Hybrid Christmas party - 5 advantages for your company party
What is it that strengthens the team spirit within a company? A successful Christmas party! In a relaxed atmosphere, even quiet employees become karaoke stars and celebrates the successes of the past year together. While last year’s special event was either cancelled altogether or had to take place digitally, there are certain circumstances have slightly changed in 2021. So it’s about time to plan a great event, right? Several companies are venturing into what will likely be the future: A hybrid Christmas party, where one part of the colleagues takes part online and the other part takes part offline. We have put together 5 advantages of a hybrid Christmas party for you.
Table of Contents
What is a hybrid Christmas party?
Advantage 1: Larger numbers of participants are possible
Advantage 2: Event costs can be reduced
Advantage 3: High flexibility with hybrid Christmas parties
Advantage 4: Higher possible involvement of the audience
Advantage 5: Hybrid Christmas parties are environmentally friendly
What is a hybrid Christmas party?
A hybrid Christmas party is a mixture of a virtual event and a live event. If you think hybrid events only came into existence in pandemic times, you’re wrong. This form of event has been around for much longer, it has merely gained popularity. If we think of events such as the soccer World Cup, for example, it quickly becomes clear that even before then, many people were attending events live, while the rest of the fans were streaming the spectacle on their screens at home. Transferred to the hybrid Christmas party, this means that part of your team is live on site and the rest of your colleagues join in online in a relaxed atmosphere. This is where the hybrid Christmas party differs from the virtual Christmas party: In the latter, all team members are present online and there is no offline component.
Advantage 1: Larger numbers of participants are possible
Anyone who has ever planned a Christmas party knows that finding the right location can sometimes be quite difficult. There are not only large numbers of participants to consider, but also travel routes, parking options, etc. Even with large numbers of participants, there is no trouble with a hybrid Christmas party, because as a company you are completely flexible. This has the advantage that employees from other locations and from abroad can also join the hybrid event quickly and easily – without additional costs (which leads us directly to the next advantage).
Advantage 2: Event costs can be reduced
On-site events usually involve large costs that increase with each person attending. Hybrid Christmas parties can lower the cost of the Christmas party since there is no need for all team members to be on-site. Costs for airfare and train tickets, for example, for colleagues who live far away are saved. Of course, there are also some cost points to consider with hybrid Christmas parties. For example, it may be necessary to invest in cameras, microphones or online tools. These points must be taken into account to ensure that the hybrid event will be a success.
Advantage 3: High flexibility with hybrid Christmas parties
Hybrid Christmas parties offer a decisive advantage: they allow flexibility in event planning. In times of constantly changing covid restrictions, it is a welcome facilitation to be able to reschedule a Christmas party at short notice if necessary. So if contact restrictions prevent an offline Christmas party, the hybrid Christmas party can still take place digitally. This not only gives you the greatest possible planning freedom, but also protects you in advance against high cancellation costs. A Christmas party with a hybrid component is also more relaxed for employees because they can plan their attendance entirely according to their personal preference.
Advantage 4: Higher possible involvement of the audience
Polls, comments, shares and likes – at a hybrid Christmas party, you can easily create additional opportunities for interaction. Not only can team members who participate in the Christmas party interact online, but so can colleagues onsite. They can network and thus combine offline and online activities. Hybrid events also offer the possibility to accompany team members with appropriate marketing activities before, during and after the Christmas party. In doing so, try to create the joyful feeling that usually arises when your employees observe the set-up work for the Christmas party on site.
Advantage 5: Hybrid Christmas parties are environmentally friendly
Another plus for the hybrid Christmas party: you’re doing something good for the environment. Travel is one of the biggest CO2 polluters of all, and offline events are known to usually involve long and also shorter travel distances. So if a certain number of the team participates online, you can make the Christmas party more sustainable. In addition, the digital component means that colleagues from other countries who would otherwise have to forgo participation due to the long journey can also take part.
Conclusion about hybrid Christmas parties
Our five benefits of hybrid Christmas parties are just a few of the many reasons why this form of Christmas party is a sustainable and profitable alternative to offline Christmas parties. The hybrid Christmas party ensures maximum flexibility while providing planning security and allowing all team members to be part of this special event. Moreover, by planning a hybrid event, you support a sustainable thought. We are happy to help you plan your hybrid Christmas party. If you have any questions or suggestions, we will be happy to assist you at any time.
