Virtual event ideas are themes, activities, and games in online events such as webinars and virtual workshops. Examples of these ideas are virtual fundraisers and internal virtual product launches. These virtual team building activities intend to engage teams and nurture mutual responsibility.
This article covers
- virtual event ideas for students
- virtual event ideas for work
- virtual event theme ideas
- interactive games for online events
So, here are some of the best ideas to incorporate into virtual team building events.
The best 12 virtual event ideas
#1. Virtual fundraiser
A virtual fundraiser is one of the best virtual event theme ideas to raise money. For instance, nonprofit organizations may fundraise to facilitate a particular cause, donate to charity, or pay running costs. Meanwhile, for-profit businesses may hold these events to exercise corporate social responsibility and unite team members around a cause.
Teams can incorporate a virtual fundraiser using the following ways:
i. Virtual auction
Teams may virtually auction selected products and sell those products to the highest bidder. These products may include rarely used equipment that the organization no longer uses. Alternatively, organizations may auction online products, including household items like kitchen appliances. Team members can also offer skills and services for bidding. The highest bidder provides their address for shipment.
ii. Social media event
The organizers may create a social media fundraising event and share a campaign to donate to on their social feeds. Friends, followers, and donors then contribute to the provided collection point, such as a payment app or donation page.
Teams can use various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram, to achieve a wider reach. However, if the event should only include specific team members, then a private online event will do.
The best tips for publicizing social media events include using catchy hashtags, sending followers invitations to attend, and suggestively naming the event with the central theme, for example, ‘anniversary celebrations and fundraiser.’
iii. Virtual shows
Setting up a virtual show where the audience pays to get a Zoom link effectively collects funds. In addition, the shows may have interesting activities like demonstrations, presentations, and contests to attract viewers.
The planning team organizes and communicates where to direct entry admission payments, and the audience can transfer the funds directly. For instance, virtual money details.
The major advantage of hosting a virtual fundraiser is the lower logistics costs. For instance, there is no need to hire a venue or provide conference supplies such as stationery. With the reduced operating costs, a virtual fundraiser dedicates more funds to the main cause.
#2. Internal online product launch
Launching a new product in a virtual team meeting is an exciting way to let employees interact with that offering. For instance, giving the team a chance to get the first peek at the product.
The internal online product launch has critical benefits for the staff. First, the launch promotes a culture where employees share opinions and feedback on a product. Secondly, an internal launch acts as an extra eye and helps the product development team catch any errors before the official launch rolls out. Lastly, this event creates an insider culture that makes teammates feel like a part of something exclusive and special.
Here are some best ideas to consider:
- Use a PowerPoint presentation to promote a brand. For example, include pictures and videos that help the team visualize the product features, such as the packaging. Also, include additional product information such as stores selling those products to enhance team collaboration on marketing campaigns.
- Test users’ experience with employees. For virtual products such as digital tools, team members can be the first to try out the launched products. For instance, the host may use remote control software like TeamViewer and AnyDesk to provide remote access. This software allows the online team members to navigate the products and give feedback on their experiences.
- Use a countdown timer. The host may set up a virtual timer on the company’s staff portal to indicate how much time members have before the official launch. When team members log in to the web to check emails, the ticking timer instills a sense of urgency, reducing procrastination. Consequently, relevant teams clear up the preparations for the official public launch.
- Subsidize the product prices for team members. The reduced cost encourages employees to purchase and experience the company’s products. The main idea here is to foster a culture that creates a sense of pride and ownership for the products.
Internal virtual product launch is a cost-effective pre-launch idea for companies.
#3. Virtual tours
Virtual tours top the list of the best virtual event ideas for students. These online tours supplement teaching subjects such as geography, history, and religion.
When preparing a virtual tour, the guide includes videos or still pictures of the location. Images make the tour feel more immersive and authentic. Virtual tours make topics enjoyable, interactive, and easy to comprehend.
It is best to choose visuals having the following:
- High-resolution photos that enable the guide to zoom in on the details
- 360-degree panoramic images for learners to view a location from different angles
- Descriptive texts that give additional information, such as names of places and landmarks and the historical value of monuments.
- A live guide to give extra information and answer questions.
If doing a virtual tour for employee onboarding purposes, then ensure to capture the location of your business, the highlights of your products or services, and possibly the service process. These details help new staff to get the hang of activities in the new workstations and the orientation of the different offices.
You can also invite team members to give casual virtual tours of their home towns, current locations, or favorite travel destinations to help team members get to know each other better.
#4. Question and answer session
A question-and-answer session is an informative theme idea for virtual events. This session allows online participants to ask questions regarding a product, service, or the topics they have just learned. The team of experts handles the questions.
Holding a question-and-answer session may be tricky when the team is not well prepared. However, these ideas are handy tips for successfully conducting the Q&A session.
- Schedule the question-and-answer session at the end of speeches. This step prevents interrupting the speaker and helps the team control how much time to dwell on a question.
- Brief the participants to write their questions in the chat section during the event. Alternatively, provide an inbox address for sensitive or private issues. With the two communication methods, the team members collaborate to group similar questions and answer them at a go.
- Advice guest speakers to give brief but clear responses to save time and avoid repetition.
- Assign a moderator. The moderator is the team member who controls how much time each session takes and advises the rest of the team when to avoid time-consuming activities, such as debates with participants.
- Where possible, have a team of different experts to answer questions. This approach eases the speaker’s burden, especially on answering questions that need a bit of research or confirmation, such as statistics. Alternatively, the team members may assist the speaker in getting the data and facts from company files or other relevant resources.
Having senior members, such as managers, present or lead the question and answer session enhances team leadership and mentorship. For instance, team members learn the tactics of answering questions in an online event.
The Q&A session acts as the perfect team icebreaker activity in a more informal setting. Employees may ask each other icebreaker questions to get to know each other.
#5. Hosting a keynote speaker
Hosting a special guest is among the best virtual event ideas for work. When planning to invite the special guest, choose folks who add value to the team. For example, industry experts, popular motivational speakers, record holders, and reputable figures in society.
Often, keynote speakers are experts well-versed in the event’s theme.
For example, the speaker’s role includes:
- Motivating work teams through sharing personal struggles and achievements
- Sharing professional training and advice based on experts’ experience
- Boosting students’ curiosity and confidence through encouragement and advice
- Enhancing employee productivity through sharing work tips like time management, delegation, and mutual trust
Having a guest speaker lead the keynote speech in an online workshop is one of the best ideas for increasing employee engagement. The idea of employees having a direct interaction with their role model makes the event more exciting and piques employees’ eagerness to attend the virtual event.
#6. Virtual icebreakers
Virtual icebreakers help participants to familiarize themselves with each other and, therefore, feel comfortable. Employees may hold virtual interactive icebreakers such as virtual trivia, two truths, one lie, or this or that to boost camaraderie among online teams.
For inspiration, icebreaker questions for virtual trivia can include:
- Which countries have you visited?
- What is your most memorable childhood activity?
- Which food are you good at cooking?
- What is your favorite drink?
- What genres of music do you listen to?
- Which is your favorite physical activity?
- What do you enjoy most on virtual events?
- What kind of pets are you comfortable around?
- Which is your favorite season?
When choosing the perfect icebreaker, consider the characteristics of your participants, such as age. This attention to detail guides choosing the relevant energy level activities and age-appropriate questions to engage the teams.
Here is a list of the best virtual icebreakers to try.
#7. Virtual game night
Incorporating interactive games for online events in your conference program is the leading way to engage online participants. Team members can schedule a night to participate in virtual games like virtual Bingo, online Pictionary, online card games, and virtual charades.
The benefits of virtual games include:
- entertaining teams
- building problem-solving skills
- promoting team interactions
- building professional networks
- reducing online meeting fatigue and increasing engagement
Virtual games are social events that stimulate teams and foster bonds.
Here is a list of virtual games for large groups.
#8. Virtual health and wellness session
Health and wellness are a universal concern, and the majority of individuals are making efforts to remain in good health. Therefore, introducing a wellness challenge is an exciting activity to engage your online team.
Examples of the best wellness activities to include in virtual events are:
- Meditation such as yoga and listening to meditation music
- Breathing exercises like belly breathing and breath focus
- Steps challenge where participants attend the event while walking
- Hydration challenge, for example, where participants agree to take at least one glass of water per hour
- Healthy meal prep cooking lessons
- Virtual workouts
Introducing these activities and challenges boosts the participants’ health. However, you might consider inviting an instructor to guide the participants on more complex activities like yoga.
#9. Online training workshops
Virtual training workshops are among the most beneficial virtual event theme ideas to enrich team members. The workshops provide interactive training targeted to benefit the individuals.
Here are training themes to include in an online workshop:
- personal branding
- personal finance management
- personal well-being and stress management
- retirement advice
- power of focus and vision
- life skills, such as self-control and communication
Often, employees, students, or parents battle with contemporary issues like financial security and depression. Conducting workshops that educate and empower struggling folks goes a long way in solving their problems.
#10. Virtual entertainment
Entertainment is among the most effective ways to engage participants and make them remember the event.
Online entertainment ideas include:
- Playing themed music playlist
- Inviting a comedian for a virtual comedy session
- Inviting a spoken word artist to perform virtually
- Hosting a virtual music concert
These ideas aim at amusing the participants and making them feel at ease. For best results, spread out entertainment activities throughout the event to increase engagement.
#11. Virtual party
Virtual party ideas are best for commemorating a person or an event. After a successful event, team members can party.
Example virtual party ideas include:
- holiday-themed parties such as new years eve, Christmas, Diwali, and Eid ul-Fitr, which unite employees with differing beliefs
- costume parties which focus on themes and holidays like Halloween and St.Patrick’s day
- birthday parties for staff
- Work anniversaries
Holding virtual parties helps to rejoin remote employees and boost engagement despite the distance. In addition, teams can have various activities to spice up the virtual parties. Interesting themed ideas that engage teams during virtual parties include playing virtual games, storytelling, virtual office decoration, and icebreaker questions.
Check out this guide to virtual holiday parties.
#12. Virtual happy hour
Virtual happy hour involves informal, social, video conferencing activities that encourage teams to bond.
Examples of virtual happy hour themes include:
- traditional virtual happy hours, where participants enjoy a drink of their choice, for example, beer.
- virtual mixology classes where organizers send participants a list of supplies to get, then provide the recipes during the online event
- drink testing party where organizers send different products to sample. For example, assorted brands and flavors of tea bags for a tea tasting event.
Some activities may have variations. For instance, instead of tea tasting, attendees may go with wine tasting. The basic idea is for teammates to have a uniting and happy session.
Important tips for virtual event ideas
Hosting virtual events requires good organizational skills and tactics. Here are practical tips to consider.
1. Plan the event carefully
When planning an event, take enough time to prepare the activities. For example, select the most representative list of team members and have an online meeting template to guide the event program.
2. Enhance interaction using communication features
An interactive event is fun for the participants. Allowing participants the freedom to use communication features such as chats and breakout rooms makes the event conversational and exciting. For instance, remote team members get a chance to network, ask questions, and share ideas.
3. Incorporate multimedia content
Providing participants with content, such as YouTube videos and tutorial audios, helps back up the presentations. For instance, facilitators provide links to published blog posts as resources for further reading in a virtual training workshop. Alternatively, the team secretary can post relevant links on the chat section throughout the training.
4. Familiarize the participants with the event’s theme.
One of the best ways to increase participation is to let participants know beforehand what to expect. For example, the planning team may introduce the online event themes when sending out the invitation mails, when promoting and advertising the virtual event, and at the beginning of the events.
5. Seek participants’ feedback
After hosting virtual events, it is advisable to seek feedback from the attendees. The feedback helps the host to assess the team’s experience. Feedback may include opinions on the execution of the meeting, complaints, improvement areas, and suggestions for future online team building events.
6. Conduct pre-event promotion
Publicizing online events like virtual team building events increases awareness and attracts the right audience. Some good ideas for promoting online events include posting event campaigns on social media such as Facebook, sending promotional emails to subscribers, and contracting marketing agents to do all the pre-event preparations for you.
7. Make live streams available offline
When dealing with employee training, or team building exercises, it is best to make the event available offline. This offline availability caters to members who were unable to participate in the main event, for example, due to lateness or internet network issues. You can record the event and send it to team members unable to attend. Also, take and post screenshots to entice team members to participate in future events!
8. Aim to add value
Adding value to online services is an effective strategy for building trust. Team members may benefit from opportunities such as Q&A sessions in a virtual professional course. For example, by asking questions that improve productivity and how to handle issues.
9. Incorporate rules into the virtual events
Hosting many folks can be chaotic if there are no regulations to guide how the participants should behave. Introducing simple rules that are easy to follow makes the virtual event fun and engaging. For example, the host may ask members to use hand signals like virtually raising a hand for a chance to speak. In this case, a member who does not raise their hand misses the opportunity to speak.
Conclusion
Virtual events require proper planning and execution. Including refreshing ideas such as health and fitness challenges and virtual happy hour is an effective way of holding successful events. In addition, applying handy tips like promoting the event and seeking participants’ feedback increases engagement.
For more event ideas, check out virtual retirement parties and online murder mystery parties.
FAQ: Virtual event ideas
These are frequently asked questions on virtual event ideas
What are some good virtual event ideas for remote teams?
Good online event ideas include virtual product marketing, virtual tour, virtual entertainment, virtual Q&A session, and virtual party. These ideas educate, entertain, and engage virtual teams.
How do you hold virtual events?
Here is what to do when organizing a virtual event.
- List the objectives and content you hope to share
- Plan and then schedule the date and time of the event
- Send invites
- Promote event
- Open paying options
- Provide links
- Assign speakers
These are the basic steps on how to hold virtual meetings, but planners can customize the list to meet specific team needs.
