6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday Season

Get into the holiday spirit with these festive virtual and hybrid event ideas The year may be winding down, but holiday festivities are definitely ramping up. The last few months of the year are filled special occasions from Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to Christmas Day, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. Each occasion is special and celebrated in unique ways with family, friends, and colleagues. However, it might not always be possible for loved ones and work mates to gather in one place. This is where festive virtual and hybrid event ideas step in to save the day! Here are 6 event ideas to help you plan events for this time of year that would really resonate with your audience. Virtual Holiday Foodie Fest If there’s one thing that festivities during the last few months of the year have in common, it is food. This is a perfect time for you to host a virtual foodie festival. There are lots of people out there who are struggling to plan that perfect Thanksgiving menu, or maybe they can’t figure out how they got roped into hosting Christmas dinner. Then there are those who are all thumbs when it comes to finding their way around the kitchen! And of course, there are also those who can handle the kitchen like a pro but are in need of something extra special to inspire the magic they can do with food. You can create a foodie festival that caters to all of these needs, with cooking tutorials from beginners to advanced. You could include videos and downloadable nutrition guides. A virtual recipe and kitchen accessory shop for the sale of recipes and specialty items would be ideal for a virtual foodie fest. Additionally, your event could make it possible for attendees to pre-book one-on-one virtual sessions with guest chefs. Festive Sip ‘n Paint This is a fun online or hybrid activity that companies can do with their staff or their clients, or an activity that associations can do with their members. It is also an ideal event for relationship building. You should move early to get in touch with and hire the person who will be conducting this creative event. Next, you will need to provide attendees with an event box containing the painting kit filled with all the materials needed to participate in the event. This event box should be delivered to attendees ahead of time. If your organization is planning to do this as a hybrid event, you will need to organize a few things first: Don’t forget the wine! You really can’t have a sip ‘n paint without that. Perhaps your organization could even find a local wine house to sponsor your event! Virtual Mixology ‘n Game Night Learning to mix cocktails like a pro is an activity that many would enjoy. This event could even be used to amplify networking with event attendees. Again, an event box would need to be sent to attendees ahead of time. If the event is hybrid, all the necessary things would need to be put in place at the event venue. Hire a mixologist to take your event attendees on a journey of blended spirits for holiday season cocktails and a specialty cocktail created exclusively for the event. Increase the fun by adding a themed game night by playing charades and other popular games right after the mixology session. Including activities for a themed game night is a fantastic and fun way to incorporate relationship and team building into your mixology and game night event. Holiday Team Virtual Bake-off Kick-start the fun and friendly competition with a timed virtual bake off. Gather the various ingredients and have the bake-off supply kits delivered to your event attendees. Do a bake off featuring holiday cookies, pies or cupcakes, the choice is yours. To get you thinking, you could create this event around a cookie theme. For instance, attendees could be asked to bake two types of cookies made only from ingredients chosen from a set list. Attendees could also be asked to bake a third type of cookie that is free for all! This third cookie can be made from any of the ingredients from the batch supplied for the event. Add a twist by specifying a secret ingredient! You can do this as a 3-person team event with each person taking charge of a particular cookie recipe. To make it family friendly, you can allow the teams to recruit 1 person from home to assist.Combine this event with customized bingo made up of possible comments and mishaps that might occur while attendees compete to become the champion team. Online Pub Quiz and Trivia Night There is no such thing as a quiet pub quiz and trivia night. There will be laughter, cheers, and general fun-filled uproar. And there will most definitely be competition. This event is another team event that is very useful for team building. Set your questions based on particular themes. Throw in some questions on general knowledge, music, and pop culture. Stick to the theme while making your questions diverse to keep participants on their toes. Make the event challenging but not overly difficult – you still want event attendees to achieve a win. Since this is a virtual pub quiz and trivia night, you need to include key visuals and use gamification to keep attendees aware of team progress and scores. Ugly Sweater Virtual Karaoke That’s right! This festive virtual event idea gives everyone the freedom to be silly and carefree for one night. Everyone must wear an ugly sweater – no exceptions. Create your custom virtual karaoke venue on a virtual events platform and set up the tracks and lyrics so everyone can watch together. Turn on the karaoke and take turns belting out favorite tunes. Allow attendees to customize avatars with their own virtual ugly sweaters. Award special prizes throughout the event and include opportunities for event attendees to play a part by voting and engaging throughout the event. Combine this

5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space

The last couple of years have seen a rise in the number of virtual events. Thanks to better internet and digital tools, it’s easier for event managers to put together engaging activities in the virtual sphere. But while this trend of online events has allowed innovation and creativity to thrive, it’s also made it harder for companies managing these events to compete for audiences’ attention. Below, we’ve outlined a few ways to successfully market your virtual event and help it stand out from the crowd. Gamification Potential customers have to choose between multiple events and they may all look similar. In order to beat the competition, it’s becoming increasingly important to stand out. Events may choose, for example, to gamify their activities and add another layer of interaction for event goers. People can complete challenges like visiting a certain number of lectures in order to gain points, and monitor their performance in a leaderboard. This is definitely a unique approach that pulls in crowds, and helps sponsors visualize their ROI. Investing in Good Professionals As many economic activities become 100% virtual, the help of professionals like digital marketers, graphic designers, and SEO specialists is a must. Marketing graduates understand the principles of marketing, and are trained in marketing tools like social media, videos, and other new media.This makes them extremely well prepared to decide the most effective approach to market a digital event. Everyone can come up with a good idea, but only experts can tell whether it will work or not. Affiliate Programs One of the best resources for any event is a speaker well-versed in the topic. Speakers and special guests are also interested in making the event a success, and can help with the marketing. Inviting speakers to promote the event via affiliate links might be a profitable idea for both parties. After all, affiliate marketing accounts for more than 15% of digital media revenue. Companies can even extend that affiliate program to other content creators who can work as partners, which expands the reach of your marketing push. Creating a Vlog It’s great to collab with content creators like bloggers or YouTubers who can promote an event to thousands of their fans, but companies can also try to create their own. One way to do this is by investing in video content for promotion. Around 40% of people who made an online purchase admit that they found out about the product or service through a Youtube video. Video is engaging, unique, and can include calls to action to give interested audiences the final push they need to sign up to a webinar or event. Email Marketing People believe social media is the best way to promote an event or product, but email marketing is actually 40 times more effective. However, companies have to be careful not to flood the clients’ inbox, and only send news and deals that appeal to their interests. Thus, sending a registration form for an interesting seminar might not be enough though. Companies can boost interest by adding a deadline counter for the registration to motivate the undecided, or adding more personalized touches. Marketing a virtual event may seem like an intimidating task. As time passes however, both event planners and attendees become familiar with new platforms and ideas. We’re likely to see more and newer approaches to virtual events in the coming years, and companies should know the best ways to tap into that new frontier. Digital events are the future, and good marketing is one way to cement a company’s place in that future.

From Orientation to Acceleration: How Proper Onboarding Drives Sales Excellence in Healthcare

Introduction In the competitive healthcare industry, the journey from a new hire’s first day to becoming a top-performing sales professional is critical. The key to bridging this gap lies in a well-structured onboarding process. Proper onboarding not only equips new sales representatives with essential knowledge and skills but also accelerates their path to excellence. Here’s how a strategic onboarding program can drive sales excellence in healthcare. The Significance of Onboarding in Healthcare Sales Healthcare sales is a complex field that requires a deep understanding of medical products, regulatory environments, and the specific needs of healthcare providers. Effective onboarding is crucial for preparing new hires to navigate these complexities confidently and competently. Elements of a Successful Onboarding Program 1.Comprehensive Training Modules: 2. Structured Onboarding Timeline: 3. Mentorship and Support Systems: 4. Mentorship and Support Systems: 5.Cultural Integration: The Impact of Effective Onboarding 1.Accelerated Productivity: 2. Increased Engagement and Satisfaction: 3. Higher Retention Rates: 4.Enhanced Adaptability: 5.Sustained Sales Excellence: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning 1.Promote Innovation and Curiosity: 2.Provide Diverse Learning Resources: 3.Celebrate Learning Achievements: 4.Leadership Involvement: 5.Regular Skill Assessments: Conclusion The journey from orientation to acceleration in healthcare sales is a critical period that can significantly impact long-term success. By investing in a comprehensive and structured onboarding process, healthcare organizations can ensure that new hires are not only well-prepared but also set on a path to sales excellence. From thorough training and continuous development to mentorship and cultural integration, every aspect of onboarding plays a vital role in driving performance and achieving sustained success. Proper onboarding is the foundation upon which sales excellence is built—invest in it to see your sales team thrive.