The office Christmas party is a great way to bring your employees together for a night of fun and merriment, giving them the chance to let their hair down at the end of another year well done. While this year, these parties will look very different to what we’re used to, that doesn’t mean that we can’t make the most of it. We take a look at what you can do to make sure things go smoothly and your staff have a holly jolly time.

Send a party box 

If your employees can’t go to the Christmas party, why not send the party to them instead? Some businesses are sending boxes of goodies out to their staff ahead of a virtual do to get them in the party spirit; these can be as basic or extravagant as your budget allows. From a bottle of bubbly to a selection of snacks and party favours, you can get your employees into the spirit of things and show you care while staying safe.

Dress to impress 

While it’s tempting to keep at least your pyjama bottoms on when working from home in these colder months, what’s a Christmas party without making a little bit of an effort? Encourage your staff to dress for the occasion, whether that be full black-tie attire or just their very best Christmas jumper. You could even offer a prize for the best dressed employee on the night.

Sort virtual entertainment

Think about hiring someone to present your virtual party or asking a willing employee to take up the mantle. Having someone to host the night can make it seem much more exciting and differentiate it from ‘just another team meeting’.  You could also put the word out across the office to see if you have any budding musicians who could play a live set. You then need to think about the types of activities you want to host on the night and how these will work. Do you need to organise virtual breakout rooms? Will your participants have a choice in advance of what they can do or will this all be set out by the organiser?

Get festive

Consider the backdrop of your party, is your host going to be presenting from their living room? Or will you be using a digitally created background? Making an effort to create a festive ambience to set the scene will be certain to get your staff in a Christmassy mood.

Make sure things run without a hitch 

When it comes to technology, if we didn’t know it before, we do now – things can go wrong at the drop of a hat. It doesn’t matter if you’re a computer developer based in Nottingham or the Prime Minister of England, no-one is safe from video conferencing faux pas. To ensure that things run smoothly on the night, make sure that you’ve done your research and you have a back-up plan in place should your connection suddenly drop. It’s worth prepping your staff in advance so they’re all registered and ready to go in advance and there’s no last-minute nightmares when you’re due to begin.

Has your business become increasingly reliant on digital processes over 2020? It’s worth making sure that you have protection in place should you become targets of a cyber-attack. With nearly 50% of all businesses experiencing cybercrime this year alone, it could be more common than you think. To find out more about how Lockyers can help to protect your business with dedicated Cyber Insurance, get in touch or call 01924 278222.