How to Organize an Online Event for Your Team
My favorite part of working in communications and events is the teamwork aspect of bringing a complex goal to fruition. At Stanford, I loved starting my on-campus internship days by chatting with my colleagues, supervisors and different visitors.
Today, as we all work from home, these spontaneous office interactions over coffee and at lunch are no longer available. Yet, as uncertainty is prolonged, the need for connection across a team has never been greater.
I write this post to share some small things you can do to create a fun virtual event for your team. I have learned some best practices from this quarantine and from my prior experience working in business communications with global teams across time zones.
Please note that these tips are for relatively small-scale events (2-50 people). Shifting a large-scale event online, such a company-wide summit, a multi-panel conference, or a concert will require a different process.
It is important to remember that we are living through a difficult moment. Your team members are worried for the health and safety of their families. We are all doing our best to work from home during a pandemic – this is not a typical work from home experience. Inherently, an online event can never provide the same experience as an in-person gathering. However, you can ensure that your event is as smooth and as engaging as possible – the key lies in the planning.
Pre-event
1. Establish event length and time
Keep it short and sweet. Zoom fatigue is widespread. I recommend 30 min – 45 min at most. If your event will be 45 min, include a 10 min break in the middle. Respect everyone’s time - start and end on time, even if you don’t get through all of your planned activities.
If applicable, consider time zones. You can send out a survey to get an idea of ideal times. It may be impossible to pick a good time for everyone, so offer a variety of events at different times.
2. Send materials
E-mail a fun invite with an RSVP. Paperless post is easy to use.
Send a short outline/agenda of the event. This way, people who can only join for a bit won’t be lost.
During the event
1. Speaking order
As the host, consider if you will establish a speaking order. If your team is small, you can try an organic approach: you introduce the different sections of the event, and let people speak freely. Pay close attention as people speak, so you can see if anyone is interrupted. Interruptions are common in virtual events; people don’t have access to in-person visual clues. Make sure anyone who is interrupted receives the chance to speak as soon as possible.
If you are collecting any type of input, such as feedback or information, emphasize that members can also send this in an email. Not everyone will want to speak during the event, but everyone should always have the chance to participate and to be heard.
2. Event elements
A surprise/gift for your team members
The most successful events include this special element. If possible, I encourage you to send your team a small gift/piece of swag in the mail, a restaurant/DoorDash gift code for a to-go order, etc.
You should then integrate this item into the event – perhaps you all eat lunch/dessert together, or you open the mailed gift together at the same time. Design an activity around the mailed object that you choose. For example, you can send everyone chocolate/coffee/tea tasting kits and do a ‘review & rate’ activity together.
Virtual backgrounds
I have seen events where participants are encouraged to upload a fun background. My tips for this include setting an appropriate theme and considering everyone’s equipment. Some fun themes may be: a photo of your dream travel destination, a favorite photo you took yourself, a photo of your favorite spot on your work campus, etc.
It’s important to consider that not all computers can support virtual backgrounds - you don’t want anyone to feel left out. If your company issues standard equipment to your employees (such as a computer and a phone), this is less of a concern, as you will know the details of this equipment.
Breakout rooms
This is especially suited to teams of 10+ members. Make a handful of breakout rooms that people can jump in and out of as they wish. Keep a room naming convention: maybe names of cities your company operates in, or names of TV shows that are popular with your team. People can spend 15 minutes or so jumping from room to room. This is the most successful online replica I have seen of spontaneous office chats.
Post-event
Just as you would for an in-person event, send out an anonymous post-event survey. Include a free-form comments box. Post-event feedback is crucial to improving future events.
If you have never collected feedback before, start now (with an easy-to-use tool such as SurveyMonkey).
Other Notes
You can also create fun, non-work-related channels and groups on your work from home tools (Workplace, Slack, Teams, etc). Members can recommend movies, TV shows/podcasts, share recipes and photos…
Pay special attention to any new hires. If they started after your online transition, it will be harder for them to feel integrated. Ensure they are included in the conversation, ask them friendly questions about themselves, etc. If you recently started a new job online, see this Stanford alumni article.
Some teams are doing small events such as “Friday morning coffee hour”. Create an online space where members can stop by and chat just as they would in the office kitchen.
You will most likely need to try a variety of things to find a combination that works best for your particular group. Remember that whether in-person or online, event planning is a constant process of trying new things, reviewing metrics and feedback, and adapting accordingly.
