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Practically unheard of before the pandemic, virtual holiday parties were initially viewed as a temporary measure, enabling workers to enjoy their regular year-end festivities. However, far from disappearing as life slowly returned to normal, these parties look set to stay.
Find out why you should swap your office buffet for a browser tab and take your holiday cheer online below:
What are the advantages of virtual holiday parties? 🎄
A 2024 Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey found that of the 64% of companies planning holiday celebrations, an increasing number chose to host virtual events compared with the previous year. Economic concerns were one of the main reasons for this preference.
Another reason for the continued popularity of virtual parties is the significant number of remote workers in the US. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21.6% of the nation’s working population worked remotely in April 2025.
That’s almost a quarter of all adult workers, and they deserve a bit of fun at the end of the year, too!
Ensuring your remote teams get in on the holiday festivities and potentially saving money aren’t the only advantages of throwing a virtual party.
Some of the other benefits include:
- Employee engagement: A remote end-of-year get-together can be a great tool for improving employee engagement. They provide a welcome break from the stresses of the holiday season, such as tight deadlines and heavy workloads, but without many of the pressures of in-person events (like dealing with coworkers who’ve had one too many).
- Team building: Virtual holiday parties give office-based and remote teams an opportunity to socialize, have fun, and forge or strengthen bonds in a relaxed, fun-filled atmosphere. While chatting informally can work wonders for team building, you can take things to the next level by organizing games or quizzes in which different teams or departments compete for prizes.
- Positive company communication: A virtual end-of-year company party is a fantastic opportunity for management to report back on results, focusing on achievements and encouraging employees to prepare for the future and strive for even higher goals.
Additionally, managers can share positive news, such as promotions or personal highlights, including those who have become parents or achieved extramural successes, such as awards for community or charitable involvement.
- Employee recognition: Last but not least, virtual holiday parties allow management to recognize and honor employees who’ve performed well over the year. Along with making hardworking employees feel acknowledged and appreciated, this can encourage other workers to improve their performance.
How to organize a virtual holiday party 📋
With Confetti’s range of exciting virtual holiday party packages, organizing one of these events requires minimal time and effort. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to ensure you make the best choice for your team:
- Consider event structure: Put careful thought into how your event should be structured, asking employees for suggestions or feedback if necessary.
For example, if you host a two-and-a-half-hour event, allow 90 minutes for games or friendly competitions, 15 minutes for company news and employee acknowledgements, and 45 minutes for unstructured socializing.
- Include games: Don’t be tempted to limit your party to company news, awards, and a few drinks with time for socializing. While games don’t always play a big role in in-person events, they make up for activities you can’t necessarily include in virtual events.
Consider your teams when choosing games, as some may prefer themed trivia-style options, while others may benefit from problem-solving games or those that encourage team building.
- Be inclusive: The holiday season means different things to different people. For some, the season’s all about a particular religious celebration, while others may not celebrate anything at that time of year.
When deciding on activities, ensure everyone feels included.
- Think outside the box: Your employees don’t want to attend the same holiday party year after year, so use this as an opportunity to try something different.
Providing kits for fun activities everyone can enjoy together virtually, such as cupcake decorating, hot chocolate tasting, or dumpling making, can spark creativity or friendly competition and make a fun takeaway.
With this in mind, let’s take a quick look at a few suggestions for virtual holiday parties your team’s sure to love:
1. Throw a Virtual Holiday Pub Party 🥳
End the year with a bang by opting for Confetti’s Virtual Holiday Pub Party. Arrange for drinks and snacks to be delivered to your team’s homes before a bartender host gets the event going.
Your workers can enjoy live music, mingle in conversation rooms, and play a range of seasonal games such as a trivia charity game or coworker clash.
2. Encourage team building with a virtual escape room 🕵️♀️
Requiring participants to pool their cognitive and intellectual resources, escape rooms can be a great way to encourage team building. Add a holiday theme, and you’ve got an ideal activity for your organization’s virtual year-end party.
Confetti’s Virtual Holiday Escape Quest will transport your team to a tropical island where they’ll need to work together to solve holiday-themed puzzles and solve the mystery.
3. Add festive cheer with a virtual mixology class 🍹
Why limit yourself to having beverages delivered to your team for the holiday party when you can give them the chance to learn how to make delicious winter cocktails?
With Confetti’s Virtual Winter Mixology Class, your team will receive the ingredients they need before being taught a few bartending skills and guided through making two delicious winter cocktails (or mocktails).
With 30-minute and 60-minute options available, you’ll have plenty of time for socializing and other activities.
4. Enjoy a holiday game extravaganza 😁
Throw a party your team won’t forget by providing them with an array of festive amusements.
With Confetti’s Holiday Mash-Up, your employees can enjoy bursts of action and entertainment by playing popular games, including Holiday Water Cooler, Holiday Trivia, and Winter Mini Games. Make things even more exciting by giving online gift cards as prizes.
Have an unforgettable virtual holiday party with Confetti 🎉
Take the hassle and fuss out of your organization’s year-end shindig this festive season. With a virtual holiday party, there’s no need to worry about decorations, catering for crowds, or a whole lot of cleaning up.
Instead, your team gets to enjoy fun, games, and socializing with coworkers, all in the comfort of their own ho-ho-homes.
