tune and ask everyone to guess it. The first person or team to guess wins a point. At the end of all the rounds, the person or team with the most points wins.
To make this game work properly, try to ensure no one is cheating. However, even with an app like Shazam, you might still lose to your music fanatic colleagues!
If you want to keep it simple, just get everyone to answer in the chat section. However, to make it more interactive (and therefore more fun) you want your guests to shout out the answers.
If you’re a small group (5 to 10 max) leaving everyone with their mic on might be feasible. But for larger groups, you’ll want to elect team leaders and have them answer on behalf of their team.
Pro-tip: To encourage participation, make sure you have prizes to give out to all the winners.
- Duration: 20-30 minutes
- Group size: 20 people+
- Planning: DIY
2. Music bingo
Music bingo is similar to regular bingo except instead of calling out numbers, you play a random song. If the song is on your card you win the point.
The first person to complete their card wins a prize. It’s fun and it’s a good excuse to listen to some great music (or music that’s so bad it’s become great).
You can either plan this activity yourself or, for some extra fun and peace of mind, hire a music bingo entertainer to plan and host it for you.
If you’re based in Ireland, you can book a music bingo entertainer directly through the PartyWizz website.
Pro-tip: As your event is digital, if possible, try to give out physical prizes. It will make the event feel that little bit more like a regular event. You can either drop off the prize at the office or mail it to the winner.
- Duration: 30-40 minutes
- Group size: 20 people+
- Planning: Booking
3. Hiring a magician
Magicians can be hired to perform magic over Zoom. Although it may not sound possible, they’re still able to wow people over the internet.
The truth is that it isn’t their usual show. It’s a show specifically designed to be performed over the camera.
If you’re based in Ireland, you can book a magician for a Zoom show directly through the PartyWizz website.
- Duration: 30 minutes to an hour
- Group size: 20 people+
- Planning: Booking
4. Hiring a caricaturist
You can hire an artist to draw live caricatures of your guests over Zoom. The drawings are done on a tablet, which means it’s broadcast on a live feed for everyone to see.
There is something truly magical in seeing a drawing come to life… and of course comical because it’s your colleague or Manager.
Don’t worry. Only the brave need volunteer. But those who do get an unforgettable souvenir!
If you’re based in Ireland, you can book a caricaturist directly through the PartyWizz website.
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Group size: 5-20 people+
- Planning: Booking
5. Pub quiz
You can host a traditional pub quiz over zoom.
Simply plan a list of questions and trivia for your guests to answer. The trick is making sure no one cheats! One option is to only choose questions that can’t be answered via Google. For example, what year did the HR Manager join the company?
Alternatively, you can plan a series of questions that your employees need to Google. Think of these as puzzles rather than trivia questions. Each puzzle might require multiple searches to be answered.
- Duration: 30 min to 1 hour
- Group size: 10-20 people+
- Planning: DIY
6. Murder mystery
You can play a game of murder mystery online with your team. They come in all shapes and sizes with varying levels of difficulty.
Some are free, while others you need to pay for. Just make sure you check the reviews before starting the game.
Pro-tip: Make sure your game isn’t too long. Try to keep it under one hour. Otherwise, Zoom fatique may set in.
- Duration: one hour
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
7. Virtual escape rooms
Similar to murder mystery games, you can plan a digital escape room event with your team.
You can find plenty of free and paid options online. Once again make sure you check the reviews before getting started. Especially if you’re paying for it.
Alternatively, you can make your own with Google forms or Jot forms. You can find tutorials for this online. The concept is simple, create a list of puzzles to be solved in order to unlock the next step.
Pro tip: if you have multiple teams, why not have an escape competition. The fastest team to escape wins a prize.
- Duration: one hour
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
8. Zoom call with Santa
If you’re hosting an event around Christmas, why not plan a zoom call with Santa? Ask your employees (or your employees’ kids) to dial a ‘mystery’ number, or click on a ‘mystery’ link, which, to their surprise, will be answered by Santa himself.
If you’re based in Ireland, you can book a zoom session with Santa directly through PartyWizz. Be sure to make your reservation as early as possible. He’s very popular and his calendar fills up fast!
- Duration: 1-2 hour+
- Group size: 20+
- Planning: Booking
9. Silly team videos
Get all of the different teams to film silly videos to be shown at your event. You can then compile these into a single video or keep them as separate files to be played throughout the event.
It’s the perfect interlude between serious presentations. It helps lift the mood and it breaks the mould of traditional zoom meetings.
Pro tip: Unless you’re very good at acting, keep the videos short. Aim for under a minute. 2 or 3 max. If they drag on for too long, they will lose entertainment value.
- Duration: Each 30 seconds
- Group size: Any
- Planning: DIY
10. Zoom DIYs & Tutorials
Get your employees to share a DIY project with others over Zoom. Don’t do anything too difficult & keep it short. Ideally, everyone should be able to follow along.
Alternatively, if you want to keep things business-related, you can also use this as a skill-sharing opportunity. For example, one of your employees could give a Photoshop tutorial to everyone else.
Just make sure you keep it entertaining. For example, you could teach people how to Photoshop the CEO into famous movie scenes…
- Duration: 5minutes
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
11. Play a card game online
Multiple websites allow you to play card games online for free. If your team enjoys playing cards (Poker & Cards Against Humanity are among the most popular… but any game is possible) this is a great option for you.
- Duration: 30 mins to one hour
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
12. Book a singer
You can hire a singer to perform a show through zoom. With a good microphone and good amplifiers, the sound will be as good as if you were there in person.
Don’t forget to plan a list of requests and sing along with the entertainer.
If you’re based in Ireland, you can book a singer to perform over Zoom directly through the PartyWizz website.
- Duration: 40 mins to hour+
- Group size: 20+
- Planning: DIY
13. Spot the difference
You can play a simple game of spot the difference (or rather a game of spot the missing object).
Simply lay out a number of different objects on the table. Get the audience to look at them. Then turn off the camera and remove two or three items. The audience then needs to guess which objects are missing.
This game probably isn’t enough on its own, but it’s a simple activity you can add to a series of other games.
- Duration: 15 minutes
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
14. Dance off
Get your entire team to dance to some music (ideally the same music) and record the result. Trust us on this one, it’s hilarious!
For this activity to be successful, you need to find the right balance between too many participants and too few.
On the one hand, you don’t want individuals to be overly recognisable. It might make them feel too self-conscious. On the other hand, you also want everyone to fit in a single “Tile” view.
For example, Zoom can only display up to 49 tiles on a single screen. This means your ideal range is anywhere from 10-12 to 49 people.
- Duration: 10 minutes
- Group size: 10+
- Planning: DIY
15. Virtual after-work drinks
This is another easy one which works best on a team level. Simply get everyone to attend a virtual after-work drink.
To make it slightly more original and fun, ask everyone to prepare a cocktail and then share the recipe over zoom. You can then elect which cocktail everyone is going to try the following week.
While the after-work call might last an hour or so, this activity will only last 10 to 20 minutes. For that reason, you’re probably going to want to combine this activity with another more interactive one.
Also, don’t fall into the trap of talking about work. The goal is to relax and to spend time with your colleagues. It’s not a business meeting.
- Duration: 10 mins
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
16. Board games
You can play traditional board games online using a (free) service, such as board game area. No app to install either. It’s all website based.
Pro-tip: Make sure the game you choose doesn’t last too long. Keep it under one hour. A five hour Monopoly game probably isn’t what you’re looking for.
- Duration: 10 mins to one hour
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
17. Watch a movie together
Netflix has recently launched a new service, “Netflix Party”, that allows people to watch movies together.
If your team has a cult movie or TV show that they always reference, why not use this opportunity to watch it together. Expect everyone to be quoting it flawlessly on Monday!
- Duration: 2 hours
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
18. Play a video game
The list of video games you could play is endless. However, if some of your team members aren’t regular players, you’ll want to choose an easy one.
In addition, you’ll need to make sure it’s compatible across different devices (Macs tend to not be great for video games…).
Here are a few examples:
You can find some more video game ideas in this medium article.
- Duration: 10 mins
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: DIY
19. Attend virtual gigs
The number of virtual events has grown exponentially since the lockdown started. Why not attend one of them with your team? For example a comedy event or live music. There is definitely something for everyone.
The good news is that the entry price is usually close to nothing.
- Duration: 1hour+
- Group size: 5 to 10
- Planning: Booking
20. Talent Night
This is a very simple concept. Ask your employees if they would be willing to perform for the rest of the company over Zoom.
Comedians, musicians, dancers… Even if you’re a small company, you’ll be surprised at the amount of talent your employees have between them.
Just be aware that performing some things online is tricky. We’re very used to YouTubers having high production values but this is a DIY show (and it’s live), so don’t expect the same quality.
Pro tip: Keep each act short, perhaps under three minutes. And don’t put on too many acts. Half an hour is long enough.
- Duration: 30min+
- Group size: 10-20+
- Planning: Booking
21. Digital Casino Night
You can easily plan a casino night for your guests that takes place entirely online.
You probably don’t want to use a gambling site, instead set up different Zoom breakout rooms for all the different games that can be played.
For example a poker room (likely more than one), a roulette room, a blackjack room and so on.
You can then find the software for these different games on different sites and link to them in the breakout zoom rooms.
We generally recommend to not use actual money but if you do, opt for a buy-in system (i.e for €10 you get x number of chips).
The funds that are raised can contribute to your chosen charity or can help fund the next party.
- Duration: 2 hours+
- Group size: 20+
- Planning: DIY
22. Fake/Comedy Awards
If your event is an end of year party, why not host fake awards (think Oscars or Golden Globes). This is a silly favourite of ours at PartyWizz.
Create fake awards for different categories and either choose a winner ahead of time or elect them on the night.
Just keep all the awards positive. It’s a party after all. You don’t want to make the winner feel bad. For example, ‘most likely to be at their desk at 9:00:00 every Monday morning’ or ‘most likely to end up prime minister’.
Once again, don’t drag out this activity for too long. To keep it entertaining, make it short and to the point. Five awards is plenty.
- Duration: 20 mins+
- Group size: 10-20+
- Planning: DIY
Pro-tip: Don’t forget to give out prizes to all the award winners!
Closing Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas for your upcoming event.
At PartyWizz, we specialise in providing corporate entertainment. Both in-person and digital. If you’re based in Ireland or the UK and you’re looking for corporate entertainment, feel free to get in touch.
