Case: “12 Days of Christmas” Online Christmas Event
One of our regular clients approached us in November 2020 with an interesting request: they wanted to organise an online Christmas event for all 40 employees. It was to be an interactive afternoon consisting of a walk-in moment, a short plenary word from management, a team-building activity and a concluding online drinks reception.
In addition, in the lead-up to the event, our client wanted to stimulate interaction between employees combined with a social activity, with the aim of creating a sense of togetherness and consideration for each other and the world around us during the extraordinary year of 2020. It was then up to goMICE to develop a fantastic concept with the goMICE Stretching Method!
12 Days of Christmas
Following a short online brainstorming session with the goMICE team, the idea quickly emerged: 12 Days of Christmas! Based on one of the best-known Christmas songs. During the 12 (working) days before Christmas, all participants would, via the goMICE Activation app to compete with each other. As part of teambuilding, they would have to compete both with and against each other. In this way, participants were also actively encouraged to strengthen their mutual bonds.
The Start (Reach & Tell)
At the end of November, all participants received an invitation email containing a link to the goMICE Digital Event Manager was processed. Participants could register for the online Christmas event via the link. Participants also received a first assignment: buy a small present for a child to be donated to a selected charity and wrap it nicely.
In addition, leading up to the online event, the Digital Event Tool was used to provide participants with information. First, the group allocations were announced, followed at a later stage by information regarding timings and dress code, among other things.
In the meantime, a number of mailings were also sent to the teams and to the elected team captains (they were to play a special role on the day of the online event). In addition, all participants received comprehensive participant instructions, including an explanation of the digital platform they would log into and a number of tips & tricks.
Christmas presents
During the 12 Days of Christmas, management made a tour of the Netherlands by Christmas bus (unfortunately without Robert ten Brink 😉) to personally collect the wrapped gift for charity from the participants' home addresses.
At the same time, the management team—fully in Christmas theme, complete with Christmas music, Christmas attire and a short toast—handed every participant a drinks gift bag filled with delicious regional products and a Christmas accessory to wear during the online Christmas event.
Christmas battle (Activate)
To increase participant engagement and motivate them, the unique goMICE Activation app was deployed. Twelve working days before Christmas, the “12 Days of Christmas game” kicked off! Working in sub-groups, participants tackled various challenges to earn points. The winning team would gain a head start in the team-building activity during the joint online Christmas event.
Every working day at 09:00 a new challenge or round of questions was launched. Think, for example, of questions about Christmas history and music, and tasks such as: “jointly write a 5-line Christmas poem”. The groups conferred extensively with each other via WhatsApp group chats.
Day 12: the online event (ONLINE moment)
On the 12th Day of Christmas, the online Christmas event took place. After a brief walk-in period, there was a word from the management board. After looking back at 2020 and looking ahead to 2021, there was a joint toast.
This was followed by an interactive pub quiz featuring a LIVE quizmaster and personalised questions: a huge success, with all teams doing their utmost to win the coveted award. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a social drink together online in break-out sessions! The participants loved being able to see each other online.
Looking forward to meeting again! (Care en Nurture)
Following the event, all participants received an aftermovie of the Christmas event to relive the experience. They also received an evaluation form in which they could share their experiences. The feedback that resulted from this was extremely positive: participants were very enthusiastic and were already looking forward to the next online event! It is wonderful to hear that!
At the end of December, all participants received a delicious oliebollen package at home, complete with a personal card from the management looking ahead to the new year. They also received a Save the Date for the next team event in March, and a little preview of the event theme was shared.
Would you also like to organise an impactful and successful online or hybrid (Christmas) event? Take Contact Stop with goMICE!
Curious for more valuable tips and inspiration for organising powerful online and hybrid events? Then be sure to read our free whitepaper in which we share the most important steps with you and provide tips on technology, platforms, interaction and budgeting! Click here to download our whitepaper.